Lmst

EMBALMER (Espanya) presenta nou EP: "Organic Violence" #Embalmer #BrutalDeathMetal #Març2025 #Espanya #NouEp #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

L'enfer est imputrescible, 80cm x 100cm, acrylique sur toile, 2024

#thanatologe #gloves #red #thanatology #embaumer #embalmer
#contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #peinturecontemporaine #jeunecréation

#WordyWednesday: Bleb

(used in a mortuary context)

A blister on a dead body, filled with stinky liquid, which usually turns into an area of skin slip (moist peeling skin) after it's been drained. Not fun at all.

#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #Embalmer #DeadBody #MortuaryScience #Bleb #Blister #Gross #Ew #Stinky #Vocabulary #WordOfTheDay

A purple damask frame around a black background. Text reads, “Wordy Wednesday: Bleb
(used in a mortuary context)
A blister on a dead body, filled with stinky liquid, which usually turns into an area of skin slip (moist peeling skin) after it's been drained. Not fun at all.”

Am I late to the Barbie Party? It’s Spring Break over here and I’m up to my eyeballs in children and kittens. They go back to school on Monday (the kids, not the cats), so hopefully I’ll get back to posting regularly. Until then…

#HisAndHearsePress #ThisBarbieIs #Barbie #BarbieMovie #BarbieMeme #BarbieGenerator #StrangeAndUnusual #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #Undertaker #DeathPositive

#WordyWednesday: Gravity Embalming

An old-timey method of embalming that predates electricity but can still be used in a pinch today.

A large glass jar is suspended over the body with a hose leading to a large artery. Embalming fluid flows into the body at a very slow and steady rate.

Raising the height of the jar increases the pressure (approximately 0.43 pounds of pressure per foot of height above the injection site).

#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Embalmer #Undertaker #Mortician #FuneralDirector #Gravity

A black background with a purple damask frame. A glass receptacle dangles from the top with a hose extending from a hole in the bottom, ending in a coil at the bottom. Text reads, “Wordy Wednesday: Gravity Embalming. An old-timey method of embalming that predates electricity but can still be used in a pinch today. A large glass jar is suspended over the body with a hose leading to a large artery. Embalming fluid flows into the body at a very slow and steady rate. Raising the height of the jar increases the pressure (approximately 0.43 pounds of pressure per foot of height above the injection site).

#AmReading: The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

Ooooh, historical fiction about a woman embalmer?! Yes please!

I rather enjoyed this book, particularly because the author did her homework. She referenced both current and historical embalming texts and visited with her local coroner for insight. She also employed sensitivity readers and referenced primary source documents written by Black people (specifically women, though they’re difficult to find) living in New Orleans or the South during that era.

““The dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can.” Effie Jones, a former slave who escaped to the Union side as a child, knows the truth of her words. Taken in by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, she learned to read and write, to tolerate the sight of blood and broken bodies—and to forget what is too painful to bear. Now a young freedwoman, she has returned south to New Orleans and earns her living as an embalmer, her steady hand and skillful incisions compensating for her white employer’s shortcomings.

Tall and serious, Effie keeps her distance from the other girls in her boarding house, holding tight to the satisfaction she finds in her work. But despite her reticence, two encounters—with a charismatic state legislator named Samson Greene, and a beautiful young Creole, Adeline—introduce her to new worlds of protests and activism, of soirees and social ambition. Effie decides to seek out the past she has blocked from her memory and try to trace her kin. As her hopes are tested by betrayal, and New Orleans grapples with violence and growing racial turmoil, Effie faces loss and heartache, but also a chance to finally find her place . . .”

Learn more at www.bookshop.org/shop/hisandhearsepress

#HisAndHearsePress #JustRead #TBRPile #Books #BookRecs #BookRecommendations #HistoricalFiction #ReconstructionEra #NewOrleans #Embalmer #Undertaker #MortuaryScience #Mortician #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm #AmandaSkenandore

A purple damask frame around a black background featuring the cover of a book titled “The Undertaker’s assistant” by Amanda Skenandore. Text reads, ““The dead can’t hurt you. Only the living can.” Effie Jones, a former slave who escaped to the Union side as a child, knows the truth of her words. Taken in by an army surgeon and his wife during the War, she learned to read and write, to tolerate the sight of blood and broken bodies—and to forget what is too painful to bear. Now a young freedwoman, she has returned south to New Orleans and earns her living as an embalmer.”

💀 It’s National Funeral Director & Mortician Appreciation Day!!! 🥳

Death care is strenuous, stressful, demanding, and low paying. It’s often a thankless job, as grieving families are understandably focused on other things.

Take a moment today to consider what morticians face on a daily basis. Death, unfathomable grief, gruesome bodies, tales of devastation, broken families, long unpredictable hours, and generally the worst things you can imagine. Many of us burn out or resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms. It’s a calling though, and we can’t resist the drive to help those in need.

