During the 19th century, grief was mourned very differently than we mourn the dead today. Grief was not a private affair, it was governed by rigid societal norms, elaborate rituals and driven by aesthetic expectations.

The Victorian era (1837-1901) was during the reign of Queen Victoria. That specific period of time was renowned for its deeply codified mourning practices. This movement was sparked in part by Queen Victoria’s extended mourning for Prince Albert, the era turned bereavement into an art form. From somber fashion to sentimental mementos crafted from the hair of the deceased, Victorians certainly expressed their sorrow with beauty and intensity that continues to fascinate to this day.

Dressing for the Dead: Mourning Fashion

Attire that was driven by the mourning of a loved one lost was one of the most visible ways Victictorian’s expressed their grief.Widows were expected to adhere to specifically strict dress code that could last two years or more. The following are the stages of mourning, were carefully segmented into three parts:

Full Mourning: Typically lasting a year and a day, this first stage required women to wear matte black dresses made of crepe, a crinkly silk fabric. The jewelry was very minimal or entirely absent and veils, often called “weeping veils”, were black, long and worn over the face.
Second Mourning: Began after the first year, when women could wear modest jewelry and slightly less somber fabrics, like silk or wool.
Half Mourning: Final stage, of which allowed for a return of subdued colors like grey, mauve or lavender.

Men’s mourning was much less elaborate. They typically wore a black suit, armband or cravat tie, often for only a few months.

Mourning fashion dictated more than just what to wear; it became a moral obligation. Deviating from the rules could be interpreted as a sign of disrespect to the deceased.

The Beauty of Remembrance: Hair Jewelry

During a time before photography was commonplace, Victorian’s discovered other tactile ways to keep their lost loved one’s memory alive. Certainly one of the most morbid, unique and intimate was mourning jewelry made from human hair. This tradition, predating the Victorian period, reached its peak during this era.

When a loved one dies, their hair would be carefully cleaned and often intricately braided. It was then woven into lockets, rings, brooches and even into entire bracelets. Some pieces were overt tributes, and often inscribed with phrases such as, “In Memory Of”, while some others were more discreet with their significance known only to the wearer.

To Victorian’s hair was viewed as incorruptible, it didn’t decay like flesh, so it became an organic medium for eternal remembrance. Artists even created elaborate scenes and patterns using just hair. They often suspended it in glass or preserved it within a resin.

*Photo from: CarrieAnneBrownian.wordpress.com*

Capturing the Last Look: Post-Mortem Photography

During the mid-19th century, photography became more accessible. It offered another deeply poignant way to memorialize the deceased. Post-mortem photography, though unsettling to modern perception, was a profoundly cherished practice for Victorians.

Families would pose their dead loved ones, specifically children, in rather lifelike poses, often propped up with supports or posed with living relatives. Ultimately, their goal was to capture the likeness of the person one final time. Sometimes eyes were painted onto closed eyelids or the photo was retouched to make the deceased appear more lifelike.

These photographs were not hidden in an album but displayed prominently in the home or into lockets worn by the living in remembrance. To the Victorian’s this was not morbid or macabre, they were honoring and forever capturing their loved ones.

Mourning as a Cultural Mirror

Victorian mourning practices acted as a cultural mirror, reflecting societal norms and beliefs. It also showcased their anxieties about death, gender, and social status. Their elaborate rituals, from the lengths of mourning to the hair jewelry and post-mortem photographs, offered a window into Victorian values and attitudes toward mortality.

To the Victorian’s, fashion, jewelry and photography was more of an artform or viewed as an immersive cultural experience which was deeply rooted in tradition, emotion and symbolism. It allowed the bereaved to process their grief within a very structured system. This helped transform loss into something more visual and even morbidly beautiful.

In today’s day and age, we mourn the dead very differently, but the Victorian era’s expressive and intimate rituals remind us of a time when grief was worn on the sleeve and sometimes woven into a ring.

Written by: Rachel DeMicco

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