Tuesday 31 March 2015

Estella Practice


Here is my practice run on my Estella look. I used quite a matte base for this look, but I think for my final assessment I will use a slightly dewier base to make the skin look more like skin (as victorians wore barely any make up). I will also add more of the bruise colours to the eye, making sure to go a bit deeper into the socket to add more depth to the bruise. For the hair, I need to make sure that my parting is perfectly central and that I leave equal amounts of hair on each side. 

Sunday 29 March 2015

Estella Hair Charts

This first hair chart would work for when Estella is a young girl. The early Victorian style is very simple but a reflection of the time. I like this style but it is innapropriate as i would like to portray estella later in the book. 

This look would be appropriate for Estella later in the book. The hair is middle parted and curled. A bun is then made out of the curls. This was the look I wanted to use for Estella, but I ended up preffering the version below. 



Similar to the previous look and also lateVictorian, this last look has tendrils escaping out of the bun cascading down the back. I love how soft and pretty this look is, helping estella to look delicate and beautiful in constrast to her cold personality. 


Friday 27 March 2015

Further Bruise Practice


These are some further practices of bruising that I did in preparation for my Estella look. You can see that here I tried out adding some more yellowish tones to the bruise to give the impression of a healing bruise. 



Here I have added more purple tones to the eye which I prefer for Estella. I also added glycerine to give a shiny look to the bruise. 










Wednesday 25 March 2015

Bruise inspiration for Estella *





We were told in class that when creating a black eye it is helpful to have some inspiration pictures, or to copy a real black eye to help create the most realistic effect you can. I want Estella's bruise to be quite fresh, so I will be using red and purple colours to create a look similar to those seem above. I can see from these pictures that the darkest point of the bruise is often near to the tear duct, so will keep this bruise pattern in mind when creating Estella's black eye.

Pictures available at:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142285669447718032/
https://visualizationcritique.wordpress.com/laura-sinclair/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/288300813620929294/

Sunday 22 March 2015

Wife Beating in the Victorian Era *

http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk
During the Victorian times it was not unusual for men to beat their wives. This only usually caused a stir if they were beaten to the point of near death. It was considered a mans 'right' to beat his wife for her wrong doings, as it was to 'correct' these and prevent her from doing wrong again or disobeying her. Although these beatings were extremely frequent, only the most brutal came to court. Victorian women were raised to believe in the inequality of the sexes, and it was a general belief that wife beating was normal and that women had no right to complain about this treatment. They were raised to believe that occasional beating is what they deserved, as they probably grew up watching their father to the very same to their mother. Men frequently threatened their wives, claiming that if they were to take them to court, the abuse would get worse as part of a lesson not to disobey him. Sending their husband to court would also result in a worse financial situation for the women and her and her children could be put to work in a work house. It was these claims and fears that kept thousands of women from speaking out against domestic abuse in the victorian era.

British Women’s Emancipation since the Renaissance (no date) Available at: http://www.historyofwomen.org/wifebeating.html (Accessed: 4 May 2015)

Friday 20 March 2015

Estella Face Charts



For my Estella look I wanted to keep everything very simple and realistic looking. I went for a very natural make up that fits in with the time, as Victorian women did not wear bright or garish colours. I have gone for a perfect base, adding a rosy shade to the lips and cheeks. My Estella is set towards the end of the book when she is being abused by her husband, so I want the black eye to be the standout feature in this look. I have added a touch of blue under the eyes as this will make my model look more tired, as if she is worn down and stressed. I have chosen to recreate a fresh black eye, so will use mostly red and purple supra colour to create that finish. I have also taken into consideration where the fist would hit the face, so will add a small red mark on the top of the cheekbone where there would be some bruising. 

 This next look option shows Estella in the middle of the book. She is wearing slightly more make up here as she is a young woman, but the look is still verynatrual  with flushed lips and cheeks. 


This is Estella at the earliest point of the book. Wearing very very minimal make up so it appears she is wearing none at all, I will use a dewy foundation for this look to Make Estellas base look fresh and youthful. I have added some freckles to the skin as they also are assosiated with natrual beauty and will accentuate the look of minimal make up.

