Mourning poke bonnet

Mourning poke bonnet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The style of the poke bonnet manifests the demure and modest style that followed the young Queen Victoria's accession to the throne in 1838. This severe all-black example was probably worn for mourning, a long-standing custom that the Queen elevated to a social institution, especially after the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.