Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - October 13, 1998
By Laura E. Criss
Vigo County Historical Society

Thanks to Queen Victoria, broaches became part of mourning process

When we think of mourning and the loss of loved ones, we most often associate it with the color black.

The tradition of black as a mourning color originated with the death of King Charles VIII in 1498. In the Middle Ages, white had been the standard color for mourning because it symbolized hope. But Queen Anne chose to break that tradition by wearing the unconventional black as a way of mourning.

It was not until the mid 1800s that the Victorian mourning system actually developed. The English Queen Victoria was very passionate, emotional and motherly but was never known for being particularly stylish. However, when her beloved husband, Prince Albert, died unexpectedly in 1861, she reacted with such intense grief and emotion that she unknowingly began a new trend.

The trend expanded beyond Europe and became popular in the United Stated but by then it had turned into a rigid structure.

Ideally mourning was to be performed out of love and respect for the deceased. It was also a societal duty. It would be disgraceful for a widow to only mourn for a mere six months instead of the two-and-a-half year minimum.

There were three stages of the mourning process. The first and most strict was heavy mourning. Heavy mourning lasted for a year and one day, or longer if the widow preferred. In this stage, she was to wear all black, which included her undergarments. She was to wear no jewelry, except for her engagement and wedding rings. Her dress was to be very simple and made with crepe fabric; no fancy lace or jet was permitted. Whenever she left her home, she was to cover her face with a black veil.

In the second stage, or full mourning, her dress did not have to be so plain. Her dress could then be made of silk and decorated with lace. She was also permitted to wear a white collar as well as white cuffs. Mourning jewelry could be worn as well, especially mourning broaches such as those featured in the accompanying photo.

Widows often wore broaches that had a picture of their deceased husband. Many were made out of jet because of their dark color. Most of the broaches also contained a lock of hair from the departed. Some rings even contained a lock of hair inside a small compartment. Locks of hair were very common in mourning jewelry because it symbolized life and love for the deceased.

The last stage of mourning lasted for only six months and was called half mourning. In this stage, widows were no longer confined to black. She now had the choice of gray, lavender, purple and mauve. But despite all the restrictions, many widows chose to stay in mourning permanently.

The broaches and other mourning items may be viewed in the Victorian Parlor on the second floor.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.