[Caruso, Enrico. (1873-1921)]. Caruso in his Coffin - Original Press Photograph. A very striking original press photograph of the great tenor lying in state, with a young boy looking down into the coffin. Press caption on the verso reads (translated from the German): "In honor of Caruso's memory, his body, which was embalmed at the time of his death and is wonderfully preserved, is dressed every three years in the latest fashion. The ceremony, which is not widely known to the public, is carried out by his closest friends." 5.1 x 7.3 inches.
Caruso's body was preserved in a glass sarcophagus at the Del Pianto Cemetery in Naples after his death in 1921 until his wife had his remains sealed in a stone tomb in 1929.