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Real photo postcard showing two of the three triplets (two girls, one boy) who died on September 11, 1911. The reason that only two were photographed is unclear, but these were possibly the two girls photographed together, or, the third child had not yet died.

Photo #2 is the house that the triplets died and were photographed in, taken 44 years later!

A second postcard showing all three deceased triplets is available here (Archive membership is required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe !

Newspaper article detailing the unfortunate death of 14 year old David Karlson by drowning. A photo of David (taken while alive) as well as his memorial card can be seen on our website (Archive membership is required). Not already an Archive Member? Click here!

Circa 1900 real photo postcard of George Henry Loper at about 15 years old. That is most likely his little sister Edith in the doorway. George, or Henry, died at only 27 from erysipelas, which I believe is a skin infection from a scratch, for example, that gets into the bloodstream. . * His photographic mourning/memorial card can be viewed here (Archive membership is required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe to the Thanatos Archive. 

Detail, woman in mourning dress

Caption from Archive: Woman in beaded and embroidered black mourning dress, wearing black jet bracelets. Quarter-plate ambrotype, circa 1855. * The scan of the complete cased image is available here (Archive membership is required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe to the Thanatos Archive. 

Second post mortem photo of Donata Kramer. Another post mortem photo of her sitting up in a chair, plus more details about her death, can be seen here (Archive membership is required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe to the Thanatos Archive. 

Newspaper clipping and death certificate for a man who was shot and killed by his 21 year old son. His original memorial card (NOT a post mortem) is in our collection and can be seen here (archive membership required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe to the Thanatos Archive. 

Small obituary for five-year-old Pauline Bond, the little girl who died of “Brain Fever”. The obituary incorrectly gives her age as three. Her post mortem can be seen here (archive membership required). Not an Archive Member? Click here to subscribe to the Thanatos Archive. 

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A detailed view of all of the items displayed with a deceased 14 year old boy (Archive Image 3448). The entire post mortem photo as well as an extremely sad note written by the boy’s mother, are both available to Thanatos Archive members. If you’re a member, click here now to view it.

Not yet an Archive member? Please review membership options here.

Tintype of a little girl in her coffin. This is how the image was found, still sealed, with very dirty glass that obscured a lot of the detail.

After carefully removing the seals and brass mat, the entire image was scanned and added to our Archive. The detail was greatly improved, and without the mat the entire scene was revealed, showing more of her unusual coffin…

• Current Archive members can view the full tintype here.
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