The Victorians got up to a lot of shenanigans and had some pretty odd customs and past-times. They made elaborated brooches and dioramas from the hair of a dead loved ones. They photographed the dead as if they were still alive, sitting upright, eyes open, or holding their poor dead babys. They had a general obsession with taxidermy (they stuffed anything). They made hats out of cats, birds and other small animals. They loved anything gothic (Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr. Jeyckl and Mr. Hyde came from the period). Freak shows were a main stay – think Elephant Man. And for whatever reason they liked to photograph themselves w/ skeletons. Some of these would be deemed risque, some just weird and probably one or two from some long forgotten gothic theater. I think they were just bored and need to stretch out a bit from all the rules of the day-to-day Victorian society.
