Episode 205 - The Art of Victorian Mourning

The Ordinary, Extraordinary Cemetery

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Beyond the ornate 19th century headstones and crumbling mausoleums lies a world of custom and superstition that dictated death and mourning for more than eighty years. This week on the Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast Jennie and Dianne explore the complex social norms dictating grief, the rise of spiritualism, and the eerie practices that governed Victorian society. While some of these customs have faded with time, others continue to shape our relationship with death today. Tune in for this Ordinary Extraordinary journey twixt life and death. "Passing out of the shadows into eternal day, why do we call it dying, this sweet passing away?"
To see additional photos in real time with this discussion, view this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZFWSGVwSujU?si=KNLIH7PE3HDP_NXM
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Resources used to research this episode include:
Smith, Nicola. "Mourning the Death of Prince Albert ." https://www.historytoday.com/. 3 Oct. 1983. www.historytoday.com/archive/feature/mourning-death-prince-albert#:~:text=At%2010.50%20pm%20Prince%20Albert,bitter%20and%20agonising%20cry%20'Oh!. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
Sebesta, Samantha . "A Royal Marriage: Prince Albert’s Love Letters & Quotes From Queen Victoria ." https://thechroniclesofhistory.com/. 19 July 2020. thechroniclesofhistory.com/2020/07/19/a-royal-marriage-a-prince-albert-love-letter-quotes-from-queen-victoria/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
, Australian Museum . "Mourning - Victorian Era ." https://australian.museum/. 21 Nov. 2018. australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/death-the-last-taboo/mourning-victorian-era/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
Celiberi, Stephanie . "Mid-Late Victorian Mourning Dress ." https://www.lancasterhistory.org/. 6 Oct. 2021. www.lancasterhistory.org/victorian-mourning-dress/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
, Compass Rose Design . "History of Victorian Mourning Jewelry." https://www.compassrosedesign.com/. www.compassrosedesign.com/pages/history-of-victorian-mourning-jewelry?srsltid=AfmBOopwBTlQLpCt6ltB_a_S7JXqpBLPokThsX9T8woAOLyCGpnaDKnS. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
, Rosenberg Library Museum. "Victorian Hair Jewelry ." https://www.rosenberg-library-museum.org/. www.rosenberg-library-museum.org/treasures/victorian-hair-jewelry#:~:text=These%20pieces%20of%20adornment%20often,the%20death%20of%20Queen%20Victoria. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
Dents Museum Curator , Sarah. "Gloves." https://us.dentsgloves.com/. us.dentsgloves.com/blogs/magazine/queen-victoria-the-etiquette-of-mourning. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
Rusch, Barbara . "The Secret Life of Victorian Cards ." https://www.ephemerasociety.org/. www.ephemerasociety.org/the-secret-life-of-victorian-cards/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
, The Solitary Historian . "Mourning the Dead: Funeral Practices in 1870 and 1900. ." https://thesolitaryhistorian.com/. 6 Nov. 2020. thesolitaryhistorian.com/2020/11/06/mourning-the-dead-funeral-practices-in-1870-and-1900/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
, Friends Of Oak Grove Cemetery . "Victorian Funeral Customs and Superstitions ." https://friendsofoakgrovecemetery.org/. 1 Oct. 2008. friendsofoakgrovecemetery.org/victorian-funeral-customs-fears-and-superstitions/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.