Evening dress suitable for late mourning, from around 1861 The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently announced a breathtaking new exhibit, “Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire”—upper-class women’s widow couture, if you will. The clothing ranges from 1815 to 1915, when the death of a husband was met with strict social expectations among the English (and sometimes American) elite. During the Victorian era, a widow was expected to observe a year and a day of “full mourning,” during which she would refrain from “society” activities, veiled and wearing simple black dresses. After that, there was a nine-month period where she could drop the veil and incorporate small adornments, like jewelry or a trimmed hem. Then came “half-mourning,” where she could add grey, purple or a little white—this lasted three to six more months. If a woman did not observe proper mourning etiquette (especially if she was still young and pretty), she would usually be considered not only gauche, but downright libidinous. Additionally, if the mourning attire was too flashy, she could also be judged as advertising her new singledom—scandalous! Widowers on the other hand, were just expected to wear dark clothes for an unofficial amount of time,...
Written on reverse: "Mrs. J. Apple." "Hugh Brown, Jr., 534 Broadway, Council Bluffs, Iowa."
This is an evocative photograph of a 19th C. tomb in the Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa. The monument is elaborately carved marble, and depicts a winged angel mourning at the steps of a beloved, with several wilted roses clasped in her left hand. Her gown drapes down the steps of the monument with grace and modesty. Despite its' shadowy images of mortality, it shows us that what is finality can also be beautiful. The images and rituals of mourning in both the Georgian and Victorian eras were seen as gestures and mementos of loss, mourning, and love. Our series of The Art Of Mourning are both tender and beautiful. We have created this series of Antique greeting cards to convey those sentiments using the aesthetics of the past to convey those same messages of sympathy and heartfelt thoughts. We lovingly produce unique greeting cards of antique images for many types of occasions. Our cards are printed on heavy gsm matte card stock to create an antique finish. Each card is blank, to allow you to create your own personal message. We include an envelope, and seal both in a cellophane sleeve. Your order will be sent in a heavy cardboard mailer so that it arrives to you in pristine condition. The watermark you see on our thumbnail image will not be on the cards you order. We offer a discount on combined P&P which is applied by using the “Add To Basket” option when choosing the cards you wish to purchase. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our cards. Please save us a favourite Seller - Thanks so much for looking!Our cards measure 13 cm X 18 cm ( 5 inches X 7 inches ) Most of our images are quite old, and as a result, some will reflect an antiquated technology from when they were initially created.
A brief look at the etiquette and fashion history of mourning dress from the Victorian era.
Frederic Louis Leve (French1877- ] – A Harem Beauty Seated On A Leopard Skin Gabriel Joseph Marie Augustin Ferrier (Fr. -1914) – A Harem Beauty Holding a Fan Ferdinand Max Bredt (German, 1868-1…
"C. B. Colburn, 500 Third St., Bay City, Mich. $1.50 per dozen"
Stunning late 1800s Victorian mantle encrusted with jet beadwork, trimmed with silk chiffon and covered with cotton lace. Beautiful, moth like design. Frizzy lace, high standing collar, ribbon tape. Satin lining. Lovely falling weight of the velvet. Fastening: hook-eye clasps. Condition: overall beautiful piece with outer shell velvet in a very good vintage condition. Chiffon panel rather delicate and with surface rub. Some spots of bead loss and collar lace wear. Please inspect the photos or ask me to send more if you require.
Children’s clothing evolved as time went by during the Victorian era. Many of these styles mirrored the adult styles of the day to some extent. Small girls wore crinoline petticoats like their mothers. There was a significant difference between the clothes worn by girls and their mothers. The length of the skirts worn by little girls was short than their mothers. Around the age of 16 a girls skirt would be full length down to the ankles just like their mothers. In fact, by this time the well to do young ladies would be dressing in the same fashion as adults. Until the late 1800’s girls were still wearing corsets. Below is a collection of 37 vintage portraits of beautiful teenage girls from the Victorian era.
