Bridgehampton - Great Britain's Queen Victoria, devastated by the premature death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861, remained in mourning for the remaining 40 years of her life. Her immense popularity among Britons and Americans created a "cult of mourning" on both sides of the Atlantic that survived the Queen's own death by decades.

The Bridgehampton Historical Society presents an exhibition exploring the customs and practices surrounding Death and Mourning in the mid to late 19th century. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 28, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Corwith House Museum, and the exhibit will remain open through February 2012.

On exhibit will be materials depicting Victorian mourning customs based on a strict set of rules that upper and middle class families strove to follow. The responsibility fell mainly on widowed women, who were expected to grieve for as long as two and a half years. Their clothing often progressed through several stages of mourning.

Homes were also decorated in times of mourning. Black crepe draped on the front door was the solemn symbol that a household was mourning the loss of a loved-one, and throughout the home mirrors and paintings were covered or draped in black.

Visitors to the Bridgehampton Historical Society's Corwith House Museum will experience a re-creation of the symbolism of death and dying. Throughout the museum, period artifacts, artwork and mourning fashions and jewelry will illustrate Victorian customs associated with death, grief and condolences.

The Bridgehampton Historical Society's Corwith House Museum is located at 2368 Montauk Highway, Bridgehampton and is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and through November 19 on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about the exhibit or the Historical Society, telephone 631-537-1088.