Bronck Museum Curator Tour: Mourning in Victorian America

COXSACKIE―On Friday, August 14, the Bronck Museum near Coxsackie is pleased to offer the second of this season’s Curator’s Tours. Join Bronck Museum Curator Shelby Mattice as she explores the evolution of mourning customs in Victorian America. The tour will include seldom seen items from the museum’s collection.

It was really all George Washington’s fault. When Washington died in December of 1799, America lost a much-beloved hero. Americans wanted to memorialize the passing of the great man. They did so by purchasing various decorative objects featuring him.

British potteries created George Washington cider pitchers for eager American customers. Washington’s likeness soon appeared in commercial engravings that decorated American parlors. It wasn’t long before people began creating memorials honoring their own beloved family members. The elaboration of mourning customs had begun.

Women created memorial samplers in paint, embroidery, and human hair for their homes. The elaboration of burial customs came next, followed very shortly with the development of new style landscaped cemeteries which became pleasant and popular destinations for family picnics.

As the Victorian era progressed Americans developed an ever more complicated and rigid set of rules regarding socially acceptable mourning practices. One could say America had become obsessed with death.

The “Monumentum Mors” Tour will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets for the tour can be purchased at https://www.gchistory.org/curator-tours. Seating is limited. Admission for this special tour is $25. The Bronck Museum is located at 90 County Route 42, Coxsackie.