Black Mourning Dress
Datec. 1903
Credit LineGift of Mrs. W. Moss, 1977.
Object number1977.056.004
Label TextMourning dresses, veils, and bonnets were staples of women’s wardrobes in the mid-to-late 19th century. Queen Victoria had popularized the practice following the 1861 death of her husband, Prince Albert. Copying the queen, women of all classes “put on mourning,” after the death of a spouse or other family member. These garments often borrowed from popular fashions of their time.
Before and during the First World War (1914-1918), expectations around mourning began to loosen. For many women, mourning wear continued to be a comforting public expression of grief. Others found it impractical, expensive, or even unpatriotic. As one advice columnist wrote, mourning wear had become a “matter of individual opinion and feeling.”
NameDress, Mourning
c. 1910
1905 - 1946
1878 - 1880
c. 1910
1885 - 1895
1840s - 1880s
