Skull of Civil War Soldier to be Auctioned

[L Verge]

We need to show respect for the dead, no matter how many years have passed.

This seems an appropriate place to also mention the opening of a month-long exhibit at Surratt House. For two years, we have been featuring the effects of the Civil War on the people back home as we did extra programming. Tomorrow, we will open this new exhibit, which is entitled "Death Comes a Knockin." Our mirrors and portraits will be draped in black; the mourning wreath will be on the door; the parlor will hold the coffin and mourners; and there will be a special display of mourning jewelry, hair wreaths and brooches, and other unique items. Even the kitchen will have a special mourning cup and saucer, and visitors will be given a recipe for mourning biscuits (raisin pie was also another appropriate food). There is a small booklet on the customs which features research done by our own Betty O. Just let me know at laurie.verge@pgparks.com if you would like a copy sent to you.

One of my favorite items in the display is a Victorian tear catcher (or bottle). I had heard of these, but never seen one. Tear bottles date back to ancient Persia and Rome and reappeared during the Victorian period of the 19th century, when those mourning the loss of loved ones would collect their tears in bottles ornately decorated with silver and pewter. Special stoppers allowed the tears to evaporate. When the tears were gone, the mourning period would end.

In some American Civil War stories, women were said to have cried into tear bottles and saved them until their husbands returned. Their collected tears would show the men how much they were loved and missed.

This weekend, we will have ladies sharing mourning traditions with our visitors, and another will be demonstrating the art of making hair jewelry. We did this exhibit years ago for about a decade. It was so popular that the Smithsonian would book in bus tours during the month so that they could learn from it as well as our regular history.