does it ever bother you that vintage clothing is a deceased person's clothing?

[sheeplady]

And then in Victorian times post mortem photography was very popular. Very often it was the only photograph ever taken of the person. There were even photographers who specialised in post mortem photographs. The most bizarre I've seen were of the deceased propped up in a sitting or standing position to appear lifelike and often with family members posing with the corpse.

They actually still do post mortem photography in the U.S. for infants who die following birth and still births. There is a non-profit organization that matches volunteer photographers with families: http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/. They often photograph the baby with the family members. I think it's incredibly heartbreaking but also incredibly touching and beautiful.

A warning if you go to that site: they have pictures of their work on their main page and throughout their website.

 

[The Good]

Not really. I have a problem with wearing other's shoes/boots though, and if something is particularly dirty, I wouldn't want it either. I do occasionally think about what sort of people the previous owner of my Stetson St. Regis hat or McGregor Anti-Freeze jacket were, though. I don't think there is a way of knowing anymore, as I've lost the names of the eBay contacts that sold me the clothes, and I doubt that they would have known either if they were collectors or vendors selling it from another person to the next.

 

[Flicka]

I have probably less problem with shoes than any other item of vintage clothing, but that might be because I have a bit of a foot phobia and tend to think of my feet as only vaguely attached to my body.

 

[Shangas]

I live in a dead person's house, sit on a dead person's furniture, sleep in a dead person's bed -- why should I be bothered by wearing their clothes? After all, every single thing any of us own will eventually be a dead person's belongings and someone else will be using or wearing them.

And that RIGHT THERE is why the Chinese on a whole, don't appreciate antiques. Because of the terror they have of death. And I speak from personal experience. I have a LOT of relatives who refuse to even LOOK at antiques...

...then I came along, and I think that scared them even more...

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I have a bit of a foot phobia and tend to think of my feet as only vaguely attached to my body.

lol and *phew*

Thought I was the only one. My feet are covered at all times (except in the shower, of course).

 

[Edward]

But I've often wondered if my father had bought that house and I had grown up there, would I think that having people buried in your basement is normal? I probably would. We've probably been conditioned by our upbringing to not see anything wrong with used clothes. I know some people are not conditioned in the same way.

Right up until you saw The Evil Dead, or maybe Hellraiser, or The House on the edge of the cemetary or whatever as an impressionable teen, and then you'd never sleep in that house again.... mwahahahahahaha

And then in Victorian times post mortem photography was very popular. Very often it was the only photograph ever taken of the person. There were even photographers who specialised in post mortem photographs. The most bizarre I've seen were of the deceased propped up in a sitting or standing position to appear lifelike and often with family members posing with the corpse.

Those would give me the willies far worse than any PM photo ever could.

This would be my dream house. I've seen small cemeteries in people's back yards, but never heard of anyone being buried in a cellar!

I collect PM photos, too. I would like to hang them up around the house, but my husband won't let me lol

No wonder... assume you have copies of the PM shots of Jack the Ripper's victims? They must be among the first on record.

Being that Google Earth is one of my favorite online toys I like "exploring" different parts of the world with it -- particularly the UK. I was looking at a streetview of Bath (i'm pretty sure it was Bath) and came upon an old 17th or 18th century church that's now an Italian restaurant -- nothing unusual there -- but what did blow my mind was that the graves in the small churchyard were still there!

I'll bet it's full of goths....

And that RIGHT THERE is why the Chinese on a whole, don't appreciate antiques. Because of the terror they have of death. And I speak from personal experience. I have a LOT of relatives who refuse to even LOOK at antiques...

...then I came along, and I think that scared them even more...

Ha.... if you ever buy them that nice antique clock, they'll really freak out....

 

[Amy Jeanne]

Oh, I love those Jack the Ripper PMs. PM photography goes back to the 1840s. The oldest ones from the 1840s-60s are probably my fave. Some of the mothers in those photos have such intense eyes. You can feel their pain from across 160 years. Fascinating stuff.

I have books of PMs and crime scenes. Gore doesn't bother me. But don't show me a caterpillar.....(I'll scream and start to shake!)

 

[Flicka]

I was pretty sensitive as a child. I remember when someone told me about crucifixion when I was very small. After that, the sight of a cross made me sick. I seriously threw a fit if someone brought me inside a church. We're talking a fully fledged terrified FIT with a capital F, now. I was literally frightened out of my wits by any depiction of Jesus.

