Why Victorians Were Obsessed with Death

In the Victorian era, mourning wasn’t just an emotion — it was a way of life. From black veils and funeral etiquetteto hair jewellery and post-mortem photography, grief became an art form — and death, a thriving industry.

In this episode of The StickyBeak, Monika O’Hanlon dives into the darkly fascinating world of Victorian mourning culture — a time when death was public, ritualistic, and deeply personal.

Monika is joined by Al, a U.S.-based collector of Victorian mourning artifacts, who shares eerie insights into the era’s most curious traditions. Together, they uncover:

• Why Victorians were so obsessed with death and the afterlife
• The fear of being buried alive — and the strange inventions to prevent it
• The meaning behind mourning jewellery made from human hair
• How grief became both a fashion statement and a social expectation

From superstition to sentimentality, this episode explores how Victorian mourning rituals reveal more about life than death itself.

A HUGE thanks to Al for taking the time to have a chat. Follow her here:

INSTAGRAM: @al_curio

TIKTOK: @al_curio

This episode was brought to you by Tüt, toilet lid stickers to zhuzh up your toot. Because every throne needs a crown.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/tutdeco/

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