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Estella Analysis and Portrayals



In the book the character of Estella is described to be very coldhearted and mean, yet very beautiful. Used as a tool by Miss Havisham to get her own personal revenge on men, Miss Havisham raises her to be a heartbreaker that shows no emotion. Pip sees her as extremely beautiful but is weary at first due to her cold, manipulative nature. Creating the character of Estella would be very different depending on at which point in the book I decide to recreate my character from. For a young Estella, I would use minimal make up as this is fitting with the time, but I also feel that Estella's natural 'beauty' should shine through. Towards the end of the book when she is being mistreated by Drummle, I will look at bruising and creating realistic wounds. Hairstyles changed a lot through the era so I must be sure that when creating my character that the style is in keeping with the time.

Estella Quotes

“She stood looking at me, and, of course, I stood looking at her.
"Am I pretty?"
"Yes; I think you are very pretty."
"Am I insulting?"
"Not so much so as you were last time," said I.
"Not so much so?"
"No."
She fired when she asked the last question, and she slapped my face with such force as she had, when I answered it.
"Now," said she. "You little course monster, what do you think of me now?"
"I shall not tell you."
"Because you are going to tell upstairs. Is that it?"
"No," said I. "That is not it."
"Why don't you cry again, you little wretch?"
"Because I'll never cry for you again," said I.”

This Quote is showing how Estella is trying to prove she is heartless and cold. She knows that Pip has feelings for her but still decides to toy with his emotions. 

"I have not bestowed my tenderness anywhere. For I have never had such a thing"

Again, this quote is Estella proving she is cold hearted and is incapable of love or tenderness. 

A quote describing how Pip sees Estella is "I loved Estella with the love of a Man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible".

This quote describes the power that Estella has over Pip, but he finds her irresistible so loves her despite her cold hearted disposition. 

Dickens, C. (no date) Great expectations. Champaign, IL: Project Gutenberg, [199-?]


Estella Portrayals 

Great Expectations has been portrayed through film multiple times, therefore there are multiple portrayals of Estella through the years. 



1934 - Jean Wyatt: This Hollywood adaption of Great Expectation bent the storyline, so Miss Havisham is not responsible for the downfall of Pip and Estella. Margaret Donavon was responsible for the Hair on the Film and personally I feel that it is no in keeping with the early Victorian setting on the film. I think that more strands should be loose around the face as they were at the time. 



1946 - Jean Simmonds and Valerie Hobson: Young Estella in the film is portrayed by Jean Simmonds, with Valerie Hobson taking over. The make up artists on the film George Blackler and Earnest Gasser keep in with the times quite well I feel. Estella's hair is centre parted, although again I would expect to see more curls hanging down at the front. 



1974 - Sarah Miles: Directed by Joseph Hardy, Although I think this film was historically accurate as the hair is centre parted and framed with curls, it received a mostly negative response. 





1989 - Kim Thomson: Playing Estella both when she is young and old, this mini series has more character development that other adaptations due the the fact more screen time means more of the original storyline could be covered. Wealthy Victorian women often liked to decorate their hair with jewellery which is demonstrated in this series. 


1999 - Justine Waddel: The costume in this adaptation was particularly impressive. Very in keeping with the times, Estella wears extravagant gowns and dresses. The two make up artists on the show Fran Needham and Jennifer Matthews have kept the make up really simple, letting the costumes do the talking. I think the hair and make up in this production are very historically accurate compared to some of the older productions. 


2011 - Vanessa Kirby: Vanessa Kirby portrays Estella in this Tv Mini series. This is my favourite adaptation of great expectations, Make up artists Adele Firth, Kirstin Chalmers and Darleen Forrester created very period relevant make up and hair while prosthetic effects were covered by Michael Byrne and Kristyan Mallet. The thing I like about this production is the clear attention that has been taken by the hair, make up and costume department to ensure that the hair and make up evolves through the series relative to what time period it would be set in. Towards the end of the series Vanessa Kirby's hair looks very late victorian with the curls far looser and with decorations added. 



2012 Holliday Granger:  This recent film, directed by Mike Newell had many make up artists on set including Zoe Brown, Hannah Edwards, Jenny Shircore and Marc Pilcher. Her hair and Make up has an Elizabethan look to her with her pale skin, red hair and flushed cheeks. This natural look is still appropriate and in keeping with the victorian era though. The hair on the film is more late than early Victorian, but I would still say it is in keeping with the time due to the centre parting, high bun and waves pinned to the sides. 

