Description: The Victorian era in both Europe and America saw mourning rituals elevated to an art form expressing not only grief, but also religious feeling, social obligation, and even mourning fashion. This concise, illustrated work explores how 19th-century Americans viewed death and dying as a result of the profound historical events of their time.
Brief description: Bernadette Loeffel-Atkins is a native New Yorker and has lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for over 20 years. She has worked as a freelance writer and photographer, and managed a military history bookstore in Gettysburg. Bernadette studies thanatology, genealogy, and historic cemeteries. She is considered to be an expert on 19th-century mourning rituals and the life and times of Queen Victoria. Active with animal rights organizations and historic preservation, Bernadette is currently on the Board of Trustees at Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg.