Perth Museum immerses guests in Victorian mourning customs through costumes, crafts, and interactive history
PERTH — The year is 1873. Senator Roderick Matheson has passed away, and his stately home on Gore Street is draped in mourning. This is the setting for Death in the Family: A Victorian Mourning Experience, the Perth Museum’s latest immersive exhibit exploring the customs and curiosities of 19th-century bereavement.
“We launched our first experiential tourism program last year, and it was a lot of fun,” says Katherine Jamieson, Manager of Tourism and Culture for the Town of Perth. “This year, we wanted to bring it back—with a twist.”
Running on select Saturdays, Oct. 4, Oct. 18, and Nov. 1, the event invites guests to step back in time for an afternoon of costumes, customs, and curious traditions. Each session is limited to just 10 participants, aged 19 and up, making for an intimate and unforgettable journey through Victorian mourning practices.
“Victorians were much closer to processes of getting a body ready for interment,” explains Devon De Rose, experience specialist at the Perth Museum. “I wouldn’t say it’s scary. We’re going for more, you know, shivery, wind down your back kind of a feeling.”
The afternoon unfolds from 1 to 4 p.m., and guests are kept fully engaged from the moment they arrive. Attendees begin by changing into authentic Victorian mourning attire before rolling up their sleeves to bake mourning biscuits—a traditional funeral cookie shared with those paying their respects.
Participants will also craft hand-dipped candles and work together to solve the mystery of the missing will—an interactive storyline enhanced by eerie background sounds and spiritual intrigue.
“Guests will have their photo taken with a ghost, while learning about the fascinating history of spirit photography,” De Rose adds with a wink.
The event is topped off with themed refreshments, courtesy of a collaboration with Top Shelf Distillery.
“We’ll be partaking of libations at the end,” says De Rose. “Spirits and spirits, you could say.”
The exhibit also features a compelling collection of Victorian mourning artefacts, including hair wreaths and mourning plates, captivating relics of a time when grief was both a personal and public ritual.
It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Jamieson assures “Three hours in the afternoon, you’ll get some food to eat as part of the program and some local beverages. We’ll make sure everyone stays busy and happy and full.”
For updates on the event tune in to the Perth Museum’s Facebook page.
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