This was a practice where the mother, often disguised or hiding, often under a spread, holds her baby tightly for the photographer to insure a sharply focused image.
– The Hidden Mother
Now I understand that this practice originated when exposure times were slow meaning subjects had to sit perfectly still to render themselves sharply. I get that some families wanted only to have a portrait of their offspring with no parents. I still find the pictures a little macabre and creepy. I know that I'm looking with a modern eye and that what I'm seeing was 'standard practice' for the photographer and subjects but I can't help feeling that the pictures resonate with our society's underlying desire to make mothers invisible at the expense of their families. We don't pay mothers to do what they do … we expect it. The need of the next generation are put, quite rightly, first but at the expense of and often with hidden cost to the mother. The Invisible Mother.
So here we have a series of pictures which had they been taken today could be hailed as a representation of the western social invisibilty of motherhood … but that's not why they were made.
Interesting stuff to ponder … what do you think?
Footnote: I found these fascinating photographs over at BlueMilk and liked them so much I'm referencing the original site Retronaut where you can find a stack of these images.
What amazes me most about this, Geoff, is that I don't recall ever seeing this before in all my (almost 67) years! WOW. It actually reminds me of old photographs of my maternal grandma who often made an 'x' across her face with fountain-pen ink. But in her case, it was because she was a paranoid schizophenic!
Ginnie … I know! I had never heard of this before seeing it. It makes perfect sense in the context of slow emulsions but our modern eyes layer it with our own experiences.
Wow, this is so intriquing …do you think Geoffrey,that these photographs also reflect the status of women back in those times… their role was mainly to procreate and keep the home fires burning ? The invisible mothers/women who accepted this ( and a sheet over their heads in fanily pic's!) These photographs freak me out, and disturb but at the same time fascinate me!
Judith, most definitely they reflect the status of women … not only women but mothers. When I posted this blog entry onto G+ I got entries from several people who had similar, modern examples of themselves (as babies) or family photos where the baby was proppped up by a poorly hidden arm because they wanted a photo only of the children. Noone mentioned that they had their mum covered in a blanket. So in a way the practice continues … just as the practice of the invisibilty of the work and contributions of women and mothers in our society today.
They’re creepy and a little macabre from today’s standpoint but they are, as you say, utterly fascinating.
Thanks always for stopping by and saying hi too – I appreciate that 🙂