A special exhibition entitled “Changing Victorian Deathways in the 19th Century” will be on display in the Red Parlor of the Morgan-Manning House, 151 Main Street, Brockport. The three-day exhibition is scheduled Monday through Wednesday, October 28, 29 and 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. There will also be a special lecture on Wednesday, October 30 at 7 p.m., “Dying on Script: Changing Victorian Deathways in the 19th Century,” by Derek Maxfield, Genesee Community College professor of history who is also a member of the Morgan-Manning House Board of Trustees.
Approximately 25 GCC students from a variety of academic programs are participating in this applied learning project by researching specific historic museum artifacts, developing detailed descriptions, and helping to curate the exhibition in preparation for the three-day event. The students are also learning the history of Morgan-Manning House, which was built in 1854, fully restored in 1965 and placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1991.
The exhibit is a collaborative effort involving GCC, and other museums and historical societies including the Emily L. Knapp Museum and Library of Local History in Brockport, and the Town of Bergen History Department, and Waterloo Library and Historical Society. Retired Orleans County Historian Bill Lattin will also lend items from his private collection. Among the related artifacts that will be on loan include mourning apparel, jewelry, hair wreaths and accessories and even an 1890s glass encased child’s casket from the Waterloo Library and Museum, which has an interesting history all its own.
“Victorian society had rules about everything, and one of the most fascinating aspects about their culture was the manner in which people were put to rest,” Professor Maxfield said. “The students are not only learning about this history, but they are experiencing how exhibits are coordinated, how nonprofit organizations support one another, how to use a popular holiday today to celebrate the past, and perhaps most importantly, how important volunteerism is to community groups.”
Admittance into the Morgan-Manning House is free, but donations are encouraged. No tickets are necessary.
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