Discover how grief, love, and art intertwined during the 19th century — from jet jewellery and veils to specific mourning cards and their meanings. We also explore the touching (and sometimes unsettling) practice of Victorian postmortem photography, where families captured their final memories with the departed.
Step into the fascinating and eerie world of Victorian mourning traditions. In this unboxing video, Curators Ruth and Lydia reveal a real Victorian mourning outfit, intricate jewellery made from human hair, and haunting postmortem photographs once used to memorialise the dead.
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The necklace that ruined Marie Antoinette? Unboxing the Sutherland Diamonds -
Exploring a glittering diamond Cartier broochJoin V&A Jewellery curator Helen Molesworth as she examines a small but intensely sparkly Cartier diamond and platinum brooch
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About the Cartier exhibitionFind out more about the blockbuster Cartier exhibition, featuring over 350 objects
