In the 1800's, mothers used to hide behind curtains and chairs during photographs. Find out why

Photographs in the 1800's were pretty weird. People didn't smile. The exposure often made them look ghostlike, and they were overexposed or underexposed. These 'Invisible Mother' photos take that creepiness to a whole new level.

In these photos, mothers would hide behind chairs, curtains and blankets in order to hold their infant upright in photographs. The presence of the mother also calmed the children. However, they aren't well hidden and the result is shocked-looking children sitting on mom-shaped mounds.

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