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Almond, K orcid.org/0000-0002-0311-106X and Simpson, J (Cover date: September 2023https://doi.org/10.3366/cost.2023.0259) The Decline of Female Mourning Wear: A Case Study Analysis of Frederic Forster's Mourning Warehouse 1849-1923 in Leeds, UK. Costume, 57 (2). pp. 219-245. ISSN 0590-8876
Abstract
This article discusses substantial new research which explored the trade in UK female mourning wear by tracing the history of Frederic Forster’s Mourning Warehouse, situated on Lower Briggate in Leeds 1849–1923. It also interrogated the small collection of Forster items held by Leeds Museums and Galleries (LMG). This helped to develop an understanding of why UK female mourning wear, which dominated the High Street in the late nineteenth century, began to diminish. The research subsequently examined what the Forster items signify to a present-day audience and whether the need for special clothing to denote mourning has decreased or is met by other clothing practices in a globalized world. A review of literature raised several explanations, suggesting that the cultural work done by mourning clothing is no longer required today and the symbolic efficacy of black mourning clothing disappeared as black became increasingly popular in fashionable dress. The study tested these suppositions through an object-based analysis of the items in the LMG collection and a database search of newspaper advertisements from Frederic Forster in the period 1849–1923. The research activities were filmed to synthesize the insights and the film was discussed with a selection of interview participants to explore significant new knowledge and understanding about the decline of the UK female mourning dress trade.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Costume Society. This is an author produced version of an article published in Costume. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | UK female mourning wear, Frederic Forster’s Mourning Warehouse, Leeds, sartorial practice, mourning dress, cultural, symbolism |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Design (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number AHRC (Arts & Humanities Research Council) AH/S002812/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 May 2023 11:06 |
Last Modified: | 18 Oct 2023 11:09 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Edinburgh University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.3366/cost.2023.0259 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:199081 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Frederic Forster's Mourning Warehouse and the Disappearing Trade in Female Mourning Wear in Leeds 1849 - 1923. (deposited 18 Jul 2023 15:43)
- The Decline of Female Mourning Wear: A Case Study Analysis of Frederic Forster's Mourning Warehouse 1849-1923 in Leeds, UK. (deposited 11 May 2023 11:06) [Currently Displayed]