From epitaph to obituary

Abstract

A B S T R A C T • This article explores the emergence of the obituary in British eighteenth-century print journalism, at a moment when the verse epitaph was in irrevocable decline. The new form of death memorial that the obituary represents reflected a changing attitude to death, and a new phase in its relationship with fame. Many of the features of the present-day phenomenon of celebrity can be identified as emerging in the eighteenth century, and we recognize all too well today the explosion of commerce and the new forms of deregulated media that produced this phenomenon. Death became 'news' in the context of the new transience and mobility of printed text, and the dead gained renown not only for historically momentous acts, or lasting works of art or intellect, but also for ephemeral skills and talents such as acting, singing, sports and eccentric feats of memory or agility. Celebrity — short-lived fame — became a feature of British society, and the untimely or dramatic death began to create as well as test this new kind of fame. The obituary plays a key role in this process, this article argues, and represents an important mechanism for introducing modern notions of fame and celebrity into British society.•

Obituaries: A Dead Important Genre

“…8 That is a plausible starting point, reinforced by Elizabeth Barry who sees the obituary taking over from the verse epitaph, and widening to include different kinds of people newly famous for ephemeral skills and talents (such as singing, acting, feats of agility and memory, and eccentric talents). 9 In Britain, the unexpected outpouring of sentiment following Princess Diana's death in 1997 was a watershed in reshaping public expressions of grief. The combination was reinforced and altered again by the death in 2009 of Jade Goody, 'ignoramus' star of reality TV, whose very public, slow and brave demise from cervical cancer led to heated debate between those who couldn't get enough of her life, death-in-waiting and death, and those scornful of the fuss.…”

COVID-19 death news: A media dependency analysis

“…Obituaries were initially conceived in magazines and newspapers in the 17th century to notify readers of the death of royalty or those in power (Fowler, 2005). By the end of the 17th century, obituaries started to include those who were infamous, poor or had a criminal record (Barry, 2008), turning an obituary into the "first verdict of history" (Starck, 2005, p. 268). As the newspaper rose in popularity in the late 18th century, so did the obituary as "fame and death found a new relationship" (Barry, 2008).…”

“…By the end of the 17th century, obituaries started to include those who were infamous, poor or had a criminal record (Barry, 2008), turning an obituary into the "first verdict of history" (Starck, 2005, p. 268). As the newspaper rose in popularity in the late 18th century, so did the obituary as "fame and death found a new relationship" (Barry, 2008). Obituaries and "death stories" are both a record of fact as well as a look into the cultural values of society at that time, in particular in "… American culture, the public memory of its citizens" (Hume, 2000, p. 12).…”