Circa 1810 Lancaster County silk needlwork mourning scene descended through the Slaymaker family
Photography by Erin Chance.
FOCUS EXHIBITS
2024 Exhibit
April 2, 2024 - October 31, 2024
A Time to Mourn:
Death & Mourning in Pennsylvania 1750-1820
This unique exhibit will explore the extensive customs, attire, and decorative arts surrounding mourning from the 18th through the early 19th centuries in Pennsylvania which were grounded both in a firm faith in the afterlife and a reverent desire to commemorate the life of the departed. Such compelling topics will include mourning customs and attire, graphics of primary sources such as obituaries, tombstones, and mourning fashion plates as well as a look at how different people in Lancaster society were laid to rest, including members of the Hand family and enslaved people.
Some objects of note to be exhibited include a circa 1810 young Lancaster County lady’s silk needlework mourning scene descended through the Slaymaker family, a Liverpool pitcher commemorating Washington’s death, a neoclassical pearlware figurine of Andromache mourning Hector, mourning jewelry and an exact reproduction of George Washington’s coffin. This exhibit will feature unique artistic design to enhance its somber theme.
Historic Rock Ford is grateful to our 2024 focus exhibit sponsors:
To learn more about upcoming events, please visit our Special Events page.
Past Focus Exhibits
April - November, 2023
The Market Town & The Metropolis: 18th Century Lancaster and Its Artistic Connections to Philadelphia
June 1, 2022—October 30, 2022
Long Rifles of the American Revolution:
How Lancaster County Craftsmen Helped Win the War
Miss the focus exhibit?
Click here to read the April 2022 article in Early American Life,
written by Jeanmarie Andrews.
