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Clothing and Accessories
Headwear
Women's Clothing
Clothing Accessories ➔ Mourning Hat
Identifier:
145504Description:
This mourning hat is made of black tulle, black beads and sequins. It also features a rose bud trim and black velvet ties. In Victorian society, it was customary to follow a strict etiquette for mourning royalty, political leaders and of course for relatives. This hat is a characteristic example of a key accessory that was required as part of the ritual. The production of mourning clothing was a lucrative business and items like this hat were commonly purchased.The fashion industry had perfected the art of black synthetic dying and so almost any item of clothing or accessories from dresses to headwear or footwear could be purchased in black for mourning. For poorer families, this could be quite a financial burden as it could involve having to purchase a whole new wardrobe. The later stage of the custom, called "half-mourning", would require integrating the colors grey, white and purple into one's wardrobe, indicating the ending phase.
Date:
circa 1870Materials:
Tulle, Glass Beads, Velvet Ribbon, Sequins, Artificial Flowers, SilkDimensions:
7 in" h 8 in " w 3 in" dCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Mrs. Josephine SculleyExhibit/Program:
Artifact GR (2012 – 2013)Artifact GR was a project which invited members of the community into the archives of the Grand Rapids Public Museum, and asked them to write about their experiences. The resulting submissions were cataloged in an interactive website (www.artifactgr.org) and in a published book (http://www.blurb.com/b/4400444-the-artifact-projectsoftcover).
Related Entity:
Josephine Sculley (donor)Josephine Murphy was born February 26 1902 in Lowell Michigan. In April of 1927 she married Raymond Sculley. She passed away January 16 1985 in Grand Rapids and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery.
