Dwarf Wedding

I adore this daguerrotype of a dwarf wedding I randomly found on the net

Missing White Woman Syndrome

I've just been reading a Wikipedia article on MWWS or 'missing pretty girl syndrome', really interesting, and something I've never really thought about before, although it seems obvious.
The term refers to the level of media coverage given to the dissapearances of middle class, white, women between 20 and 30, and teenagers, compared to that of men, or women of different races, or of lower class. I think it shows how insane the media is these days, and how its driven by the desire for looks and money, a pretty sad reflection.

an example is two teenagers who went missing, but one recieved more media attention that the other, Amanda Dowler, was a middle class schoolgirl




Whilst hannah Williams was from a working class background, with estranged parents and a stud in her nose



Images of Amanda were all over the front of national newspapers, I clearly remember the news of amandas disappearance, but I have no recollection of hearing about Hannah Williams.
Amanda was what the media wanted, a model school girl with a middle class family, whereas hannah was from a single parent home and had spent time in care, the police described hannas mother as 'not really press conference material' she was forgotten immediately. Amanda Dowler continued to dominate the news. Both girls were found murdered.



I've noticed how shockingly similar alot of the missing young women in the news seem to look, there appears to be a certain criteria that needs to be filled to get coverage.
You probably recognise these faces -
















But do you recall these ones?

My Christmas Present to myself

I bought myself a christmas present in town this week, I found a wonderful doll in a charity shop, shes a pedigree in pretty good condition and I love her, very cool that shes wearing a christmas coat

The Ghost of Christmas past

I've just had my annual viewing of my favourite version of Charles Dickens 'A Christmas carol' I can't believe how much I love it, its a pure masterpeice, I just wish it was available on DVD, its just not that good quality online, I have a version taped off the TV before I was born.

New Orleans Carnival 1903

I have been fascinated by this stunning image for afew months now, and I've finally discovered its source

"The Telling-Grandon Scrapbook is a 28-page scrapbook/diary containing photographs and ephemera collected by an Evanston, Illinois group during a visit by train to the New Orleans Carnival of 1903. Two of the more prominent among these were an Irving Telling and Willie Grandon; thus the title of the collection, Telling-Grandon."

here are some more images from this amazing collection



















for more images and info, go to

http://squashint.wordpress.com/2010/08/08/the-telling-grandon-scrapbook/

Sleeping Beauty 3

Here is the book I want for Christmas, shame the postage costs more that the book! I hope it gets on Amazon soon so i can get it sent a little cheaper before it goes out of print and cost hundreds, I am lucky enough to have the quite rare 'Sleeping Beauty 2' and I want to add to the collection with this one



heres a couple from the amazing selection of postmortem pictures of children that are included

GraveDigger

Cyrus Jones 1810 to 1913
Made his great grandchildren believe
You could live to a 103
A hundred and three is forever when you’re just a little kid
So, Cyrus Jones lived forever

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

Muriel Stonewall 1903 to 1954
She lost both of her babies in the second great war
Now, you should never have to watch your only children lowered in the ground
I mean you should never have to bury your own babies

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

Ring around the rosey
Pocket full o'posey
Ashes to ashes
We all fall down

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

Little Mikey Carson '67 to '75
He rode his bike like the devil until the day he died
When he grows up he wants to be Mr. Vertigo on the flying trapeze
Oh, 1940 to 1992

Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain
I can feel the rain
I can feel the rain
Gravedigger
When you dig my grave
Could you make it shallow
So that I can feel the rain

- Dave Matthews

Flea Market Finds

went to my favourite flea market this morning, picked up some more pictures for the collection, didn't spot any unrecognised postmortems, but that hardly ever happens, anyway here is what I did buy, I particularly love the family group with the terrifying woman sat at the front

Memorial Cards

My Dad got out his collection of Victorian memorial cards, mainly of our family, I thought I would share them here, I love their gothic elegance
If anyone uses Tumblr, find me on there - http://rubyjewel.tumblr.com/

Spirits

I am super poor at the moment, and running out of pictures in my collection that I haven't used before. I was looking to have poorer children in this one, so I have used some pictures from www.shorpy.com for the childrens bodies and the heads of the middle two Children.

Death part 2

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Death

When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
who will have mercy on your soul

Oh, Death

No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold
Nothing satisfies me but your soul

postmortem detail

I loved enhancing the childs face in my last post, so I am going to do the same with my favourite post mortem from my collection, there is no question here that she is dead though. I now have 7 post mortem photos, which I think is pretty good considering how expencive they can be

Original photo



detail - this gives me the shivers



I have reduced myself to tears so many times while going through my collection, i'm odd. But then again whats the point of collecting something unless it moves or effects you deeply