Dimsy (no date) Dimsy’s Top Period Dramas: Charles Dickens: Great Expectations. Available at: http://dimsysperioddramas.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/charles-dickens-great-expectations.html (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Film, E. B. (2014) Movie Quote of the Week – Great Expectations (Mike Newell, 2012) | ‘Everything I learned, I learned from the movies’ - Audrey Hepburn on WordPress.com. Available at: https://enchantedbyfilm.wordpress.com/2014/02/07/movie-quote-of-the-week-great-expectations-mike-newell-2012/ (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Great Expectations (1934) (no date) Available at: http://moviespictures.org/movie/Great_Expectations_1934 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Great Expectations (1934) (no date) Directed by IMDb
Great Expectations 1974 Original TV Promo Photo Dickens Sarah Miles Michael York (no date) Available at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-Expectations-1974-Original-TV-Promo-Photo-Dickens-Sarah-Miles-Michael-York-/350552999576 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Great Expectations (2003) Directed by IMDb
Great Expectations (2012) Directed by IMDb
Great Expectations (1974) Directed by Joseph Hardy IMDb
Great Expectations (1999) Directed by Julian Jarrold IMDb
Great Expectations (1946) Directed by David Lean IMDb
Great Expectations (2012) Directed by Mike Newell IMDb
Pics For > Great Expectations 2011 (no date) Available at: http://pixshark.com/great-expectations-2011.htm (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Pictures & Photos from Great Expectations (1946) (no date) Directed by IMDb
Галерея - Period films | Костюмные фильмы (no date) Available at: http://periodfilms.ru/photo/132 (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Image: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2q0DK07RjWV0WWPw1QQPCmM/estella


Monday 16 March 2015

The Gothic in Great Expectations *

Great Expectations has many links to the Gothic, from the setting and storyline to the characters. 

Setting: 


https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/great-expectations-2011-gillian-andersons-eerie-interpretation-of-miss-havisham/

Satis House is the main Gothic setting of the book. Described in the book as 'old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred. There was a courtyard in front, and that was barred... I peeped in... and saw that at the side of the house there was a large brewery. No brewing was going on in it, and none seemed to have gone on for a long time'. The house is described to be dirty, damp and in a terrible condition.  This creates a creepy, eerie setting for the book. The building itself that has been used in the most recent film has elements of Gothic Architecture to it,  such as arches and gargoyles. 

Clashing time periods:

Another element of the Gothic that Great Expectations includes is clashing time periods. This is included in Great Expectations in the way that other time periods are being continuously referenced, such as the late Georgian period where Miss Havisham was jilted at the alter. 

Power and Constraint: 
Another Gothic Theme within Great Expectations is power and constraint. This is shown in the book between the relationships between Miss Havisham, Estella and Pip. Miss Havisham has raised Estella to be cold and to break the hearts of men, which leads to Estella resenting Miss Havisham. Another example of this is the power that Estella holds over Pip for the majority of the book but then at the end it is revealed that she was intact born to a lower class than even Pip.

Miss Havisham: 
Due to her Witch like description and ghostly appearance, Miss Havisham definitely brings elements of the Gothic to Great Expectations. It is also her borderline insane, cruel personality that almost takes the place of a Gothic Villain within the book. The juxtaposing features in her appearance also contribute, such as the fact the wears such expensive and extravagant jewels but her form is decaying, unwashed and probably ridden with disease.



Sunday 15 March 2015

Miss Havisham Second Assessment + Continuity Evaluation*


These are my first and Miss Havisham looks side by side. Although the lighting in the pictures is different, I am pleased with how similar the two make ups are. I practiced several times to ensure I used the same amount of colour around the eyes and that the sores on the lips were in the same place. I wish I could see the the looks in similar lighting as I feel I would be able to better assess the strength of the colours. 

Saturday 14 March 2015

First Miss Havisham Assessment *


These are the images from my first Miss Havisham assessment. On the whole I was really pleased with how the assessment went, I felt as though I was able to complete the look easily within the time provided, and that it wasn't too hard to re create what I had practiced. I think the hardest part of my design to re create will be the lips as it is difficult to be precise in creating the tears. For this reason, I created a dry look all over the mouth but one larger, more prominent tear that should be easier to recreate in my second assessment. 
To make it easier to recreate next time, I began the hair by creating a neat, late victorian hairstyle. Instead of pulling out lots of strands from the bun (as I knew this would be difficult to re create exactly) I created my messy effect by backcombing the front pieces of hair. I then used dry shampoo, focusing on the roots of the hair as that is where Miss Havisham would be naturally greying. 
I will continue to practice this look, to ensure I can recreate it for my second assessment.