Artwork and Inspirations by Evelyn Kennedy Duncan
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According to Jane Austen chronicler and scholar, David Nokes, when Martha Lloyd’s mother died on April 16, 1805, Jane Austen showed few signs of grief or emotion over that woman’s earth…
{many of these tintypes were found at the Library of Congress & some are favorites from pinterest} I LOVE Tintypes... everything about them fascinates me. They are a frozen moment in time, that can never be duplicated. Looking into the eyes of each subject, I can't help but try & imagine what thought crossed their mind at the instant the image was taken. There's something magical about these tiny pieces of metal... these bits of history, no bigger then a couple of inches, & yet the stories they tell are priceless. The stories are in their eyes. The eyes of a child... & the eyes of a solider. Each story is there to be found, if you just look closely enough. I ADORE this one, she tells me exactly what she's thinking. Our little civil war girl does NOT like the photographer & most certainly does not want to be sitting still for so long, she's just plain mad! Oh, but look at that exquisite dress & her ringlets. Someone had made a comment on this picture that I thought was perfection... 'the oldest child is the peacemaker, you can tell it by the gentleness in her face, but the other two are strong willed & a handful.' Like I said, perfection. Maybe one of the reasons I love these images so much is because it didn't happen in second. The subject needed to stand motionless for a couple of minutes & in those silent moments, I think the true nature of their feelings was captured. Some of humor... some of joy... & some of sorrow. Did you know in the Victorian era it was common for loved ones in mourning to have their backs turned to the camera. It's not to show their hairstyles, but to show their loss. There were actually 3 different types of photography during the early to late 1800's. Daguerreotypes were made on copper, Ambrotypes were made on glass & Tintypes were made on iron. The process for the first two types was quite expensive, making the cost prohibitive for most families. These images were mainly taken by the middle class & the rich. One common practice during the Victorian era, was to have an image taken of a loved one who was deceased. Since most people couldn't afford to have pictures taken, this may have been the only image they would have of that special someone. We take photographs for granted now shooting away on our cell phones, ipads & digital cameras. We skpe with our loved ones, never feeling too far away. To think back to a time when the only image you may have had of your child is once they've passed away, is heartbreaking. When the Tintype came out, the process was much less expensive making it a little more affordable to the masses. They could be produced quickly, even while you waited. Photographers started setting up shop at carnivals, fairs or other places where lots of people would gather. What must they have thought when they had a memory to hold in their hand for the very first time? And now, they are my history book... in each image I see their hopes & dreams. I see where they've been... & how far they've come. Those tiny, scratched pieces of metal give me pride in the past... & hope for the future. I'm a romantic at heart... can you tell? As far as I'm concerned, these images can never belong to one person, they belong to the hands of time as a reminder of our shared past. Just touching them gives me a sense of history. I LOVE that for the movie 'Cold Mountain', they made Tinypes of Nicole Kidman as Ada... & Jude Law as W.P. Inman bringing these fictional characters to life. I LOVE Tintypes! XOXO vintagesusie
© Ann Longmore-Etheridge Collection. This incredible mourning image has been deaccessioned from the Mirror Image Gallery collection and moved to mine. Thank you, Mitch, for allowing me to become the new caretaker. The image is unmarked, although the previous owner feels it may be Southworth and Hawes. It shows a mother (although some think she may be his sister) and son dressed in full morning, presumably for her husband and his father. The young man has a extremely wide crape band on his tall top hat, which indicates that his loss was of someone quite close to him (probably his father), while the mother/sister wears a black-veiled bonnet. The image was clearly made in winter, and both are dressed in black outer wear, although the mother wears a lighter color fur that is almost certainly a tippet that is a separate piece from the coat. The fur at her wrists are cuffs attached to the kid gloves. I have seen this image being touted as an example of "paid mourners," but this is not the case and was rarely done in the Victorian era. I have also seen this photo credited to a museum that I have no connection with. It is not in any museum, but in my physical custody.
For all of you who have been following my Regency Fashion plate series of beauties from the pages of Ackermann's Repository, 1827 is the next to last year for them. Here is my pick of the 1827 Ackermann's Repository Fashion Plates Ackermann's Repository ran from January 1809 - December 1828 and had a very successful 20 year history. Every monthly issue included 2 fashion plates for a total of 24 in each year. Today I've posted the 24 fashion plates from 1827; of which the February issue shows two Mourning dresses as we encounter another death in the British Royal Family. Those two fashions are due to the death of King George IV's brother Prince Frederick - The Royal Duke of York. The Duke of York was King George III's and Queen Charlotte's second son. Since by this time King George IV had no living legitimate children; Frederick was his heir and next in line for the crown. With Fredrick's passing; the third brother(William) now becomes the heir to the British throne and will later become King William IV in June of 1830 with the death of King George IV. King William had no living legitimate children by his death in 1837 and it is here where we finally leave the Regency behind and step into the Victorian age as his niece Queen Victoria becomes the new ruler of Great Britain. I will post the Ackermann's Death notice for the Duke of York at the end of the fashion plates for those of you who like that extra glimpse into the real Regency world. Now for more fun fashions from the Regency - Enjoy! Ackermann's Repository 1827 Fashion Plates 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - January Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - January Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - February Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - February Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - March Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - March Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - April Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - April Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - May Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - May Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - June Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 9 - June Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - July Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - July Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - August Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - August Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - September Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - September Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - October Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - October Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - November Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - November Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - December Issue 1827 - Ackermann's Repository Series 3 Vol 10 - December Issue The Regency Era was a time unto itself. We may have a ton more technological advances, many of which I'd not want to live without; however this period of time just seems so much more refined and romantic - at least on paper. So I hope you have enjoyed seeing the 1827 fashions and will join me again for the last and final installment in this Fashion series. ********************************** Now as promised for those who like me can't get enough of Ackermann's Repository; here is the death notice they published for the Duke of York who died on January 5, 1827. till next time... Thanks for visiting me here at EKDuncan.blogspot.com If you have enjoyed seeing these images from Ackermann's Repository and would like the opportunity to see and read an original for yourself they are are available on line at www.archive.org Click HERE then choose the volume you are interested in. You can then see and read them online or download them to your computer for future reference. Enjoy!
Mourning for a man meant his best black suit and a hat with a crepe band. The width of the band indicated the level of closeness to the deceased. In this case, the wide band shows the loss was probably a near family member. He appears to be holding a pipe.
