Bring a sack lunch, if desired. Beverages and dessert provided.
After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria's profound mourning rituals influenced grief practices that crossed the Atlantic, deeply affecting American customs in the 1800s. Join us for a fascinating exploration of Victorian mourning traditions with an up-close look at pieces from Virginia Shelton’s personal archive of Victorian artifacts. Discover the stages of mourning, and sample traditional 19th-century funeral cookies.
Virginia Shelton, a Memphis-based expert in mourning jewelry and lifelong history enthusiast, developed her passion for Victorian customs after a visit to Elmwood Cemetery nearly 30 years ago. Since then, she has dedicated herself to studying and collecting Victorian rings, brooches, lockets, necklaces, and death photography.
