Fare Thee Well, October: Looking Back On My Fall Vacation

The human chessboard at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire

Every year I set aside much needed vacation time from my job during the week of Halloween. It is, after all, my favorite time of the year. Like I need a special day on the calendar to celebrate candy and horror movies! But it's far more than that. It's the change of the seasons where the summer air turns crisp and cool, and the fall palette of colors paints everything in hues of red, orange, and gold. 

You perhaps already read about my first day of vacation spent exploring the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park. That was a lovely afternoon. The very next day, my newly-engaged sister and her fiancé, my boyfriend and I, my best friend and her family all went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. 

The royal joust! 

I hadn't been to the Ren Faire in years, and had almost forgotten how much fun it could be exploring the sights and sounds of the 1600s. With so much to see and do, we made an entire day of watching a human chess match, the royal hypnotist, Celtic singers and dancers, and of course the jousting. 

And to celebrate our triumphant return to the Renaissance, this year we decided to dress up.

A Victorian-goth lady and her loyal knight.

And though I thrifted 90% of my costume, I have to admit that my favorite part of the ensemble was that tiny Victorian clip-on hat. I mean, how cute is that?! And while we're not exactly in the same time period, my love for Victorian mourning inspired the costume. And James?  Well he just wanted to be a knight, which fit the Faire nicely. Maybe I'm a time-traveling Victorian witch? Ah oh well!

Here is my head-to-toe look.

Wig: Already owned 

Shoes: Already owned

Jewelry: Already owned

Sheer Black Blouse: $3.50, Goodwill

Black Dress: $6.00, Impact Fashion Outlet
Vintage Parasol: $5, Bryn Athyn Thrift Shop

Fingerless Lace Gloves: $10, Spirit Halloween

Victorian Hat: $10, Spirit Halloween

Me and Sir Goofyface. 

The grand finale of the night at the Ultimate Joust. 

I'm already mentally making plans for our return trip next year. The costumes, the crafts, the food and vendors---it was wonderful. If you find yourself in the area, all vintage enthusiasts, self-proclaimed nerds and Renaissance aficionados should make the trip to the PA Renaissance Faire, which is in season from August-October. And while I might have a slight bias due to my love of all things October, I do recommend going in the fall. There is an added magic in the air, and the fall scenery could't be more beautiful. And... of course, costumes of all kinds are welcome during Halloween weekend. 

A tractor ride to the apple orchard.

And speaking of Halloween, this year I thought it would be fun for James and I to go apple-picking at Styer Orchard. Being a New Jerseyan, he had never been to the beautiful family farm. I make it a point to go every year during my fall vacation. 

A perfect setting for Samhain. 

And I'm sure you can see why. In addition to scoring 4 pounds of golden delicious and staymen-winesap apples, a few miniature pumpkins, and Indian corn all for under $13...the scenery is breathtaking. 

It seemed fitting that I started my vacation with the serene surroundings of the Shofuso House and ended them here---a lovely full circle week. Of course it wouldn't be a real vacation without a few trips to the thrift store, which I found even more fashion to feature in future Secondhand Style posts. And in a sad sort of running joke---it wouldn't be a vacation without a medical setback or two. James spent much of the week sick with a sinus infection from Hell, and I was taken to urgent care only to be told that the sudden  intense pain I had is possibly nerve damage in my right arm. Typical! But we didn't let all that get us too bogged down. 

My new-to-me ultra-mod mug and saucer, $4 from 2nd Avenue Thrift.

And at the end of the night, after giving out buckets and buckets of Halloween candy, we came home where I had myself a big cup of french vanilla coffee while blogging my little heart out.

It had been a big week---full of traditional Japanese culture, the ultimate vintage experience of the Renaissance Faire, a trot through nature, and of course some serious thrift shopping. I suppose that's why this post was such long time coming---that and I've been working nonstop on additional photos and content, all while contending with new pain medication that's making me sorta loopy. But nonetheless I'm glad I had my week off to celebrate my favorite time of the year, and I'm glad that I got to celebrate it with James. 

Oh! And speaking of celebrating, I'd like to thank all of you that participated in the Vintage & Craft Giveaway to the celebrate the 5th blogiversary of Let's Go Thrifting. It truly has been a wonderful five years, and I'm so thankful for the readership and all of the kind words. The winner of the Vintage & Craft giveaway was...Jennifer C! Congratulations, Jennifer.  And thank you all for making Let's Go Thrifting the secondhand community that it has become. 

I hope that all of you had a wonderful October, and a magical Halloween. 
I'd love to hear all about what made your month of October special.

How are you celebrating the fall? 

A Deathly Debate: Do I Own A Post-Mortem Photograph?

A much sought-after book on the topic of Victorian mourning. 

