“Ring the bell softly, there’s crepe on the door”

The term ‘mourning’ came to mean more than just grieving for the loss of a loved one; it comprised all the ways that the Victorians expressed that grief.  During the Victorian Era, there was an extensive mourning culture created that employed elaborate dress, jewellery, funeral trappings, photographs and a myriad of commemorative items.

Mourning After: The Victorian Celebration of Death explores the way in which mourning was expressed by drawing on museum and private collections. From funerals to clothing, post-mortem photography and cemeteries, this exhibition provides an in-depth look at mourning from over a century ago.

From now to the end of November, you are invited to take a step back in time to September 20, 1879 and enter the home of the Henry Family, where a death has recently occurred.  The family is bound by the rules of etiquette that dictate what they must do next.

Mourning After is on display now through to the end of November 2015.

Special thanks to Gold and Silver level Exhibit Sponsors: