DEARLY DEPARTED
SEVEN SUNDAYS LECTURE LOOKS AT VICTORIAN GRIEF RITUALS

WHEELING, W.Va. (June 11, 2009) - -From the mid 19th century to the early 20th century, Queen Victoria indirectly set the rules of etiquette and fashion. When her husband, Prince Albert, died in 1861, even mourning became a fashionable tradition. Women around the world followed her lead.

Area residents can learn more about Victorian life and death as Oglebay Institute continues its Seven Sundays to Remember Lecture Series at 1 p.m. June 28 with “Dearly Departed: Grief Rituals, Fashions and Mourning Traditions of the Victorian Era,” presented by Judi Hendrickson and Jeanne Finstein.

“Victorian society was structured by elaborate rules of etiquette that extended into every aspect of peoples lives. One of the areas that had a very strict social code was bereavement, especially in matters of women’s fashion,” museum curator Megan Clark said. “ Anyone who deviated from these standards risked scandal and ostracism.”

The longest period of mourning was for widows, and it lasted a minimum of two years. There were even stages of mourning with specific rules and requiring different apparel. Everything from headwear to handkerchiefs and parasols to petticoats were all black or trimmed in black to symbolize the absence of light and life. Women’s activities outside the home were also restricted during the mourning period, primarily consisting of church services. Homes were also draped in black crepe banners to signify there had been a death.

“The Victoria era is defined by specific customs of decorum, and grief rituals are particularly intriguing,” Clark said. “I think that guests at the lecture will learn a lot, be entertained and leave thankful that we no long have to observe such restrictive customs.”

She added that even though Victorian grief rituals were confining and oppressive, they did provide some benefits that are lacking in modern society.

“Death was not a taboo subject during this time period. Those in mourning could acknowledge their loss publicly, and much more time was allowed to grieve the loss of a close loved one.”

Titled “Passion for Fashion” the 2009 Seven Sundays Lecture Series celebrates historic and contemporary fashion and serves as a companion program to Dressing Wheeling From the Inside Out: 1840-1910, current exhibit on display in the Mansion Museum. A complete list of lectures, speakers and dates follows:

June 28: “Dearly Departed: Grief Rituals, Fashions and Mourning Traditions of the Victorian Era,” presented by local authors and historians Judi Hendrickson and Jeanne Finstein

July 26: “The Purse and the Person,” presented by Melissa Leventon, Curator of the traveling exhibition The Purse and the Person, and principal of Curatrix Group, a firm of museum consultants and appraisers specializing in costumes, textiles and interiors.

August 23: “Hats Off - to the Artistry of the Milliner Past and Present,” presented by Amy Hamilton, owner/artist Granville Millinery Company, Granville, OH

Sept, 27: “Heights of Fashion: A History of the Elevated Foot,” presented by Elizabeth Semmelhack, Curator, Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto, Canada

October 11: “Petticoats, Pantaloons and Painters: Costumes in Art,” presented by Nancy Huth, Curator of Education, Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH

The admission fee is $10 per person, which includes admission to both the Mansion and Glass Museums. All guests are invited to continue on and browse through either or both of the museums after the lecture. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount.

For more information or to register for any of the programs, call the Mansion Museum at 304.242.7272.