“MOURNING GLORY”

Today, the feeling of grief and the period of mourning after the loss of a loved one, especially a spouse, is a personal choice. This was not always the case as less than 100 years ago mourning for women was a rigid, ritualized, very visual production. From the first moment of widowhood every aspect of a women’s life was controlled by “proper behavior.”

This unique exhibit of historic “mourning” clothing is a rare look at what the women of the 19th Century were destined to wear to announce their grieving to the world.

Join the Museum for this special Exhibit for a look at how early America mourned its dearly departed.