Maine Memory Network

Contributed by Skowhegan History House

Description

The following observations and opinions were offered by a member of the Skowhegan Camera Club.

"While printing some of the old glass negatives from the Bloomfield Academy Collection, Skowhegan Camera Club members came across this rather ordinary scene in the kitchen of an unpretentious farmhouse. Most glass negatives have no clarifying descriptions, so members were using a magnifying glass to search for clues to the photographer's purpose. After a brief examination they suddenly noticed the gnarled hand and sleeve visible through the open doorway to the dining room. Closer examination revealed a white shroud beneath the table covering the floor. Another shroud lies on the table under the body. A black blanket covers the corpse. During earlier times, home funerals were common. Undertakers were often either unavailable or unaffordable. The freshly washed dishes on the sideboard and the pet food dishes on the floor remind us that even in the face of death, life's daily chores must go on."

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About This Item

• Title: Skowhegan home funeral, 1927
• Creator: Huff Studio
• Creation Date: 1927
• Subject Date: 1927
• Location: Skowhegan, Somerset County, ME
• Media: Photographic print
• Dimensions: 20.3 cm x 25.2 cm
• Local Code: ba900kq.jpg
• Collection: Bloomfield Academy Collection
• Object Type: Image

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Cross Reference Searches

Standardized Subject Headings

• Mourning customs--Maine--Skowhegan
• Funeral rites and ceremonies--Maine--Skowhegan
• Dead--Maine--Skowhegan
• Interiors
• Houses--Maine--Skowhegan

Other Keywords

• Funerals
• Skowhegan

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For more information about this item, contact:

Skowhegan History House
66 Elm Street, PO Box 832, Skowhegan, ME 04976
(207) 474-6632
Website

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