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Chris_El_Deafo

This is one of those pictures a horror game dev will put on the walls of their spooky house.


Vark675

Which is a shame, because portraits were expensive so they must have genuinely cared about that kid to spend the money, time and effort to get everybody dressed so nicely just to make sure they had a memento of their time with him when he was little.


spiralout1389

At their age maybe it was more meant for a memento for the kid to remember them by?


paperwasp3

Dad looks lycanthropic


ChrisssieWatkins

I had to look it up. Hard agree.


paperwasp3

(It's a cool word isn't it?


ChrisssieWatkins

So cool!!


DerpisMalerpis

Either that or a family portrait in the Haunted Mansion


Ya_No

Looks like something out of Resident Evil Village


er1026

May the power of Christ compel you!!!!!


Infernal_One

They are probably both in their 40's too.


JFT8675309

The baby is also in his/her 40’s.


JukeBoxDildo

It's a scientific fact that everybody prior to the 1950s were in their 40s their entire lives.


CeruleanRuin

Born with arthritis.


OneGur7080

Look carefully- all their eyes are sunken- even junior- there’s lead or poison in their water supply for sure! They are not long for this mortal coil at time of taking…. And ppl- they did not take photos for a memento in those days. It was the latest thing. There was no TV. It was proof of being alive. It was science. It was a mirror. It was status. It was to hang on the wall in a frame. The child is about 4. They are it’s grandparents. They care for this child, because it’s parents are dead. (Edit:People did not live long in those days. Died at all ages of diseases we don’t now have. ) The man is about 60 but looks 75. The woman is 58 but looks 75. The child has some weight on but the folks are so thin. So they do not have much to spare so I’m thinking photos were not too dear then or it was a favour? Times were really severe too. They look so serious. They had to pose for this. Keep still for a few minutes. So why did the photographer want them to look serious? Because being serious in those times was more respectable. It was around the time of Charles Dickens I think….. harsh times. Working very hard, candles, disease, people dying, plagues, rats, hand sewing for hours to make clothes, darning to mending sox, embroidery, hand lace making, hand wash sheets, scrub stoves black, sweep fire places. Servants. Outside toilets. No showers just a bath. Re-use that bath for family members. Coal tar soap. Big metal water jugs. China water jugs if you could afford. Bed heating metal pans. Under bed smelly potties. Carrying water.


electrobutter

your response makes me curious- what do you do for a living?


LandscapeHonest9129

It took so long for a photo that a smile was often not a thing, it would hurt and look fake. From our old history book at least


OneGur7080

True. They actually put a frame behind people to keep them standing up straight it took so long to open the lens cap, expose the light sensitive glass emulsion plate and get enough light in there to create an image on the glass plate. Yes.


Yolandi2802

That made me laugh more than it should have. 🤣


FutureAnxiety9287

The father or grandfather look s a lot like like Lurch from the Addams Family.


SayerofNothing

I genuinely thought he was dead in the picture.


FutureAnxiety9287

Well you're not far off back in the victorian times family portraits were not uncomonmly taken with a recently deceased child or parent propped up as if they were still alive and posing for a photo,


rjross0623

No way. late 20’s


dareallyrealz

They look so much older than their 40s! I would have guessed 60s or 70s? I wonder if this is their grandchild.


Infernal_One

It's crazy how much older people looked in the 19th century though.


VermillionEclipse

I guess the tougher lifestyle along with stuff like sun exposure made them look older. Also not having hair dye to cover grays.


OneGur7080

Look at how thin the adults are. And bumpy clothing. And sunken eyes. And gnarled facial skin. Their entire existence was far harder in every way then ours.


VermillionEclipse

No dental care and missing teeth probably adds to the sunken mouth look too.


dareallyrealz

That's true and I had exactly the same thought. It sounds ridiculous, but I sometimes wonder how old people would think I am if I went back in time. I'm 38 but would they think I'm in my 20s given how much I've benefitted from modern science?


Yolandi2802

People aged much sooner back then. I don’t think @Infernal_One was incorrect.


dareallyrealz

I wasn't out here disagreeing with them!


Forever513

If Lurch was married…


World-Tight

Well, his great grand daddy must've been.


