Teacher showing photos to kids of victorian dead children - slightly disturbing

’the trend for disturbing stuff is relatively recent’

No, no it isn’t. Just look at the Victorians…

Actually, interestingly, the invention of the camera runs parallel to Victorian death images. The first wide-spread use of the camera was to photograph the dead (who were good subjects as they stayed still!). Often, the death photograph was the only photograph ever taken of a person, and thus the only photograph a family would have. To me, it is an intriguing point in the history of industrialization and technology development.
So much of what we do with the dead now begins in the Victorian era and other historical moments. In the US, for example, it was the civil war which introduced embalming, as people wanted to bring those who died on the battle-field home. And embalming created a new vision of what death looked like and professionalized death in new ways, in ways that ran parallel to the invention of photography.
Do you know the dog listening to the gramophone which is the symbol for HMV? HMV stands for "His master's voice," and the dog, if you see the full image, is listening to a gramophone that is placed on top of a coffin. The first use of gramophones was not to listen to music, but to have a way of preserving the voices of the dead.
Seems pretty interesting to me. And pretty linked to changing British society in this period.

I'm sure the teacher would really appreciate your input into her lesson planning.

That's interesting. And yes, I do realise that the Industrial Revolution created a lot of social change.

I think it's important that this sort of thing is taught, but hope that it is alongside other important changes that led to this.

Still not sure why OP was expecting China.

Bizarrely I have had a conversation along these lines with my (Year 7) form this week - didn’t show photos. It came from them asking about the Pope and the open casket, we talked about how it used to be more common and I used it as an example of how people used to record deaths.

I’m sure the teacher will also cover other aspects for the Industrial Revolution. It’s a subject that will require more than one lesson.

I don’t believe Victorian death customs are unimportant topic at all, or unworthy of being the subject of a lesson. It’s a part of social history, and a not insignificant part of Victorian culture.

We were never shown these in school history lessons, although our textbooks did include a few disturbing photos, such as the hanging of two WWII partisans and a pile of corpses in a concentration camp. Arguably, these were much worse.

You could ask the teacher why.

Depends on what aspect of the Industrial Revolution, surely? I doubt this is the only lesson they’ll have on the wider topic.

Victorian death customs are a part of social history, and certainly an attention grabber. I wouldn’t be surprised if the teacher saw higher levels of engagement in this lesson tbh.

Whilst I don't think it's disturbing either as it's completely normal in my Irish culture, I don't think we get to dictate what other people find disturbing.

And how is it rude to find it so?

I thought you were going to say gory pictures of a horrible accident, or something like that.

I think you are being quite pearl-clutchy.

Were any of them at all upset by it?

They’re 13/14, not 5. I think you are over reacting and your kids are likely to have seen far worse elsewhere.

This is really coming between you and your sleep, op?!

Disease spreads quickly in highly populated urban areas, and disease often resulted in death. Due to the Industrial Revolution, people flocked to cities, and this was one of the consequences. The Victorians as a result developed very elaborate mourning customs.

It was a notable social change that was certainly shaped by the Industrial Revolution.

If it were primary school, I'd perhaps find it a little concerning, but this is Year 9. I don't see the issue. There are far worse things that the teacher could have shown them.

Wait till they see the graphic car crash aftermath photos we got shown as a deterrent against getting involved in vehicle crime.

How rude. Educate yourself on other cultures, it's not disturbing at all having an open casket. I'd find it slightly odd, but 13 and 14 yo have probably seen much more disturbing things in all honesty.

@whyiwonderwhy you must be new here? questioning a teacher! 😱😆

Mainstream news has shown the Pope’s body in various locations for days on end now. Does that upset you, or is it maybe the child aspect of it?

FWIW, there’s a culture somewhere that puts dead people in poses as if they’re living - fully dressed and sitting in a chair, playing the piano etc. The family will pose for photos, sit beside them. They always have sunglasses on because I suppose that’s a dead giveaway (so to speak!). I find that really unsettling.