The Art of Grieving: The Beauty Behind Victorian Mourning Customs

Grief transcends time.

While it can be said that the Victorians were obsessed with death, and some of their rituals may seem morbid and garish by today's standards, there is something to be said about the Victorians and how they were prepared for the day when a loved one might die.

Get to know some of the misunderstood mourning customs from the Victorian Era, including jewelry made of human hair, strict fashion guidelines, and even post-mortem photography. Journey back to the American Civil War, and get to know Mary Todd Lincoln and Queen Victoria--two women who publicly grieved for their husbands. You'll soon come to realize that the Victorians were not obsessed with death... but they did accept it... Something we still struggle to do today.

Join the curator of The Traveling Museum of Memento Mori as she introduces you to the history of Victorian mourning customs as well as the customs themselves. You'll learn that there can be beauty in grief and death and that we might be able to learn how to mourn from the Victorians, even in the 21st Century.