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In their vulnerable state, modest mourners to provide pricing on a range of ready-made
in particular were easily overwhelmed by the mourning garments and accessories and
requirements, items, and accessories associated fabric by the yard. The advertisement
with Victorian mourning, and could be concluded that “there is nothing that a lady
talked into buying multiple or unnecessary in mourning can desire that is not to be
items to prevent the mistake of acquiring found in this old and well-known store.”
the wrong items or selecting the wrong In their 1856 catalog, Besson and Son’s
colors. It was not uncommon for women and Mourning Store of Philadelphia assured
many families to go into debt or become prospective buyers of the quality of their
homeless during the Victorian Era by observ- black goods, promising only “what is of the
ing the fashion of mourning. proper shade of black” in their “Crape
Mourning warehouse advertising spoke Grenadines, Balzerines, Baryadere Bareges,
directly to that consumer vulnerability, and Black Bareges.” An October 21, 1862,
assuring readers that everything they needed ad from Besson & Son, Philadelphia, in
and needed to know when the time came The North American, provides an extensive
could be found in their establishment and list of the assortment of mourning goods it
with their help. This was a comforting sells, from Black Dress Goods to Shawls,
message, especially given the premium placed Silks, and accessories, and emphasizes that it
on socially appropriate mourning during the also offers “a large stock of second mourning
Victorian Era on those with limited financial dress goods … of the latest styles and at
resources but aspiring to put on a public reasonable prices.”
show. That guidance was also particularly
helpful to Americans still holding on to “all Mourning in the
things English aristocracy” in an attempt to
maintain a similar social order in this country. Post-Victorian Era
The fashion of and passion for mourning
Mourning in America changed in the decades following Queen
Mourning warehouses also became Victoria’s death in 1901 as public interest in
popular businesses in America in the second Besson & Son Mourning Catalogue holding and funding elaborate funerals and
adhering to a strict and complex set of
half of the 19th century. Civil War widows from September 1, 1856 Victorian Era mourning rituals, waned. A
needed a place they could go to dress their new era of mourners could now look to
grief suitably. Ordering from London-based mourning warehouses and new sources and resources and mourn
waiting for the return of goods was not practical or sustainable in a on their own terms, in their own fashion.
country that was becoming increasingly self-reliant. Businesses such as This shift in the 20th-century culture of
Besson & Son in Philadelphia and Jackson’s Mourning Warehouse in mourning ultimately led to the demise of
New York City sprung up to meet this urgent domestic demand, mourning warehouses; its value proposi-
modeling their establishments after Jay’s and other prosperous London tion absorbed and replaced by other types
mourning houses, as their advertising shows. of businesses and retailers.
Jackson’s Mourning Warehouse, located at No. 777 Broadway,
The fast-rising industry of funeral
between Ninth and Tenth streets, offered “the most complete stock homes (by 1920, there were around
of mourning goods … of the latest style.” Jackson’s advertorials 24,469 funeral homes in the United
promoted the Establishment’s latest seasonal fashions, affordability, States, showing a 100% growth in less
and convenience, all compelling than 80 years) and the profession of
reasons for American consumers to “Undertaker” could now coordinate and
shop domestically rather than handle all aspects of a burial, services
ordering and importing mourning once provided by a mourning warehouse.
fabric and mourning ware from Mourning appropriate ready-to-wear
overseas. They regularly advertised black dresses and accessories could
their wares in The New York Times. now be purchased in the mourning
In an April 28, 1886, advertorial
in The New York Times, Jackson’s departments of better department stores
everywhere or ordered through a catalog.
announced that many specialties in Where once only royalty set mourning
dress goods for summer wear were style, trends, and requirements, the
now on hand. “Among the silk stock of which drove the inventory of a
fabrics, India pongees are especially mourning warehouse, now ladies’
noticeable.” A pongee is a soft and Post-Victorian Era magazines were the arbiters of fashion-
typically unbleached type of Chinese Undertaker attire able mourning.
plain-woven fabric, originally made In 1932, Vogue
from threads of raw silk, today made provided a multi-
with cotton. page illustrated
An April 18, 1888, advertisement
in The New York Times invited article to share
and show what
patrons to pay “special attention to fashionable
the big display in the cloak and suit mourning—to
departments, the gems in millinery, be found in better
to the grey and second mourning ladies’ shops—
goods, pongees and plain stripes, and looked like.
incidentally, it may be mentioned Simple afternoon dress appropriate for These were
that there is a large assortment of “third” or “ordinary” period of mourning not your grand-
sateens and zephyr ginghams in the from Besson and Son’s Mourning Store of “Contemporary Mourning” article mother’s widow’s
cotton department.” It then went on Philadelphia, The Met from Vogue, January 15, 1932 weeds.

28 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles