The Victorian era was the time period between 1837 and 1901. At that time, life expectancy was limited to around 50 years. During the 19^th century, people died from disease due to a lack of medical care, inadequate food supplies, industrial accidents, and war. Women often perished due to complications in childbirth, and children succumbed to disease. While the Industrial Revolution brought new advancements, it also created a hazardous environment for workers. Learn more about the elaborate customs of mourning practiced in the Victorian era, in which death was commonplace.

Mourners wore elaborate mourning clothing, placed flowers, and stopped clocks at the time of death. In the Victorian era, public parks were being established, urban cemeteries offered picturesque spaces for interring family members, and stone monuments and gravestones became increasingly elaborate.