Category Archives: All Posts

Emmie (Killed in Hurricane) [ Blog Exclusive ]

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Cabinet card photo of Emmie Sophronia Sherwood, dressed as a fairy princess, circa 1898. Emmie, along with both of her parents and her three-year-old brother Charles, were killed on September 8, 1900 during the Great Galveston Hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in US history. The storm caused between 6000 and 12000 fatalities, most in the Galveston area. High speed winds of over 130 MPH and a storm surge of  8 to 12 feet destroyed about 12000 buildings in the town, more than half of which were family homes.

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Deathbed Drawing, Alexandra Feodorovna

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Original deathbed drawing of Alexandra Feodorovna, who was the Empress of Russia and the wife of Emperor Nicholas I.

Alexandra died on November 1, 1860.. but this drawing is clearly dated 1859 🤔 Click on the image to enlarge.

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Drowned Siblings [ Archive Image 2040 ] – Double Post Mortem

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Additional material related to the drowned siblings, whose double post mortem photo is available in our member section. If you’re a Thanatos Archive member, click here to view their post mortem photo and additional info.

Note: I believe the article accidentally spelled the name wrong, which was common. The family went by Sprangers and Springers (probably an Americanized spelling).

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Grave of Thomas Baymar with Ceramic Photo Insert

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Baymar grave in January 2017. Credit Myron Mugele.

The grave of Thomas Baymar, Saint Charles Cemetery in DuBois, Illinois.

Click here to see our 1907 photo of this grave marker, freshly completed, shortly before being transported to the cemetery.

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Girl in Tiny Coffin – Hidden Mother [ Archive Image 3405 ]

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Sixth plate daguerreotype of a little girl. The photographer used two mats to hide the fact that she was in a tiny coffin, which has been leaned against a chair and supported by a woman, whose hand is visible in the shot.

If you’re a Thanatos Archive subscriber, be sure you are signed in, and then click here to view the entire scene hidden beneath the mats… amazing!

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The Stolen Boy

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1879 CDV photo of four-year-old Charlie (AKA Charley) Ross, “The Stolen Boy”. On July 1, 1874, Charlie was abducted from in front of his home in Germantown, Pennsylvania by two men offering him candy and fireworks. Though the family continued to search for the boy for decades, he was never heard from again. The phrase “Don’t take candy from strangers” is said to have come about from this incident. In this CDV, Charlie is shown surrounded by dark clouds, which were commonly used in memorial photography and paintings; at this point, several years after his abduction, most assumed the worst.

The Thanatos Archive also owns a memorial stereoview of Charlie. If you’re member, just log into your account and type Ross in the search box to view it.

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