Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals

18 THE JOURNAL NOVEMBER 2012
“FASHIONABLY LATE—
COSTUMES AND
CUSTOMS OF THE
VICTORIAN MOURNING
PERIOD”
Victorian society was fascinated by
death and spirituality. Elaborate rules
surrounded the etiquette of mourning.
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We Will Never Forget
Berlin work needlepoint used
in memorial motto samplers.
ria’s obsession with the death of her husband,
Prince Albert, and the U.S. Civil
War’s horrendous casualty rate created a
cultural climate in which Americans, particularly
women, embraced many of these
new rules and customs.
In “Fashionably Late—Costumes and
Customs of the Victorian Mourning Period,”
a free exhibit running Sunday after-
noons from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. through November 18, the
Cranbury Historical and Preservation Society has on display dresses,
jewelry, literature, and other historic objects related to Victorian
mourning.
These range from elaborate lace-and-beaded black
gowns, to engraved memorial cards, to a tiny pair of
child’s black kid-leather mourning shoes.
On November 4 at 2:00 p.m., there will be a related
special event co-sponsored by the Cranbury Public Library.
Professional history re-enactor Jane Peters Estes
will present “Grave Matters,” a program offering a
tongue-in-cheek look at customs surrounding death
and dying. Appearing in Victorian costume, Ms. Estes
will talk about mourning customs during the Civil War,
the dying words of famous individuals, and headstone
epitaphs.
For the ongoing museum exhibit, curator Lisa
Beach has pulled items from the museum’s extensive
textile collection, and several local families have made
special loans of some of their own heirlooms. Here are
a few of the unusual mourning customs she discovered
in her research:
For a woman, mourning lasted two years. During
the second year of “half mourning,” it was permissible
to wear gray or purple. Only black was allowed in the
first year.
Etiquette experts were divided on whether it was
necessary for a child to dress in mourning wear, but
capes, bonnets, and shoes that have been passed on
show that some children did so.
Mirrors in households were draped, so the deceased
person’s spirit would not get trapped in the glass.
When mourning
ended, it was considered
bad luck to keep
the clothing, so owners
discarded it or
passed it on.
By the World War I
era the customs had
faded, likely because
there was so much
Mourning gown, bonnet, jewelry,
and wreath
death that mourners chose to move on with their lives
more quickly.
But many of these exquisitely made Victorian objects
have survived.
“For the Victorians, mourning was a time of great
sadness but much beauty as well,” Ms. Beach said.
Visitors may also tour the museum’s other permanent
exhibits, which include five rooms of household
and decorative items and furniture that help depict life
in Cranbury through the ages.
The Cranbury Museum is located at 4 Park Place
East, Cranbury, NJ. Visit www.cranburyhistory.org for
more details.