Friday 13 March 2015

Miss Havisham Step by step *



MAKE UP

NEEDED:
Foundation
Loose Powder
Supra Colour Palette
Small angled brush
Fine Point Brush
Eyelash Glue
Tweezers
Foundation Brush 

1. Apply a base that is paler and greyer than the models skin tone. I mixed some grey supra colour in with a pale foundation.
2. Mix a grey toned shade darker than the models skin tone
3. Get the model to scrunch her face into different positions. 
4. Using a fine tipped brush and the darker shade, finely draw wrinkles into the natural creases of the face. 
5. Blend out to achieve a more natural look
6. Take the red from the supra colour palette, and using a fingertip blend onto the lid and socket, and under the eye. 
7. add a purple shade into the inner corner and under the eye to create a tired effect
8. Take the fine brush to add wrinkles around the eye area.
9. Use your liner brush, to take red supra colour against the lash line on the top and bottom
9. Add redness around the nose and chin, making sure to add extra red to the sides of the nose. 
10. using your finger tip brush the red supra colour over the lips, blurring out the edges to create a sore look. 
11. Apply lash glue over the lips and wait to dry.
12. Use tweezers to pull bits of the glue out to create the look of dry skin.
13. Add red into the pulled out bits of glue to make the area look really sore
14. powder the face.
15. mix a white supra colour with a tiny bit of yellow, and using a spoolie, apply to the lashes and brows.

HAIR

Needed: 
Tail Comb
Paddle Brush
Dry Shampoo
Sectioning Clips
Hair Grips


                                                 1. Brush through the hair until it is tangle free

2. Centre Part the hair using a tail comb

3. Part the hair just in front of the ears, and pin back out of the way

4. Brush the rest of the hair into a high or mid ponytail
5. Attach a lace ribbon into the hair band leaving equal leanghs on each side
6..  plait the hair including the ribbon before twisting and pinning in place. 

7. Using a small curling iron, curl the remaining front section.
8. Backcomb the front section and pull pieces loose
9. Spray dry shampoo, directing it at the root

Thursday 12 March 2015

Miss Havisham Practice *


This is my final Miss Havisham look that I practiced at home. Overall I was pleased with how this turned out, though I decided to add a few more wrinkles for my actual assessment. I also decided that as I would be using dry shampoo to create a greyed root look in the hair, I should add some white colour to the brows too when I recreate this in my assessment. I was particularly happy with how the lips turned out, I used duo lash glue to give the effect of sore, flaking skin. Unfortunately I forgot to take photographs of the hair once I had used backcombing to create a very lived in look and pulled out stray hairs, but the basic style went to plan so I don't plan on making any changes to the style before my assessment. 



Wednesday 11 March 2015

How Gothic Horror has adapted through the years *

The genre of Gothic Horror began in 1764 with Horace Warpol and his novel The Castle of Otranto. These earliest Gothic novels featured characters that would have been scary for the time such evil religious figures and sex crazed monks. This was because in this time, religion was central to everything so the fear factor was derived from the idea of the church being corrupt or figures that would normally be looked at for guidance turning evil. Creepy locations such as graveyards and haunted houses were also heavily relied upon to create a scary feel. The turning point for the Gothic genre was Dickens, who adapted the genre to fit in with fears more relevant to the time. He used motifs found in the original gothic novels and adapted them to keep them relevant.The Victorian era was incredibly revolutionary and successful industrially, but the lower classes were hard worked, the streets were filthy and as a result of this the death rate was at an all time high. Scientifically, the Victorian era was a time of great discovery, so these two things combined led to a lot of curiosity and fear regarding the human body. Authors such as Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) realised this and used the Gothic genre to play on these fears by basing their novels around the adaptation or disfunction of the human body, people with a sub human consciousness or a hidden phycological disorder. Another key theme in Victorian Gothic literature was desire, particularly the desire of women. This was a time where women were not supposed to be sexual beings, and Authors used this to create a alternate world where women were allowed to feel desire (often desire towards the villain) in the book. People love to read about the unknown, so this made the Gothic genre very popular among women. In modern times, the genre is still very popular with women, often partially due to the inclusion of a very attractive villain in the show. Nowadays, the minds of readers/viewers have been broadened so much that some shows such as The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and particularly True Blood have started introducing viewers to a world where the Gothic and uncanny's world runs in parallel to their own, and to the idea that the dark and gothic could be living closer than they could ever have imagined. True Blood in particular introduced us to a world where Vampires had fully 'come out of the coffin' all over the world, and gives viewers an insight to how it could be living with danger permanently on your doorstep and out in the open.
Show s like these are putting new ideas into viewers heads just in the same way that Mary Shelley in Frankenstein which hinted at a future full of medical discovery and body modification. With the reaches of science and discovery broadening, in modern times people are wondering what else could be out there, with modern day Gothic Horror Television shows helping to put these questions into viewers minds by showing them a world where the normal and the Gothic live hand in hand.

