Black "Visiting Outfit" (2 Pieces)

Date1875 - 1880

Credit LineGift of Brescia University College, Western University, London, Ontario, 2002

Object number2002.009.248

Label TextHere you see a late 1870s mourning gown. Black was the colour of mourning for social elites from the 1500s. By the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution had created a new middle class. It also created the means to mass produce black fabrics. After Queen Victoria put on black clothing following the death of Prince Albert in 1861, many adopted the practice. Wearing mourning signaled respectability.

NameDress, Mourning