Rare Daguerreotypes of Victorian Women Breastfeeding Their Babies

Daguerreotypes of Victorian women breastfeeding are extremely rare, both due to the photographic norms of the 19th century and the societal attitudes of the time.

Victorian society emphasized modesty, particularly for women. Breastfeeding, though natural, was generally considered a private act, not something to be publicly displayed or photographed. Women were often portrayed in a formal, idealized way — sitting stiffly, dressed in their finest clothing. A breastfeeding pose would have been seen as too intimate or domestic for a formal daguerreotype.

While motherhood was a common theme in photography, breastfeeding itself was not typically shown in daguerreotypes, as such moments were considered too private for public display. These rare photos displayed here show the opposite.

While there may not be extensive surviving examples of daguerreotypes showing breastfeeding specifically, motherhood and the nurturing of children were central themes in Victorian art and photography. Photos of mothers with their children were common, as they reflected the period’s ideals about the sanctity and purity of the maternal role.