coffin furniture (Other Keyword)

DOCUMENT Citation Only Hilda E. Maclean. Megan E. Springate.

The coffin was the centerpiece of the Victorian-era funeral and the most expensive material purchase made by the family or friends of the deceased. As with all events played out in public, the coffin was subject to the dictates of fashion. Beginning with the origins of mass-produced coffin furniture in eighteenth century England, this paper explores two divergent histories of coffin decoration through the Victorian era. An analysis of materials recovered from Brisbane, Australia looks at...