Costume History

Dead Man Standing An inquiry into the fantasy of Victorian standing post-mortems: dead people, supported by headrests.

The Funeral Men A woman and her maid see a pair of funeral mutes standing silently on the balcony outside her husband’s dressing room as a token of his death.

Ordering a Funeral for Mother A devoted son orders a lavish funeral for his mother–who is not dead and declines the festivities.

Fearing the Walking Dead, The Undertaker’s Revenge, and the Lost Art of the Coffin Threat A compendium of popular posts.

Painting the Face of a Dead Emperor When Tsar Paul I was murdered in 1801, Marie Antoinette’s hairdresser stepped in to make sure the Emperor looked his post-mortem best.

A Corpse On Eggs The mystery of an infant corpse found on a layer of eggs in a Parisian chimney.

Corpse Collectors: Stories of the bereaved who cannot bury the corpses of their loved ones.

In a Munich Dead-House an 1890s visitor finds grim and grewsome sites, as well as German order and efficiency.

Weekend Compendium: 20 February 2016 brings you the week’s posts: the Witch of Leadville, eye-lash history, the ghost of a living woman, a discontented and destructive daemon, as well as creepy crawlies in hair and jungle.