Tuesday 10 March 2015

The importance of Continuity in TV and Film

As a Make up Artist, continuity is extremely important. You will be required to work to a project brief to create a look that has been approved and expected to be able to re create this look identically every time. Wether this is on a film set, TV set or doing a catwalk show it is crucial that a make up artist has the ability to create an identical look regardless of weather conditions, different locations or different times. This is particularly important when working in TV and Film as a Characters make up must remain uniform throughout the film, even if the scenes are shot weeks apart in real life. A script supervisor keeps track of the exact look for each character that has been created and any alterations are taken down. They are in charge of keeping track of the props and details that ensure continuity between scenes. There is usually a Make up Supervisor on set, who usually won't do any make up themselves. Instead they are in charge of overseeing the Make up supervisor responding to the needs of the make up artists, logging details of the make up for continuity purposes and organising and scheduling the Make up Artists that are on set. The Make up supervisor is the connection between the Hair and Make up departments and the rest of the cast and crew, that make sure they are communicating efficiently and everything is running smoothly.





Film Making: The Filmmakers Guide to Continuity (no date) Available at: http://nicklongfilmmaking.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/the-filmmakers-guide-to-continuity.html (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Film crew (2015) in Wikipedia. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_crew#Continuity (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Best movie mistake pictures of all time (no date) Available at: http://www.moviemistakes.com/best/pictures (Accessed: 5 May 2015)
Mahadani, B. (2014) ‘What Is Film Continuity? Top 5 Mistakes Of Film Continuity’,

Monday 9 March 2015

Gothic Photography

Here is the Gothic Themed photographs I took at a local church. The slanted angle and black and white effect help to create an eerie feel, with the leafless trees blowing in the foreground. I like the fact the picture is taken over the wall as it gives an onlookers approach, as if they are afraid to go in so are viewing the church from a far.


Research on the Gothic Horror Genre *

When we were first introduced to the topic of Gothic Horror and the Victorian Era, it seemed a strange time for such dark literature to be so popular. The Victorians took huge steps industrially, but in many ways this era was much more reserved than in previous years. Britian was very much governed by a strict class system, with only a small number being considered 'upper class'. It was a time of great gender inequality, while in the lives of Men a lot was changing due to economic changes, Women were still very much housewives serving the same role they had for years. The rules on fashion were possibly stricter than in previous era's as more of the body was covered by layers of heavy clothing and Women were supposed to refrain from wearing make up and being sexual as it was frowned upon in the eyes of God.

The word Gothic originated from the slightly eerie look of Gothic Architecture such as Westminster Abbey, as most Gothic Horror novels dealt with dark themes and so their natural settings were in buildings such as Churches, Monasteries, Abbeys and Castles

The Gothic genre started in the 18th century and followed through into the 19th, with novels such as Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and in the late Victorian period - Dracula. I did some further research into the time and found that it was in this time that being a Scientist became a respected profession, and drastic Scientific progress was made. In 1859 Charles Darwin released his novel 'Origins of a Species' telling his theories of evolution, which caused huge controversy and led to much discussion of the battle of science vs religion.

Most people use literature as a way of escaping, and reading transports them into a world more interesting than their own. I feel for the Victorians, this is exactly why they enjoyed the Gothic Genre so much. Novels such as Frankenstein link in with the Scientific discoveries that were being made, but really pushed the boundaries on what people had previously believed to be possible. Although this era was very forward thinking in the development of machinery and science, socially people were still very stuck in their ways which could of lead to a feeling of boredom.

Sunday 8 March 2015

Old Hag Make up



This is an ageing tutorial I found on line that I thought could be helpful for me creating Miss Havisham. Obviously this is a more Theatre appropriate look at the make up is unrealistic and is very heavy, but it contains some useful tips and tricks for example how to create warts and texture on the skin, and the placement of wrinkles. I like the use of the prosthetic chin, it really compliments the make up by drastically changing the face shape and it is something I will consider if I go for a look suitable for theatre.

