4. England, Letters. 1873 One Penny Red

1d. Queen Victoria. (Eastbourne.25.Dec.1873.)

Condolance Letters

The Victorians marked loss with postmortem photography (posing the dead to look alive to peaceful), keepsake mementos (e.g. a lock of hair turned into a piece of jewelry), extravagant funerals, and death notices. There were strict rules on mourning etiquette — what one wore, what one did or did not do, and how one communicated the news of death. Black-edged stationery informed friends and relatives of the loss of a loved one. Once a letter weighing up to 1/2 ounce could travel anywhere in the UK for only a penny, mourning letters typically came encased in black-edged envelopes to guarantee security and protection from the elements (rain and snow).

Victorians used black-edged stationery for up to a year following the death of a close relative. The fact that black-edged missives appear not only among extant correspondence but as a central trope in the art and literature of the period indicates that the letter is a key part of the Victorian mourning ritual. That the mourning letter becomes central, even iconographic, may be attributable to postal reform.

Fuente : https://victorianweb.org/technology/lett...

Colección : XXVI Letters and Postcards