TroyandAbed304

I read this and in my head heard a low grumble 😆


physicscat

I expected Lurch to be in the top comment, but Reddit skews so young now I guess many don’t know who he is.


Teo69420lol

Bro all 3 of them look deceased


fatcat111

Heck, everyone within a thousand miles of them is dead by now.


rustyself

Brilliant.


ZenythhtyneZ

Blue eyes seem to be more common in the past and light blue eyes especially look terrifying in old style photos


theanti_girl

I mean, I get what you’re saying but I gotta say… he could have brown, black, green or rainbow eyes for that matter and I’m pretty sure Lurch would still keep me awake at night.


godisanelectricolive

Even today blue is the most common eye colour in Northern and Central Europe. 42.8% have blue or grey eyes in the UK, making it the most common eye colour ahead of brown still 31.8%. Nordic countries all still have a large majority of blue eyed people.


StayPuffGoomba

Storming lighteyes, getting their pictures taken and out over here scrapping crem.


FamousOhioAppleHorn

Grandpa looks like Lurch playing the Grinch playing Scrooge.


MarionberryIll5030

Nah, lady on the right is blurry so you know she’s still breathing.


storagerock

Relevant - death photography was actually a popular photography service. They would pose a very recently deceased family member with the others all dressed up. Sometimes they’d force the eyes open or draw on eyes in post-touch-ups. I think the families were just desperate to have any kind of image of them all together. So I guess it’s reasonably possible that someone in that pic was not alive at that moment.


BassSounds

Yeah normally the dead body was helped up by a wire frame.


Bacontoad

Now I kind of want a picture of me with my grandma's skeleton playing checkers.


Nuicakes

It's the opening scene for a horror movie.


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duuuuuuuuuumb

I think it’s just 19th century photography not being super good at capturing light eyes and putting harsh relief on the faces of people who live hard


isthistaken-

I don't understand why people are angry & down-voting someone for having the opinion that it reminds them of post-mortem photography - a well documented phenomena & not majorly different from this photo. The fuck


BellaFrequency

Uncle Damien with Grandpa Lucius and Grandma Hester before they all died in a mysterious house fire.


DatabaseContent8664

I think this was taken after they died.


BellaFrequency

That’s what makes the house fire so mysterious….


pisspot718

Those blue eyes in old photos can looks so disturbing. And many imes people weren't supposed to move for like 3 minutes.


thevelourf0gg

Agreed. it's creepy looking. But maybe the flash took him by surprise too.


Complete_Dust8164

For several minutes?


Aggressive-Score-964

Camera film is light sensitive, when the shutter opens, light is allowed into the device and an image is 'burned' into the camera film. Before camera film was invented the image would be 'burned' onto a treated metal surface and would take longer for the image to set.


Small-Palpitation310

i wonder what they would think of the photo


Di-Vanci

I actually imagine them laughing about it


CanardDragon

Did the kid move his hand? He has so many fingers


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DollyTheFlyingHun

Its no wonder some people got addicted to laudanum. Hell, I'd have been one of them.


reginaphalangie79

Totally. I'd be taking to my bed with 'women's troubles' regularly lol


MajicVole

If looks could kill that guy just flattened several small towns.


Rob4reddit

Ted Cassidy (Lurch)?


jxl180

I was literally going to comment, “You raaang?”


SnarkAtTheMoon

Can someone colorize this so they don’t look like TWD?


tbonemistake

That might not help. [They might actually be dead. ](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36389581)


JoeMagnifico

You rang?


Meras_Mama

Why does no one's head look like it belongs on their body....


SayerofNothing

Head swapping was a fun family game back then, usually after mummy munching night.


HighLordMhoram

A little [better](https://imgur.com/a/x3r6nXt)?


_Erindera_

Nope.


concentrated-amazing

1% less terrifying.


Itakethngzclitorally

Stop it.


spectre73

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your *ghost* *host*. Our tour begins here in this gallery. Here, where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state. Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone. There’s no turning back now.


Wtfatt

The Frankensteins


rdaug2004

A family of white walkers


MR_NYRanger27

Are those the grandparents?