A few hundred years ago, they'd have assumed I was possessed.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Oh, I love those Jack the Ripper PMs. PM photography goes back to the 1840s. The oldest ones from the 1840s-60s are probably my fave. Some of the mothers in those photos have such intense eyes. You can feel their pain from across 160 years. Fascinating stuff.

I have books of PMs and crime scenes. Gore doesn't bother me. But don't show me a caterpillar.....(I'll scream and start to shake!)

Do you have Evidence by Luc Sante? It's a collection of NYPD crime scene photos from 1910-1930. I have a copy and found it quite fascinating.

I'll bet it's full of goths....

There's the Halo Nightclub near the University of Leeds that's in an old church.
If you go up that way, give us a review.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was pretty sensitive as a child. I remember when someone told me about crucifixion when I was very small. After that, the sight of a cross made me sick. I seriously threw a fit if someone brought me inside a church. We're talking a fully fledged terrified FIT with a capital F, now. I was literally frightened out of my wits by any depiction of Jesus.

A few hundred years ago, they'd have assumed I was possessed.

When my sister was about five she came home from Sunday School one day in tears. She'd just heard about the crucifixion for the first time, and was extremely upset that they'd nailed Jesus to the cross. "Why couldn't they use scotch tape?" she asked.

 

[sheeplady]

When my sister was about five she came home from Sunday School one day in tears. She'd just heard about the crucifixion for the first time, and was extremely upset that they'd nailed Jesus to the cross. "Why couldn't they use scotch tape?" she asked.

lol I hope this is something you remind her of every Easter.

 

[Flicka]

My older sister had the same terror of keelhauling. You only had to say "keeeeel..." and she paled. Not that I ever tried, of course. Ahem.

 

[Dinerman]

Some vintage pieces are more of a reminder than others.

 

[dandelion-vint]

Wearing other people's clothing doesn't bother me at all, it never did. I grew up in a house filled with dead people's old things. Just about anything vintage that you are going to wear can be cleaned anyway.
Go into a store today and look at brand new clothing, chances are someone else tried it on, or maybe even wore it and returned it. Now that's gross.

 

[Miss Sis]

Exactly! You can wash clothes or clean other items. No problemo!

I just got round to washing a 1930s dress I've had for ages last night. I've had it a while but only worn it about twice, so I thought I'd give it a check over, do any mending and might as well wash it whilst I was at it. The dirt did rather pour out of it. Funny thing is, I am usually fairly fastidious about cleaning vintage clothing when I get it. I guess in this case it slipped the net! LOL.

Occasionally I remember to wipe out the inside of vintage shoes with Dettol or something, but I usually forget about that too. I'm another person who's not too fond of feet. As an old ballet dancer, I can't stand even *thinking* about someone touching them! But old shoes? Heck, that's fine.

 

[Miss Golightly]

Not a big fan of feet either - so much so that I don't even wear sandals anymore and if I was to wear a peeptoe shoe it would have to be the kind with the tiniest, tiniest peeptoe so you would only see a tiny bit of nail (but that kind of shoe is hard to find).

I find it rare to see anyone and think "Gosh they have pretty feet" - mostly you just see gnarled, cracked feet on display that should really be encased in shoes.

 

[MissMittens]

The only thing I wonder about when I wear vintage clothing or use anything else that belonged to someone else is ....... what was that person like? Were they happy? Did they enjoy said item as much as I do? Things like that

Exactly. It's not as if they DIED in them, lol!! Now, that would be a different thing entirely

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Exactly. It's not as if they DIED in them, lol!! Now, that would be a different thing entirely

While not exactly clothes, about a year ago or so the Rolex watches that once belonged to Buddy Holly and JFK sold at an auction. Both were wearing them when they died.

 

[MissMittens]

While not exactly clothes, about a year ago or so the Rolex watches that once belonged to Buddy Holly and JFK sold at an auction. Both were wearing them when they died.

I don't know if I could wear them......or even have them in my collection.....bad mojo

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

Try a dry cleaners. I suppose if they had died IN the clothing and weren't discovered for a few days it would have some effect on my decision but nah no problem at all.
Tom D.

I agree with Lizzie.

What I have learned is to add vinegar to the wash on the rinse cycle (do not pour on the clothing) add to the rinse water a half a cup works best in place of fabric softener. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar once they are dry. On dry clean only items you can spray on a fabric refresher and let dry. Also when I iron my clothing I will sometimes spray the fabric refresher to the clothing and iron those tough wrinkles out.