Musings of a Jewish Genealogist
Victorian Traditions of Mourning
Mourning Brooches
by
Ann Rabinowitz
Upon reading a posting some years ago on the JewishGen Discussion Group by Michael Weigel regarding his great-grandmother’s brooch, which originated around 1870-1928 in the Roos Bakker family from Terschilling in the Netherlands, I decided to investigate its origins. The brooch was further posted on the JewishGen ViewMate site and is seen below.
Apparently, this brooch is a rare example of a mourning brooch which was found throughout Europe as early as the 16th Century, but which reached its height of popularity or fashion after the death of Britain’s Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert in 1861, and lasted until she passed away in 1901 and into the Edwardian era. It was during this time that formal visual expressions of one’s remembrance of a loved one were found in jewelry and other wearable items for both men and women. 
The brooches were made from various materials, which were dependent on either the wealth or creativity of the purchaser as well as the materials at hand locally or that could be imported. Very often jet was the material of choice or some form of black glass or enamel. The variety of materials they were made from was astounding and can be found discussed on the following site: http://cemeteryexplorers.blogspot.com/2010/01/victorian-mourning-traditions-fashions.html
Very often, the brooches included a lock or braided piece of hair and, in many cases, a painting or tintype photo of the deceased was included in the brooch. The Star of David was not unusual as a decorative design on the brooches and could have been utilized by a Jewish mourner as well as a non-Jewish one. In addition to the brooches, mourning lockets were also popular. 
The following site gives an indication of the enormous selection of designs available to Victorians for mourning brooches:
http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/JewelChatVictJwl.html
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Born in Manchester, England, genealogist Ann Rabinowitz is a resident of South Florida and has been involved in genealogical pursuits since the age of ten. A prolific writer, her articles have been published on the JewishGen Blog, in numerous Jewish genealogy journals, on Facebook, and in various newspapers.