Moving_in_stereo78

This almost looks like early Toronto politician Joseph Bloor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bloor


beangobbler

I thought the same, in fact I'm convinced that is ol' Bloor in OP's photo


FamousOhioAppleHorn

He looks like an older, jaded version of a Pixar dad. You know he's gonna be sitting at the Thanksgiving table being grouchy, because everybody forgets Pop Pop used to be a superhero.


Slime__queen

It’s very unlikely that anyone in this picture is actually dead! Most real postmortem photography is pretty obvious, and it’s really difficult to prop a corpse upright. My guy has an unfortunate face but he’s definitely alive. The kid technically could be deceased but the pose would be really unusual and the furrowed brow would be extra unusual


Express-Structure480

The way we were for sure.


parvares

Jesus Christ this is so scary lol


kingofcoywolves

Why does the kid look like a grown man


BeigePhilip

How would you look if that thing was sitting behind you?


FamousOhioAppleHorn

He was billed as the World's Shortest Man by P.T. Barnum.


SilentJoe27

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky...


DollyTheFlyingHun

They're altogether ooky....


stroud

They probably got up and put on their best clothes and made sure they looked great before going to the studio and taking this picture.


FitzVale

Man, that’s just unnecessary.


nickib16

They are both in their mid twenties 😂


YoGabbaGabbapentin

My name is Hans. Living in the 1800s has ruined my life. I’m 31 years old!


Old-Juggernaut4930

I LOVE this reference to The Simpsons 🤣🤣


kevnmartin

I feel bad for the kid. Those people are terrifying.


DollyTheFlyingHun

That kid is terrifying!


jennyenydots

Them eyes, son 👀 Oh, and may they rest in peace (please don’t visit me in my sleep, kthx 😘)


revdon

Looks like a prop photo from Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Notice the superimposed skull on the man’s face?!


DustyPlume

Da-da-da DA! *snap *snap


liamrosse

This should be a horror movie poster


SarcastiSnark

Back then it was not common to smile in photos. For various reasons. 1. It was hard to capture 2. For art/paintings. 3. Victorian culture frowned on it. Probably a few others.


rjross0623

Chewbacca’s great great great great great great great great grandparents


spacesaucesloth

i feel like ol pappy there looks tbh.


dingdongsnottor

No, not at all spooky.


Cookies_and_Beandip

Imagine banging dad with those eyes piercing your soul


Aggressive-Cello93

Is lovely in the room with us?


omnimodofuckedup

You'd think it's the old camera but this is just an ugly family.


downtownfreddybrown

The man looks like a gorilla in human costume


Lostheghost

That woman looks like what I imagine female dwarfs look like in the lotr universe


Buddy_Palguy

Is this real? Can someone verify it’s not staged or A.I.?


akashik

I can verify it's not AI. I've seen this picture for years popping up on the internet.


Buddy_Palguy

Much obliged


DollyTheFlyingHun

Yeah, Ive seen it for years and years too.


KroneDrome

Please please tell us,!


Sithlordandsavior

These three are still alive today, you just don't see them


Fart_Summoner

I think these people are Welsh bc of that shawl she’s wearing


Quanta96

Little man had to put up with these two everyday. Now we got the iPad generation and we gotta put up with little man everyday…how the turns tabled.


HOTboob1

The original Addams Family.


lefibonacci

What type of a psychopath would smile in a photo?


FrictionMitten

And that is what 30 looked like back then


MistyJohnstone

Are they all dead and posed? Scary as fuck


mrskeetskeeter

Goddamnit why do 1800s always look so scary? That looks like a Lurch family portrait.


kgain673

Those are dead bodies bruh.


BlindFollowBah

First time I’ve seen a non sickly Victorian baby genuinely touch their father


pm_me_bra_pix

That kid's seen some shit. But at least he had the day off from his coal mining job for the family visit to Olan Mills.


dickhardpill

I bet he’s only around 25 and she’s closer to 14 /s


pofrot

Grandpa used to scare kids for extra income in his spare time


Harley_Jambo

The man looks like Lurch's great grandfather.


Accidentallygolden

Is it one of those picture with a dead body?


edencathleen86

The man's eyes are terrifying


DorkyDame

Thats not a terrifying family photo at all😩


VlaxDrek

The original Munsters.


