The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-13
THE DEAD HIS SPECIALITY.
LINE ~ WHICH ONE PHOTOGRAPHER
FINDS PROFIT.
Reason. why People want Pictures OF ihe'r
Dead some Dinncuities Of the Business
rrapedy Of a Mother and ChIid-A Pho-
,oxraoh,c Failure Not Yet Explained.

ne klSl1DT utfW nv WIN
little scream and clappcd her hands over bel
lace. =,
"Oh. good gracious" sho said Take I
away. | can't Dear to look att IL horr'o'e'
'-bo photographer smiled "Yon are by per
sensitive" he said, Why. this is one OF 'he
best pictures ever tock-of the KIND VI
course. YOU cant expect n dead person 70 iooh
quite so animated and clipper ms a live enc
The visitor lowered her hands a trine ana
peeped at the picture between her rheers
oh" she said, is that what Is the matter
with ~ Was the subject dead' ! thought
it looked mighty funny
The man laughed YES" he said, a great
many Of the people ] photograph are dead
Indeed. I may sny that corpses are my spe-
cialty. Most photographers have scnie var
ticular line of work in which they excel oh"
gets in his most artistic touches On iheatrl'ai
people. another prefers society folk a th'rd
makes children his strong point. while sun
another takes to animals. My trump card
Is the dead body. All photographers take a
dead face now and then. but III venture 10
assert that ! do more mortuary work than all
the other artists in New York put together.
I've built mp my reputation on that line, Nest
| families find me out and come to me direct
| when requiring my services in a funeral case.
! aud so nearly have I prompted the field that,
should peoI 10 chance to 60 10 n brother artist
for advice he will. nine times out Of ten, turn
them over TO me as being the most competent
post-mortcm photographer in the town.
"You would be surprised 10 know how many
people wish TO have their friends and relatives
photographed after death. There are raii-
ous reasons for this, The most general eN-
PLANTATION is that the deceased had never sat
for a photograph in life. But there are many
other reasons advanced Only last week !
went to a house over on Columbus avenue
10 photograph a Young man who had died
after a long and severe illness, His face. so
his mother assured me. had been drawn ard
pin Ched almost beyond recognition Tor three
weeks preceding his death. but just rs the last
breath left his body the features relaxed and
the COuntenanCe took on al expression Of
peace and repose that was really beautiful,
The mother was a devout believer IN the Chris
tan religion and she unuuestiOnably accepted
this physical transformation as evidence of
a corresponding spiritual exaltatiOn. Her hus-
band on the other hand, was a confirmed un-
believer. lie was away from home AT the time,
and could not possibly get back before the in
terment, and the woman wanted n picture Of
the boy as he appeared then as proof that he
ha, ,o,rd hanniro,s hsvora tho Grave ue
looks so lovely she sobbed. that it'll do my
heart good in years to come just TO see hat
nio,uro and Z, nav CONVINCE his father ua
p''''V' Wv y H'"y a
must be- taken ms reason Is treQhHltIN
given. lie looks so nice the mourners say
~, aor,ain,,. ,,rst ~. han,y or no uou,dn,t
ne '.,'a'"S mus 'pps, ns ,ra :,
smile that way. ] must nave MS picture. IL
,.;l ,n,,T,.t ava and bnpish my pund ,pltC
an,","o.a,h,a ,ha doaa !. go ,ro,aLa,,
rho'oefuli"Hs ne ~" II ino'o p''N"'e,"
moor are better customers than the rich.
.oo' w. han.,ar ,ha o,,a,"
Among 'he very pour "oNe'ei' '' '"9'oi"
is regarded with supersti'ious horror, To
,l r.tona Nth a oouera r,Il, tue.
uepar'eu illenu WV" I".. u'' w.
thirds Of my subjects are children, llnuch prefer
working with them. 1t is SO much easler to
,'oga ,b.m grara,nIv Even AZ IN. host IL
po'' ,mm $40, ,on. -,
Is a u'n'cuI' n'u.,0 ~ po'e a ',"' pnso
49,, ,Lo de,d heat them all hollow If tina
ou' ,ne ueau pe"' '"'i' ~ "o"oN. II ,"'
friends would oh'y give me lul, n'e'~ ! 'oulu
d. uho :. oryinaarins the schema l.. always
tive VINO Is ehslneer".s 'he srne',e y aIWaNs
on hand with suggestions she has IN mind
,w,n ,ran, ., ~, = stand ~, liz and notlin,
was wont 70 81. OF s,"nu r u, :" e. ,a an' ho.,s
VIII 90 Ddl J. NUS aildHs hHI !" 'Ho' 'e'"'''hi
position and photograph him 50.
remember one parliSnntiy on11c,it casp
J had u year or so ago. there was an olu man
living up IN The Bronx VINO was known 70
his friends ana relatives as ITaylhS, Bluy;
He was short on the goods oi thI- world ana
on every day. SOUND morse sense bu' ne was
long on prayers When Ierloimihs ms de.
yotlons ne assumed a CHARACTERISTIC attitude.
lie rested on his right knee, s~tradled himself
with the tip q his LEFT foot and held his arms
out straight from the shoulder WIN, the palms
Of his hand. turhed INWARD. WEI, one Gay
Tn" Customary services and Then the widow
sent for me
Billy never set for a pic,nr. she said tear.
iully. an ] want nm 'ook now An | want
him took a.prayln TOO | scarcely, ever see
Billy when he wasn't ,rrayln, an he wasn't
took Eu'riin' ! wouldn't hr sure II was him
Do YOU think you can fix HIM
looked at Bllly a. he lay stretched ont on
the bier. lie was a very TAI man ana OF heaNy
frame. and was troubled WIN grave doubts
as 70 my ability 10 tN MN according 10 Mrs
Buly's idea The poor woman was IN sober
earnest, however, and beng ANXIOUS 70 a.
| give you my word for i, ! never had such
a time posing u snbl"Gi ~ my hie. n. thln9.
considered, | regard BLY, picture a. the most
remarkable piece Of work | ever did, I've
got u copy OF Y here among my samples some'
where. Want to see ~;
The visitor Shrank, unch uinIolE on
Mono, thank you she fatered, i DON'T
think could stand II
Tn" phoiograuher lald Tie sample ease on
the table 'Ju~t ~ NOu pleas" he SAID, !
felt something TX" You do, myself. when !
began 20 photograph 'ntpSeH. ] shall never
forget my first experience, In. that line. !
was new IN the picture business then !
had been located Tor about TWO weeks IN a
studio over on sixth avenue when a Young
woman came rushing INTO my ONCE one morn.