At first glance, gorgeous, on closer inspection: Devastating. This Victorian memorial for two brothers sort of sums up why I’m happy to be childfree by choice in the year 2026: One brother died at only 19 days old in 1869. A year later, the next brother was born, surviving only 12 hours. Whether you were hoping to get pregnant or not, every pregnancy was a huge risk. Infant mortality rates in England & Wales in 1870 were about 150 deaths per 1,000 births. One of two diecut memorials dedicated to these two infants presented in gilded Victorian frames.