Tag: Crape

Mourning Fashion c.1870-1901

Part 2 of this webinar deals with the rise of the miniature portrait, from cost to the talented painters. Their depictions of wealthy individuals held hidden messages of love between couples in both life and death.

Decline of Mourning

c. 1891/2 The locket was probably made to celebrate the engagement of the Princess and the Duke. Unfortunately, he died very soon after the engagement and Princess May married the Duke's younger brother, the future King George V.

The decline and disappearance of the mourning industry does not have one simple answer. It is a mix of cultural changes, mass production, a shift towards new wealth and the new world governing style, combined with female empowerment and what the definition of the family meant. The 1861-1901 period had been one of rapid growth… Continue reading Decline of Mourning