Off with Their Heads: Twisted Trick Photography from the Victorian Era

Crack open the bizarre, death-obsessed world of decapitation trick photography in this killer collection of Victorian headless portraits.

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1. Headless Victorian Man

Headless Victorian Man
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  • Photo Credit: Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

A headless portrait of a decapitated man holding his head.

2. Family Decapitation 

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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a brother and sister with their decapitated mother. Gruesomely, they appear to have done the decapitating.

3. William Henry Wheeler

Headless Victorians
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  • Photo Credit: Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

Headless portraits of William Henry Wheeler, 1875.

4. Head on a Platter

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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a man presenting his head on a platter.

5. Decapitated Woman

Headless Victorian
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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a woman with her head on her knee.

6. Head in her Hands 

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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a woman, circa 1900.

7. Headless Woman Without the Head 

headless victorian
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  • Photo Credit: Cultura Colectiva

A headless portrait of a woman. Unusually, the head is omitted entirely.

8. A Husband with His Decapitated Wife

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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a woman. Her husband holds her smiling face.

9. Decapitated Boy

Headless Victorian
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  • Photo Credit: Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

A headless portrait of child with is head in his hands.

10. Decapitated Man with His Head Under His Arm

headless victorian
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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a man carrying his head.

11. Scene of Decapitation 

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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A man presents the decapitated head of his friend. The body, rather than the head, has been removed from the photograph.

12. Headless Contemplation 

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  • Photo Credit: Victorian Adventure Enthusiast

Headless portraits of a man contemplating his own head, while the woman contemplates the head of a friend, a relative, or her own body double.

13. Head on a Plate 

headless victorian
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  • Photo Credit: Flavorwire

A headless portrait of a man serving his head on a plate.

14. A Thoughtful and Headless Man 

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  • Photo Credit: Cultura Colectiva

A headless portrait of a man holding his decapitated cranium rather thoughtfully.

15. Head on a Floating Platter

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  • A headless portrait of a woman posing with her head on a floating platter.

    Photo Credit: Victorian Adventure Enthusiast