Memento Mori
Mourning the Death of Mrs Mary Gibson
The family of Mrs Mary Gibson had this card made in memory of their mother, who died in July 1913. The handsome card is gilded and embossed in keeping with the conventions of the time, which were a continuation of the Victorian practices around death and mourning. Strict conventions dictated the length of mourning, styles of dress, jewellery and clothing for the mourning period, as well as social expectations around expressing condolences.
Cards were an important element in communicating and maintaining those conventions. The Victorian obsession with cards – apparent in the plethora of visiting cards, dance cards, trade cards and greeting cards made possible by advances in printing technologies at the time – found a role in the business of mourning too. Cards like Mary Gibson’s memoriam card were given to family and friends to keep as a memento. Hers was produced with embossing, gilding, tassels and scalloped edges. When folded, it could be neatly held in the palm of the hand.
Mary was born at Inverell Station in 1849 and she lived in the district for most of her life. She married at 18 and lived at Reedy Creek with her husband James Gibson and their seven children. In their later years, Mary and James moved to Woollahra, Sydney, where they eventually died. Mary’s body was taken by train to Inverell, and interred at the cemetery. Her memorial card was distributed to family and friends in Sydney and Inverell to pass on the news of her death and to give them something to remember her by.
