Nursery Butterflies, Murphy-Craven Home, 2010
Dublin Core
Title
Nursery Butterflies, Murphy-Craven Home, 2010
Subject
Butterflies
Nurseries
Parental Grief
Lesbian Mothers
Autobiographical memory
Description
Photo of multicolor silk butterflies on a clear string in a tangerine colored room.
"This string of butterflies hangs in our twins' bedroom to honor our first daughter Lily's presence in our lives. We had initially bought it for Lily’s nursery a few weeks before she left us. Although the meaning behind this commemoration is primarily for our immediate family and a close circle of friends, we were struck by this photograph that our friend, fine art photographer Arielle Doneson, snapped when she took photos of our twins a few months after they were born. This image became a comfort for both of us, especially in the absence of more tangible memories of Lily, like pictures or personal items, which many of us don't have following pregnancy loss. As I did research for this project I learned that butterflies are a common symbol that bereaved parents use to commemorate losses. The multiple colorful butterflies also reminded us of the rainbow pride flag, which seemed fitting since our twins were our 'rainbow babies,' a term I learned from other bereaved parents that is often used to describe children born after pregnancy loss. I sometimes joke that we actually have 'double rainbow babies,' born after we lost Lily and into a queer family."
"This string of butterflies hangs in our twins' bedroom to honor our first daughter Lily's presence in our lives. We had initially bought it for Lily’s nursery a few weeks before she left us. Although the meaning behind this commemoration is primarily for our immediate family and a close circle of friends, we were struck by this photograph that our friend, fine art photographer Arielle Doneson, snapped when she took photos of our twins a few months after they were born. This image became a comfort for both of us, especially in the absence of more tangible memories of Lily, like pictures or personal items, which many of us don't have following pregnancy loss. As I did research for this project I learned that butterflies are a common symbol that bereaved parents use to commemorate losses. The multiple colorful butterflies also reminded us of the rainbow pride flag, which seemed fitting since our twins were our 'rainbow babies,' a term I learned from other bereaved parents that is often used to describe children born after pregnancy loss. I sometimes joke that we actually have 'double rainbow babies,' born after we lost Lily and into a queer family."
Creator
Doneson, Arielle
Publisher
Craven, Christa
Date
10-26-2010
Contributor
Craven, Christa
Rights
Presented with permission from Arielle Doneson. In Copyright.
Format
jpg, 3861 × 2574
Type
Still Image
Identifier
Butterflies 01
Coverage
Wooster, Ohio
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Photo
Physical Dimensions
Digital 3861 × 2574
Citation
Doneson, Arielle , “Nursery Butterflies, Murphy-Craven Home, 2010,” LGBTQ+ Reproductive Loss, accessed October 9, 2024, https://lgbtqreproductiveloss.org/items/show/1.