Step back in time with the CSS Neuse Museum to explore the captivating customs of Victorian-era mourning with the program “Mourning Etiquette, Rituals, and Jewelry in the Victorian Era,” highlighting the extensive collection of mourning items owned by reenactor and historian Thomas Bailey.
This one-of-a-kind event on Oct. 12, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. will showcase an array of relics from the 19th century, including intricately designed mourning jewelry, ornate funeral attire, and mementos made to honor the deceased. Guests will gain insights into the deep cultural meaning of grief and remembrance that shaped an era defined by elaborate mourning traditions, and how some of the mourning traditions from the past are still practiced today. In addition, volunteers can view the mourning items on display at the museum.
Bailey is the visitor experience director at the Visitor Center in Kinston, N.C. A retired Goldsboro police officer, he started a walking ghost tour in downtown Goldsboro at the Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield. He also helped set up and participated in the Kinston Ghost Walk for several years and has been a paranormal investigator for over 20 years. In 2001, he began collecting Victorian mourning items and has been learning more about bizarre customs ever since.
About the CSS Neuse
The CSS Neuse is the only remaining commissioned Confederate ironclad above water. It was part of a new technology that the Confederacy used to combat the superior manpower and firepower of the Union Navy. Learn about this technological advance and warfare in eastern North Carolina at the CSS Neuse Museum. The Confederate Navy launched the CSS Neuse, attempting to gain control of the lower Neuse River and New Bern, but ultimately destroyed the vessel to keep it out of Union hands.
The CSS Neuse Museum (100 N. Queen St., Kinston, N.C.) is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $5/Adult: 13-64 years old, $4/Senior: 65 years old, $3/Child: 6-12 years old, and ages 5 and under are free. As a Blue Star Museum program member, all active-duty military personnel with ID and their families of up to five members get free admission.
Please contact Rachel Kennedy at rachel.kennedy@dncr.nc.gov or by phone at (252) 526-9600 x222 for more information. The CSS Neuse Museum is a part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.