Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep : modern remembrance photography ( Part 5)

I recently came across an incredible organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) and wanted to share the beautiful work they do. 

Since 2005, they’ve been providing professional remembrance photography to parents experiencing the loss of a baby. It’s a gift of healing—capturing those fleeting, precious moments and providing families with beautiful, retouched black-and-white portraits at no cost.

With over 80,000 sessions gifted worldwide, their volunteer photographers are truly doing heart-work. If you know a photographer looking to give back or a family in need of support

As you can see, post-mortem photography is still used, but that's a topic for a different post. 

Early infant loss

While stillbirths are the primary focus of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS), their services are not strictly limited to that. They provide " remembrance photography "for a range of situations involving early infant loss. Their photography service is viewed as a " gift of remembrance."

Read: Victorian Mourning and Post-Mortem Photography: A Cultural History Pt. 1

What is Remembrance Photography?

This is considered a compassionate form of photography nowadays that honors and preserves the memory of a loved one who has passed. This is often about infant loss or end-of-life moments. This kind of photography focuses on capturing respectful images that reflect love, peace, and connection. 

I have often explored the profound impact of post-mortem photography (PMP), its historical roots and its vital role in an era when visual keepsakes of loved ones were scared.

One might wonder: why do families in the 2020’s still seek PMP particularly for stillborn infants? While the era has changed, the underlying motivation remains the same. PMP reached its peak between 1860 and 1910. During this time, death typically occurred at home, and funerals were held in the parlor, It was natural for families to commission a final portrait in the comfort of their own home.

As the 20^th century progressed, death shifted to hospitals and funeral homes. Society moved away from the Victorian obsession with mourning rituals, and the practice faded.

However, in the modern world, grief still seeks a tangible connection. While parents may keep a lock of hair or a tiny garment, professional photography offers something unique: a gentle, permanent visual memory of how their baby looked. These photographs are capture with immense care, providing parents a way to honor their child and carry their image forward with love. 

Read: Post-Mortem Photography: A Historical and Cultural Ritual of Grief ( Pt 4 )

Post Mortem photography has also been recently named as modern remembrance photography , I imagine some reasons are that this kind of photography is dedicated to infant, so the name is less mournful and more soft, and because this service is offered people wanted to rebrand it as part of the mourning process, which is understandable.

Victorian post-mortem photographs were more about documenting the death and getting an image of the person, more than creating a thoughtful memory that represented the (modern) love and something beautiful that didn’t make us think about death or coffins.

Stillbirth rates in the USA 

According to the latest provisional data released by the CDC and the United Nations (UN IGME/UNICEF) as of early 2026, here are the current numbers for stillbirth rates:

United States Stillbirth Rates

The most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published in late 2025/early 2026, shows a slight improvement in U.S. rates.

• Rate: 5.41 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths (provisional 2024 data).
• Total Number: Approximately 19,756 stillbirths (fetal deaths at 20 weeks of gestation or more).
• Trend: This represents a 2% decline from the previous year.
• Significant Disparity: The rate remains significantly higher for Black (9.96) and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (10.21) mothers compared to White (4.54) or Hispanic (4.76) mothers.
• Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Vital Statistics System (NVSS).

Here you can reach out to them: 

https://www.facebook.com/nilmdts/about

https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

I pledge my allegiance to The Moon.

Credit : Matt Cardy/Getty

I just can't deny the power the moon has on me.

From the first time I looked up to the night sky, I fell in love with her, and every time I do, it happens over and over again.  She is the brightest thing in the sky, the one guiding light. She is more than the planet Earth's natural satellite; she has become a symbol, a constant enigma for human beings.

If you watch the Moon for too long, you will begin to feel that you are getting lost in her shine and you probably will never come back. It feels like your body is floating, and the universe is ready to take you.

People in some cultures have often feared the Moon because of the many myths surrounding it. The most popular one: the werewolves and the vampires, free during the night to kill everything they want, but slaves of the sun. We cannot deny that -She- is the silent witness of everything that happens in the realm of darkness. Another quiet witness of mankind's history. The Moon appears to be the only constant thing in our lives, in the lives of those who walk at night and through time, unchanging, loyal and reliable, the only ones that will keep our secrets safe forever, the one that will let us stare at her.

There is such a fascination with the moon that we can find movies, books and art with the moon as a main character. 

-Myths about the queen of the night

Werewolves are one of the creatures that we often see depicted in films who carry myths and legends from century to century. These creatures are, of course, affiliated with the full moon. Typically, it is believed that these are creatures that have human form but morph into wolf-like (typically violent) creatures when the full moon is in the sky. 

Various methods for becoming a werewolf have been reported, one of the simplest being the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of Wolfskin, probably as a substitute for the assumption of an entire animal skin (which is also frequently described). In other cases, the body is rubbed with a magic salve. To drink rainwater out of the footprint of the animal in question or to drink from certain enchanted streams were also considered effectual modes of accomplishing metamorphosis. The 16th-century Swedish writer Olaus Magnus says that the Livonian werewolves were initiated by draining a cup of specially prepared beer and repeating a set formula. Ralston in his Songs of the Russian People, gives the form of incantation still familiar in Russia.

