My angel mother

[L Verge]

Excellent point, Donna, about Victorian symbolism and language related to mourning. It is a study of culture in its own right. I was raised with that same respect for the dead, and I guess that's why I have a hard time accepting the current trend to want to dig up historical figures centuries after their death to satisfy historical curiosity.

For years, Surratt House Museum held a Victorian mourning exhibit; and the photos, memorabilia, jewelry, hair wreaths, art, etc. associated with the death of loved ones were touching and reverent.