Post-mortem photography: a window into the past
In the modern age of smart phones, we often take it for granted that thousands of images exist of ourselves, available at the click of a button, photos taken in seconds and at no cost. With social media, we curate our ‘content’, uploading flattering images of ourselves for our followers to see. It never occurs to us that these images are what will be left of us when we die, for our loved ones to remember us by. But for many families in the 19th and early 20th centuries, post-mortem photography was the only chance to capture an image of a loved one.
The history of death masks: faces of the departed
Throughout history, humans have longed to remember the dead—not just in spirit, but in form. Among the most haunting and intimate expressions of this desire is the death mask: a cast taken from a person’s face shortly after death. From Tutankhamun to Lenin, let’s take a look at death masks through history.
World Art Day 2025: the depiction of death in art
Throughout the history of art, artists have utilised various mediums to explore universal human experiences. The one, inescapable human experience which has fascinated, horrified and captivated artists, is death.
Part of Life has created a list of art works that offer views on death and dying, that can help those struggling with questions around mortality, to reflect and consider the ultimate human experience.
Reuse of graves in the UK: sacrilegious or pragmatic?
The UK is experiencing a shortage of burial space, particularly in urban areas. The Law Commission has proposed changes to the law to allow the reuse of graves to address this issue. So what does grave reuse entail? And what are the proposed changes? And is this really a new idea at all?
Funeral traditions – where did they come from and where are they going?
You may be surprised to discover that many of the traditions associated with the modern British funeral are actually hundreds, or even thousands of years old. But nothing is permanent, and trends are now moving in a very different direction.
Talking to the dead: a history of Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a system of belief based on the concept of communication with the dead, mostly through mediums – people who are able to contact the deceased. But where did it come from? How do mediums make contact with the dead? And do people still practice Spiritualism and séances?