In Italy, France and Germany, it was said that a man or woman could turn into a werewolf if he or she, on a certain Wednesday or Friday, slept outside on a summer night with the full moon shining directly on his/her face.

This is only one example of some of the powerful stories that people across time and across the world associate with the moon.

Vampiric Connection (Wikipedia)

In Medieval Europe, the corpses of some people executed as werewolves were cremated rather than buried to prevent them from being resurrected as vampires. Before the end of the 19th century, the Greeks believed that the corpses of werewolves, if not destroyed, would return to life as vampires in the form of wolves or hyenas, which prowled battlefields, drinking the blood of dying soldiers. In some rural areas of Germany, Poland and Northern France, it was once believed that people who died in mortal sin came back to life as blood-drinking wolves. This differs from conventional werewolfery, where the creature is a living being rather than an undead apparition. These vampiric werewolves would return to their human corpse form at daylight.

Mayan Moon Goddesses. 

The Mayan people have several stories about different moon goddesses. One goddess frequently associated with the moon is Ixchel who is associated with the moon because she is a fertility goddess. However, it is believed that she may actually be the “grandmother of the moon” and represent aging and the drying up of fertility in old age so she is most commonly linked with the waxing of the moon and not the moon at all times.

Selene / Luna. 

These are the names of the Moon Goddess in Greek and Roman mythology respectively. In the myths associated with these goddesses, the goddess is paired with the god of the sun. He travels throughout the day and she takes over the journey at night. She is typically considered to be a passionate goddess who takes many lovers and who represents the desire associated with the moon.

Using many different forms of symbolism, the moon itself has become a symbol for love, desire, change, passion, fertility, and violence.

Let's go to the circus : "Sideshow performers"

 

A freak show was a type of exhibition popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries that presented individuals with unusual physical characteristics or rare medical conditions. During that era, participants were often referred to as “freaks of nature,” a term commonly used at the time but now widely considered outdated and offensive.

Typical attractions included people who were unusually tall or short, individuals with intersex traits (historically described as having both male and female secondary sexual characteristics), and those with rare medical conditions. In addition to physical differences, some exhibitions featured heavily tattooed or pierced performers, as well as entertainers known for attention-grabbing acts such as fire-eating and sword-swallowing. These shows were often promoted as sensational spectacles intended to astonish audiences.

With the introduction of the carte de visite photographic format in the 1850s—made possible by improvements in photographic reproduction techniques such as the wet-plate collodion process—performers could distribute multiple prints from a single exposure. According to historians of photography, including research from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the International Center of Photography, cartes de visite became highly collectible in the United States and Europe.

Individuals exhibited in sideshows often posed formally for these photographs and sometimes ordered large quantities for sale. It was not uncommon for performers to include brief autobiographical notes on the back of the card, highlighting their physical traits, stage personas, or talents. These photographic cards circulated widely and became both popular souvenirs and a significant source of income for performers and show proprietors.

Historical References Supporting This Definition

• Smithsonian Institution – Research on American sideshows and exhibition culture

• Metropolitan Museum of Art – Documentation on carte de visite photography

• Freak Show by Nadja Durbach – Scholarly study on Victorian sideshows

Performers exhibited in 19th-century sideshows were often portrayed by the public as timid, passive, or unhappy with their circumstances. However, historical research suggests that this stereotype does not reflect the full reality. In many cases, individuals actively negotiated their contracts, advocated for better pay, and exercised agency within the entertainment industry of the time.

By the early 1850s, it had become common practice in both England and the United States to sell collectible photographic cards featuring well-known sideshow performers. These were typically produced in the popular carte de visite format. According to studies of Victorian exhibition culture, including research cited by the Smithsonian Institution and historian Nadja Durbach in her book Freak Show, performers often received a share of the profits from these sales, rather than the proceeds going exclusively to show proprietors. In some instances, the sale of these images became an important source of personal income.

One notable example was Isaac W. Sprague, known professionally as the “American Human Skeleton.” Sprague, who stood approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall and reportedly weighed around 43 pounds due to a severe muscular condition, toured during the 1860s, including appearances associated with P. T. Barnum. His photographic cards were widely distributed, and historical accounts indicate that he earned a meaningful income from their sale.

Some performers, including Sprague, also authored or contributed to short autobiographical pamphlets sold at exhibitions. These publications allowed individuals to shape their own public narratives, presenting themselves not merely as curiosities but as professional entertainers participating in a popular form of Victorian-era spectacle.

When sideshow performers retired from exhibition life, their experiences varied widely depending on personal circumstances, financial stability, and health. Some individuals were able to accumulate savings from years of touring and returned to private life, occasionally opening small businesses or continuing to work in entertainment in different capacities. Others, particularly those whose physical conditions required medical care or limited employment options, faced economic hardship after leaving the circuit. Historical research, including studies by the Smithsonian Institution and historian Nadja Durbach in Freak Show, indicates that outcomes depended greatly on how much agency and financial control performers had during their careers. In some documented cases, former exhibitors maintained public interest through lectures or memoirs, while others withdrew from public view entirely. Like many entertainers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, their post-performance lives ranged from relative stability to significant social and economic challenges.