Exhibit Explores Rituals, History of Mourning

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CARTERSVILLE, GA -- The Bartow History Museum invites the public to celebrate the opening of its newest feature exhibit, In Remembrance: Mourning Through the Ages.

Opening date is slated for Thursday, April 28. The exhibit looks back at some of the rituals and customs associated with mourning.

The exhibit starts with the area’s native population centuries ago, and spans the Victorian Era of the late 19th century to the customs of more recent times.

Have you ever wondered where the custom of wearing black after death originated or why flowers are displayed at funerals? Mourning, in the simplest sense, is grief over someone’s death, but the word also describes a set of cultural behaviors in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate.

These customs vary between cultures and evolve over time. The records and social rituals surrounding death are among history’s most important touchstones. In earlier times, a person’s only record of life may have been a death record, such as an obituary, a death certificate, or a tombstone.

“Through stories, photographs, and objects this exhibit will examine tombstone symbols, memorials, death notices and images, and more," said Bartow History Museum Director Trey Gaines.

The opening on April 28 will include a reception for museum members at 6:15 p.m. followed by a public lecture beginning at 7 p.m. by the directors of Parnick Jennings Funeral Home, a sponsor of the exhibit.

For more information, visit www.bartowhistorymuseum.org.

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Image via Patch