From the 1830s until the early 1900s, death was very much a part of daily life. High mortality rates  combined with the 40-year regal mourning period of Queen Victoria over her beloved Prince Albert set the stage for elaborate rituals and remembrances following the passing of a loved one. 

And with the advent of daguerrotype photography in 1839, mourners of the Victorian age had a visual aid by which to honor the death of their spouses and children.  It seemed fitting that at a lengthy, nearly 30-minute development process would best suit the dead. And so, post-mortem photography became commonplace for those afforded the luxury of hiring a photographer to capture the likeness of their loved one for the final time. And for many, it was a grim fact: Perhaps the only time in their physical existence in which they were photographed was after their passing. 

Since purchasing a copy of Beyond The Dark Veil: Post-Mortem and Mourning Photography From The Thanatos Archive, I've become even more intrigued by the subject than my first  initial fascination. Though packed with hauntingly beautiful photographs of the dead, sometimes accompanied by their surviving loved ones---it is the essays within that shed light on a seemingly dark subject. 

To briefly summarize: Looking back at post-mortem photography now in the 21st century, we might be tempted into seeing nothing more than a macabre image resulting from a gruesome period of death-obsessed middle class mourners who were as fascinated with the cutting edge technology of the time as they were their own mortality. 

But when considering memento mori as their namesake suggests....a remembrance, the meaning becomes suddenly clear. These images, though grim, have an unmistaken beauty...and a forged bond with their surviving family in a very strange time. 

And what is this peculiar device? 

And so photographers took care to position the deceased, lying in their beds, or propped on chairs. Often times the bodies were positioned in such a way to suggest sleep. But in some instances, family members commissioned photographers to capture their loved ones as they were in daily life. And this meant posing the body in a standing position, and yes, even photographing them with their family in a group portrait. 

Did you notice it? Look there, just behind her legs. 

Perhaps you've seen this photograph circulation the web? While I cannot speak to its  unedited authenticity, I can say that this type of post-mortem portrait was quite commonplace for the time. 

And how did the photographer achieve this positioning of the body? Using a stand that anchored the body under the arms, at the base of the neck and head, and counter-weighing with a heavy base, the body could be held in a standing position. It is even suggested that photographers used wires to better pose and bend the arms, so that they weren't draped quite so lifelessly (as they do in the above portrait). The eyes could be tricky---depending on the level of decomposition. Some could be kept open. Some  had to remain closed And when this was the case, some  photographers  took to a crude sort of  post-editing fix: drawing pupils on the photographs over the closed lids of the deceased. 

Okay... that's a lot to swallow. I know. 
So let's take a moment. 

And let's consider an opposing theory. Some say that modern day morbid curiosity seekers invented this form of post-mortem posing---that photographers NEVER posed the deceased standing or posing in a lifelike manner. So that then begs the question: Why would a photographer use that body stand? Well, remember as I've said before...the early photographic process could take up to 30 minutes. This meant standing perfectly still for a half-hour, as to not blur the image. It is suggested by some that these stands were used only on the living, and only to ensure that the subject of the photograph would remain completely still during the process. 

It sure makes for an interesting debate. Doesn't it? But arguably, post-mortem photography is a fascinating topic for me---one made all the more fascinating by one question.

Is this a post-mortem photograph?

 I call this the Haunted Child Of The Abyss. 

I'm not trying to be a ghoul. So please hear me out on this one. Ever since coming across this photograph in an album at Goodwill and uploading it to my vintage photo gallery, I've been really entranced by it. There's just...something off-putting about it.

And as I became more aware of post-mortem mourning photography in the Victorian age, I began to suspect what that something was. 

Let's take a closer look, shall we? 

If you focus on the hands, you'll notice how rigidly this little girl is posed. For someone her age, maintaining this distinct posing of her hands would be quite difficult, I'd imagine. 

Judging by the specific qualities of the photograph, and the style of dress, I would date this picture to be in the very early 1900s---which fits into the Victorian mourning timeline.

It should also be noted that when photographing children post-mortem, photographers often used props such as a toy or a flower.

Now, if you take a step back and look at the whole picture... you'll notice a dark vignette, especially around the lower extremities. Plain and simply put: You can't see her legs. Do you think this was a conscious decision on the part of the photographer....to perhaps hide the body stand being used? 

Perhaps these factors taken at face value, or considered individually don't add up to very much at all. But when they're considered against the criteria for Victorian mourning photography... Well... could it be? 

Is this curious photograph a cleverly crafted post-mortem memento mori? Or is this just a very subdued portrait of a child from the previous century?

I may never know. But I may often wonder...

What are your thoughts? Is this a post-mortem photograph? Is this post just too damn morbid? Are Victorian mourning rituals a touching tribute or taboo?