Much like portrait paintings, portrait photographs were fairly exclusive to the upper class because of the cost associated with it. This happened to be the same trend with postmortem photographs (for awhile). Plus, unlike today, people really didn't own their own cameras in the mid 1800's {not until the late 1800's/early 1900's did photography get to the masses thanks (or not?) to Mr. George Eastman and his kodak brownie box camera}.
Without access to personal cameras, families did not own "snapshots", which are typically used today as a way to remember someone. When photography became more popular and available to the masses, suddenly the lower middle class were more likely to call upon a photographer to take a photo of a dead family member. I am still investigating why this change happened.. but one thing is for sure, suddenly, around the end of the 19th century, and into the first part of the 20th century, postmortem photography kinda disappeared, or at least, disappeared from advertisement. This might be when people began to think it was creepy or against the wishes of the deceased (or, because cameras started being massed produced, the family could take their own). Now, this is what really fascinates me. Granted, I don't know how I would react if someone called me up to take a photo of their grandmother who recently passed, but why is it so taboo?
(I thought this would lighten the mood)
I've thought about writing a letter to Sally Mann asking her thoughts on the matter because of her work in What Remains, "a five part meditation on mortality".
Further reads (as suggested by Jay Ruby): Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy and Sleeping Beauty: Memorial Photography in America by Stanley Burns.
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