Has a funeral director helped you navigate through a loss? Send them a note to let them know they made an impact on your life. Though we certainly appreciate tips, lunches, and mementos, we don’t expect them. Sometimes the best reward is hearing that our work mattered.

I have a box full of thank you cards that help remind me of my purpose when days are tough. 🖤

#HisAndHearsePress #NationalFuneralDirectorAndMorticianRecognitionDay #FuneralDirector #Mortician #Embalmer #Undertaker #MortuaryScience #Funeral #FuneralService #FuneralProfession #ThankYou

A purple damask frame around a gray background and a bouquet of purple flowers. Text reads, “National funeral director and mortician recognition day, March 11.”

#WordyWednesday: Shrouding Women

When you think of morticians, you might conjure images of creepy old men in black suits. But did you know that they've only been "in charge" of the dead for the last century or so? Before that, men were typically responsible for building coffins and digging graves. Body preparation fell to the women!

Women were already tasked with nursing the sick, distributing herbs, and aiding in childbirth, so bathing and dressing the dead was a natural progression. Since it was a duty that demanded care, gentleness, and propriety, men were simply unsuited to the task. Enter the shrouding women.

Many neighborhood women became skilled and knowledgeable in the art of preparing the dead. They understood the weather's effect on decomposition and how to tend to bodies suffering from various conditions. They lent their expertise to those in need, not for monetary compensation but as an act of community.

Duties included preparing a cooling board (sometimes an ironing board or barn door placed over chairs), washing and dressing the corpse, closing the eyes and mouth (coins on eyes and jaws secured shut with tied rags or forked sticks propped against the breast bone), and otherwise arranging the body into a restful pose.

Commercialization of death care after the Civil War led cabinetmakers to evolve from coffin builders to embalmers. They wrested control of bodies away from women, claiming women were weak, delicate, and unable to tolerate the sight of blood. As the men rose into the ranks of professionals, women were relegated to the sidelines of death care. They became decorations. Trade journal advertisements portrayed men doing funeral work and women as objects of beauty. The foundation was laid for men to dominate the industry for the next 100 years.

Fortunately, we've come full circle and women are entering funeral service in droves. Over 70% of graduating mortuary science classes are women. Turns out we *can* handle some blood after all.

#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay #WomenInSTEM #WomenSupportingWomen #DeathCare #FuneralService #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #DeathPositive #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #Undertaker

A black background with a purple damask frame. A woven wicker body basket is in the bottom left corner. A body shrouded in white linen rests inside with two bouquets of flowers. Text reads, "Wordy Wednesday: Shrouding Women. Back in the day, death care was divided into three roles: coffin makers, grave diggers, and those who laid out the dead. Men handled the coffins and graves, but body preparation was the women's domain until the 1900s. The shrouding women were neighborhood women called to nurse the sick, distribute herbs, aid in childbirth, and wash and dress the dead. It was a sacred, nurturing duty requiring care and gentleness (and therefore unsuited to men). When cabinetmakers later began to embalm and consider themselves "professionals," they excluded women on the grounds of being too weak, delicate, and unable to tolerate seeing blood."

Happy International Women’s Day! Shout out to all of my sisters (not just my cis-ters) 💃🏿💃🏽💃🏼💃🏻

Today we celebrate our social, economic, and political achievements, plus bring awareness to gender parity. The World Economic Forum predicts that we won’t achieve global gender equality until 2133!

It’s not all bad news though. Woman in funeral service have been making great strides over the past 20 years. Graduating mortuary science classes are now comprised of over 70% women! The future of funeral directing is most certainly female. 💪🏻

#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalWomensDay #WomensDay #WomenSupportingWomen #TheFutureIsFemale #TransWomenAreWomen #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician

A purple damask frame around a watercolor image. Five female presenting figures stand behind a purple casket. Text reads, “International Women’s Day.”

I found some cool funeral trinkets! Check out these enamel pins from Demonic Pinfestation. I’ve never seen an embalming machine pin, and look! The little casket opens! I love them ☠️🖤⚰️

See more at www.DemonicPinfestation.com

(No, I’m not getting anything out of this. Just sharing cool treasures!)

#HisAndHearsePress #EnamelPins #DemonicPinfestation #Funeral #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #Casket #EmbalmingMachine #Goth

A purple damask background featuring two enamel pins on card stock backings. A business card reads “Demonic Pinfestation.” The pins are shaped as an embalming machine and a casket.

A purple damask background with a Caucasian hand holding a small enamel pin. It’s in the shape of an embalming machine with pink fluid in the tank and a pink hose shaped into the word “death.”

A purple damask background with a Caucasian hand holding an enamel pin shaped like a black casket. Half of the lid is open to display a red interior and a white skeleton.

#FuneralFactFriday: I missed posting this yesterday because, uhhh newborn kittens, obvs. However, today is National Battery Day, which brings me to this lesson: pacemaker batteries explode it cremated!