Saturday 7 March 2015

Miss Havisham Hair Charts

This first look is very Georgian inspired, the period in which Miss Havisham would have been jilted. i have taken a classic style, but obviously, where the she would have been inside for years it would be very messy so i have included long tendrils falling out of place. 

For this next look I wanted Miss Havisham to seem very old and frail, with white balding hair. The hair would still have flowers left over from her wedding, whoch have died. To create this i would use a bald cap and pull out tufts of hair

This is my final miss havisham look. I hae created a early victorian style, but this is miss havisham towards the end of the book. For this reason her hair is very very messy with lots of backcombing and peices faling down from the plaited bun. 

Friday 6 March 2015

Miss Havisham Face Charts *



 For my first Miss Havisham design I wanted to create a theatrical look. This look would be suitable for the theatre or where the make up will be viewed from far away. The look features deep false wrinkles, age spots and dark heavy brows that would be easy to see from far away.

This next look is the most subtle of the three which focuses on skin tone and texture to show how tired and run down Miss Havisham is. I have focused on the redness around the nose, heavy contour to create a sunken look and the flakiness of the lips.











This is the look I used for my final design as it incorporates my favourite elements from the previous two. I have used the countering and redness from the second look, and the redness around the eyes. I have added some ageing elements from the first look such as some subtle wrinkle lines, and a mole.

Thursday 5 March 2015

Death Masks *

Another way the Victorians remembered their dead was by creating Death Masks. These masks were a clay mould of the deceast's face. A particularly famous example of a Death Mask is the face of a woman who was pulled out of the river Seine in the 1880's. Her face is now used as the face of a First Aid CPR training doll.

I unfortunately missed the lesson in which we were shown how to create death masks, but I asked a friend how she achieved hers and gave it a go.


I sat in my corner window, so more light shone on my face from one side. Using a dark grey powder eyeshadow I shadowed the spaces that were naturally darker such my right eye, and around my right nostril area.

Wednesday 4 March 2015

Victorian Death + Mourning

Death was frequent in the Victorian times, not just for the elderly but for infants too. Due to illness and work place injuries, the death rate was exceptionally high with 240 out of 1000 working class infants passing before the age of One. Illnesses such us TB, Polio, Measles and Whooping Cough were huge killers in people of all ages, due to the lack of immunising injections that we have available today. Children that survived infancy would be put to work in the Factories or as Chimney Sweeps as a way of providing income for their parents. Working in this time was extremely dangerous, in a time with no health and safety laws were yet put in place, crippling injuries were frequent and working around toxic fumes and chemicals was also damaging. It was not just the lower class who suffered though, even the richest were susceptible to illness with Prince Albert dying in 1861 from Typhoid fever.


Mourning in Victorian Britain was taken very seriously, the mourning period was dependant on the relationship with the deceased. During this time Women were required to wear a Black Crepe dress with a Crepe Veil (for the first six months) before changing to a Black Silk dress. The Veil could be removed after 3 months.  Men could wear their usual black suits, added black gloves and cravats. Widows were expected wear full mourning dress for two years after the death.
The death of her husband sent Queen Victoria into a deep state of mourning of which she never fully recovered. Her public appearances drastically reduced and once it became clear that her mourning would long extend the usual two, the public became worried about her role as Queen. Victoria maintained Alberts room and possessions as if he were there, and wore black for the following 40 years of her life.








A strange mourning ritual that the Victorians took on was Post Mortem Photography. The act of taking photo's with your deceased after they had passed gained popularity in this time period, as a memento and a way to remember the dead. The dead were often propped up to pose with their families, pets or prized possessions. Often they were seen as if to be sleeping, but it was not uncommon for their eyes to be open.

‘Albert, Prince Consort’ (2015) Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert,_Prince_Consort (Accessed: 4 March 2015).
Victorian mourning etiquette (no date). Available at: http://www.tchevalier.com/fallingangels/bckgrnd/mourning/ (Accessed: 4 March 2015).
(no date a). Available at: http://www.viralnova.com/post-mortem-victorian-photographs/ (Accessed: 4 March 2015).
(no date b). Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2677118/A-time-wrong-outfit-lead-disgrace-scandal-New-Costume-Institute-exhibit-explore-strict-world-Victorian-mourning-fashions.html (Accessed: 4 March 2015).
(no date c). Available at: http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/victoria/section5.rhtml (Accessed: 4 March 2015).
(no date d). Available at: http://www.oocities.org/victorianmedicine/iframeh.html (Accessed: 4 March 2015).