The Empty Crib. "We're nearer to the other shore since the baby died" 1899

This stereograph titled "The Empty Crib" was produced around the turn of the 20th century by the Keystone View Company, a mass manufacturer of images for home entertainment and education. The photograph depicts a woman in mourning, draped in white, seated next to an empty crib. The sentimental caption, “We’re nearer to the other shore since the baby died,” speaks to Victorian culture's idealization of childhood and elaborate rituals of mourning. This was a period when high infant mortality rates were a stark reality, especially in urban, working-class communities. Keystone View Co. produced images like these for a growing middle class eager to explore the world and engage with emotional narratives from the comfort of their homes. The company’s vast archive, now a valuable historical resource, allows us to examine popular tastes and cultural attitudes of the time. We can learn about how the company operated using their business records and correspondence. The image itself can be researched through the company's catalogues and marketing materials. By studying these sources, we gain insight into the social conditions that shaped the production and consumption of images like "The Empty Crib."