Dust to Dust: Death & Mourning in the Victorian Era

press release: On Saturday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m., Mount Horeb’s Driftless Historium (100 S 2nd St) hosts Steve Person, retired funeral director and historian. Person will present “Dust to Dust: Death and Mourning in the Victorian Era.”

In this presentation, Person will delve into the increasingly sophisticated rituals and intricate customs that evolved during the late 1800s. It was during this time period, attendees will learn, that the modern cemetery, hearses and even floral arrangements emerged, and mortuary science became a distinct field of study. Many Victorian Era superstitions, Person will demonstrate, can still be found in today’s funeral service traditions. 

To further illuminate the topic at hand, Person will share select pieces from his private collection of mortuary and embalming equipment, amassed during his own 47 year career as an undertaker. 

Now retired, Steve Person held funeral director licenses in the states of Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Today, he lives in Walworth and keeps busy as a docent at nearby Geneva Lake’s Black Point Estate and Gardens, a Queen Anne style home built during the height of the Victorian Era.

“Dust to Dust” is a perfect program companion for the Driftless Historium’s current special exhibit, “The Living Room: An Expression of Home.” This exhibition explores this residential space through time, and includes a recreated, fully furnished Victorian Era parlor –so often utilized for funerals that the name stuck (“funeral parlors”), even when services later moved outside the home. 

This event is free and open to the public; reservations are not required. 

Arrive early to check out the Living Room exhibit, or visit the Driftless Historium during their regular open hours of Friday through Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A small admission fee applies. 

Call 608-437-6486 for more information.