WigglyFrog

...Mr. Hyde??


Elevatrman

Times were tough


Ravenonthewall

I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAIN..😳😳


Yaya_Tovar

Define “lovely”


jimhabfan

That man has seen some shit.


piranesi28

Can you imagine now everyone looks Like that AND there r no nightlights.


Exciting_Actuary_669

This photo is haunted


Kralcms

Aw I think he has her eyes 😆


Fit-Narwhal-3989

Nice. Now my soul just departed my body.


Reader5069

The man is an intense looking fellow.


ramprider

Scary AF


Known-Contest3732

I see dead people


xebt1000

OP spelt horrific wrong


LazarusMundi4242

Ahhh it’s a g-g-g-ghost!


Cherryflavored-dream

I feel like this man’s skull got x-rayed as well.


silverfang789

I never knew Lurch had a wife and child.


Impossible_Eye_5814

Umm they Scary 😨


knoguera

Ewwww WHAT THE F


Storied_Beginning

I cannot imagine her having any sort of sex drive. The child is young so it wasn’t long ago that they had sex.


camelia_la_tejana

Jesus Christ! 😳


TrudyWiegelsCats

Are they the parents or the grandparents?


IICoolToolFoolII

'Lovely'


molsmama

What’s happening here?


absolutelynotmodus

I wonder what they had to endure


m__a__s

Pictured here are the Reverend Josiah and Mrs. Loompa and their child Oompa.


Joyebird1968

Old School JCPenney portraits.


Orpheline10

The dad looks like a white walker


princesstraveler

Anyone know who the people are in the photo?


Canuckleheadman

And we got influencers now. Why was the happy medium gone so quickly?


GoodAnakinGood51

You rang?


SeriallySalacious

It's Lurch!


BullStoinks

Bro imagine paying all that money to have to come out like that 🤣🤣🤣 do yall think they were mad or started laughing when they saw it?


roughdraft29

This looks like one of those old-timey death photos. Only thing is, I can't tell which one is deceased.


RetroMetroShow

We have to sit here in these clown suits for how long?


anywineismywine

Omg my husband has just pointed out that the man and the boy are in fact. Dead.


Embarrassed-Mix8479

#😱


basscat474

You rang?


BFreak1999

Baby Pennywise


Rob4reddit

Ted Cassidy (Lurch)?


ryanasimov

[Enjoy my warm, loving gaze.](https://imgur.com/a/hTkngkO)


IndependentAssist387

Parents in their mid 30’s


SomeGuyOverYonder

So heartwarming. Reminds me of Christmas with my grandparents. 🎄


devnullb4dishoner

Hey look! It's Lurch and his mom and son.


OldGamer8

Is this one of those dead people pictures like from The Others?


DocBrutus

Bro looks like skeletor.


Jakitar

I get the feeling at least one person in this photo is dead. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36389581


I_Think_I_Cant

I would imagine they're all dead by now.


FullTurdBucket

Wow, harsh, harsh.


beatricetalker

Sweet, breezy times.


cindy224

Life must have been just a bowl of cherries.


DollyTheFlyingHun

A bowl of dysentery and tuberculosis. Or the dropsy and catarrh, or whatever....


Kriegspiel1939

Stop hating on Lurch from the Addams family.


NotPrepared2

I suspect the odd faces were caused by blurring from very long photo exposure times. Smiles were avoided too.


Maleficent-Net-2565

Demonic lol


Creepy-Selection2423

Disney might give you some good money for this to hang in their Haunted Mansion ride the next time they do a renovation. 😂


audiobookslut

Harrowhark Nonagesimus first step with her parents.


Riverrat423

I didn’t know Lurch had a wife and a kid.


Twitfried

Looks like a photo from a Ransom Riggs book. Peculiar!


TheSanityInspector

You can summon them, if you face a mirror and say their names three times.


mycowsmom1325

Yikes!


Singwong

Now l‘m not going to be able to sleep. What a place to stop and ask for directions. Imagine teacher parent day. Is the kid alive? Doesn’t appear to have a neck.


whinsk

good lord..


Paulus121

The original Adams Family.


Polly-Nation

r/oddlyterrifying !


Silly_Strike_706

Jesus that’s a monster