Pacemakers must be removed from bodies prior to cremation because their batteries will explode (damaging the chamber and/or injuring the operator).

Pacemakers are easily removed by funeral staff and can be recycled, refurbished, and sanitized. Since the FDA prohibits reuse in the USA, they can either be implanted in dogs or sent to impoverished countries.

#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Cremation #Pacemaker #Defibrillator #NationalBatteryDay #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience

A black background with a purple damask frame and an image of a silver pacemaker device on the bottom right. Text reads, “Funeral Fact Friday: pacemakers explode if cremated. Pacemakers must be removed from bodies prior to cremation because their batteries will explode (damaging the chamber and/or injuring the operator).
Pacemakers are easily removed by funeral staff and can be recycled, refurbished, and sanitized. Since the FDA prohibits reuse in the USA, they can either be implanted in dogs or sent to impoverished countries.”

#WordyWednesday: Viscerock

Not all embalming chemicals are liquid! Formaldehyde and other accessory chemicals come in powders and gels too.

My favorite is a product with the awesome name "Viscerock," which dries, firms, and preserves tissue (especially in autopsied cases).

It's also the name of my future death metal band 🤘🏻

#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Embalmer #Formaldehyde #FormaldehydeFree #Viscerock #DodgeChemicalCompany #ThanksThatsMyBandNameNow

A black background with a purple damask frame. A white plastic bucket container is in the lower right corner. Text reads, “Wordy Wednesday: Viscerock. Not all embalming chemicals are liquid! Formaldehyde and other accessory chemicals come in powders and gels too. My favorite is a product with the awesome name "Viscerock," which dries, firms, and preserves tissue (especially in autopsied cases).
It's also the name of my future death metal band!”

@HisAndHearsePress
After I die and the organ harvesters and medical students are done with me, what is the most efficient method of making my body harmless and not in anyone's way?
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFacts #DeathPositive #Mortician #Undertaker #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience

It’s been a minute since I’ve been active on social media. I think I ended up in LaLaLand for a bit after the holidays and never made it back into a routine. The longer I stayed away, the harder it was to jump back in!

Help me get back on track: tell me what you’d like to learn about this year. What are your biggest funeral/death related questions?

#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFacts #DeathPositive #Mortician #Undertaker #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #MortuarySchool #MortuaryScience #WritersCommunity #AuthorsSupportingAuthors

An AI generated sketch of a mannequin in a black suit looking at a casket on a bier. The background is fairly nondescript wall. Everything is in black and white except for red flowers on top of the casket.

Welcome, newbies! Start off with a #FollowFriday and start chatting with anyone, EVERYONE! It’s really nice here. Add a list of your hashtagged interests so others can search and find common bonds. Boost interesting and helpful posts. Look at what other people boost to find the coolest stuff. Follow those people!

Here’s what I’m about, in no particular order: I’m a #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician turned #Writer and #DeathPositive #Educator. I like to share interesting facts and explanations about dead bodies and funerals, especially to help authors write accurately. It’s also important to help alleviate the fear and stigmas associated with #Death.

I’m also into #Cats #Dogs #Dinosaurs #Welding #Cars #DemolitionDerby #Books #Reading #Writing #Napping #Memes #Sarcasm and probably other stuff that I can’t remember right now.

#HisAndHearsePress #Welcome #Newbie #Newbies #TwitterMigration #Follow #Boost

An unusually styled purple hearse parked on grass with rows up white gravestones and a small church like building in the background.

Looking to follow people with startlingly unusual content? That's me!

I'm a funeral director and embalmer turned writer and educator. I love teaching others about dead bodies and funerals, but in a light and easy to understand way. I want to help mitigate fear and stigma through open discussion. Ask me anything! (Bonus: if you're a writer, I can totally help set your scenes and ensure accuracy!)

I try to share themed posts like #MondayMourning, #WordyWednesday, and #FuneralFactFriday. I also love books, memes, cats, dogs, dinosaurs, trash cats, welding, and demolition derby driving.

So I'm a bit all over the place, but guaranteed to be one of the most interesting people around!

#HisAndHearsePress #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday #NiceToMeetYou #Funeral #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience #DeathPositive #Author #Writer #WritingCommunity #Catstodon #Dogstodon #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm

How does one go about learning the trade of undertaking? I recently wrote a guest post about it for the Museum of Teaching and Learning (MOTAL).

Go learn a little of the history of mortuary science education, plus what the modern curriculum entails. There's a lot more to it than you'd think!

Read the article here: https://motal.dm.networkforgood.com/emails/how-louise-learned-to-be-a-mortician

Pictured: my old 1964 Mercury Comet with the custom license plate that reads "undertaker." I traded in the car, but I still use the license plate.

#HisAndHearsePress #Education #Teaching #Learning #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Undertaker #Mortician #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #History #VintageCar #ClassicCar #MercuryComet

#Embalmer

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