One Lucky Soul: Maman Invisible — The Peculiar 19th-Century Photography Trick

Maman Invisible — The Peculiar 19th-Century Photography Trick by Omar Cherif, One Lucky Soul

Maman Invisible, or Hidden-Mother, was an odd 19th-century practice where the mother, usually disguised under or behind a spread or a blanket, holds her child tightly for the photographer to insure a sharply focused image. Camera shutters were relatively slow then, so to help the kids stay still during the long exposure — about 30 seconds by 1841 — the photographer would use this simple and somewhat anecdotally creepy trick. Notice that none of children is smiling like most alive photographs from the same Victorian era.

On a parallel note, Freak Shows of the Past — One and its sequel Freak Shows of the Past — Two are a couple of equally historical photo-articles. Also the less bizarre Rare Historical Photos series from 1 to 13.

Enjoy...