Monmouth County - Oakhurst - Fall Speaker Event - A Halloween Special Presentation, “Lifting the Dark Veil on Victorian Mourning”
Ocean Township Board of Education Headquarters Auditorium, 163 Monmouth Road
Oakhurst, NJ 07755
Wednesday, October 23, 2019, 7:15 pm
Halloween has co-opted the month of October as a time to celebrate scary stories, images of skeletons, black cats, and things that go bump in the night. Here at the Township of Ocean Historical Museum, we are staging our own special presentation to “lift the dark veil” on some historic and eerie bereavement practices that originated in Victorian England. On October 23rd at 7:15 p.m., Laurie Smith and Glenn Vogel of the Shore Antique Center in Allenhurst will share their research and artifacts on a period of time that set a somber tone for decades.
Queen Victoria of England mourned the death of her beloved husband Prince Albert for over thirty years. Many of the grieving customs that are still prevalent today reflect the Queen’s elaborate style of honoring the deceased Prince. Across the pond, Americans followed suit by channeling grief into artistic expressions, social obligations, fashion, and photography.
Laurie Smith will discuss 19th and early 20th Century rules of etiquette related to the mourning period, including jewelry, clothing, and customs of the time. Glenn Vogel will share his knowledge of Daguerreotype photography and its impact on mourning practices. This fascinating talk is just the thing to put you in the mood for the spookiest of all holidays – Halloween.
The public is invited to this free event at 7:15 on October 23rd at the Township of Ocean Board of Education Auditorium, 163 Monmouth Rd., Oakhurst, NJ 07755. Refreshments will be served. Fear not, there will be treats (but no tricks).
