Historic Rock Ford announces “A Time to Mourn: Death & Mourning in Pennsylvania 1750-1820,” our 2024 Focus Exhibit in the John J. Snyder, Jr. Gallery of Early Lancaster County Decorative Arts, Visitors to this exhibit will have the opportunity to explore a variety of intriguing topics surrounding death and mourning in Pennsylvania throughout the decades spanning 1750 – 1820. 

Such compelling topics will include mourning customs and attire, graphics of primary sources such as obituaries, tombstones, and mourning fashion plates, discussion surrounding the fear of being buried alive, and a look at how different people in Lancaster society were buried, including members of the Hand family as well as enslaved people. 

Some objects of note that will be on display include a young lady’s mourning needlework, a Liverpool pitcher commemorating Washington’s death, and an exact reproduction of George Washington’s coffin. This exhibit will feature a unique artistic design to enhance its somber theme and is sure to garner widespread interest and attention.

We encourage you to stop by and visit the Snyder Gallery in 2024 to learn more about this interesting and intriguing topic before the exhibit departs! 

Entry to the 2024 Focus Exhibit will be included with the purchase of an admission ticket.

This exhibit will run from April 2 through October 31, 2024.