changes that have occurred since the early 1900s to the present day.

What is a mortuary? It is a place in which dead bodies are kept until burial. Sometimes refereed to as a funeral home. merriam-webster dictionary mentions it is a room or building in which dead bodies are kept, for hygienic storage or for examination, until burial or cremation. of or relating to the burial of the dead. 

Merriam Webster (n.d.). Mortuary - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. In Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortuary


During my research for this project, it has led me to focus on some of the changes that have occurred since the early 1900s to the present day.
Funerals in the 1900's were different than they are in our present time. Funerals were not held in a funeral home like we have today and instead they were held in a parlor in someone's house. The parlor was the  fanciest room of the home only used for special occasions. 

During the early part of the twentieth century,  family and friends would attend the funeral that took place at the decedent’s home with the burial taking place within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the death. Funeral Homes were not always prevalent in society and came about around the 20th century. Many rural communities did not have a funeral home, and many times the funeral/wake was at the home. The burial had to happen more quickly than today in modern times because embalming had not become the norm in the early part of the 20th century. However, embalming can extend the period between death and burial and has become more prevalent in today's society. 

Photo of an an Early Home Parlor 
According to the Hoosick Township Historical Society,  "The word "parlor" comes from the French word for "speak" or "conversation". The Victorian parlor was popular during the American Victorian era from 1850 through the early 1900s. It was a very formal room with elegant furnishings. It was used exclusively for receiving and entertaining guests. It was never used as a "living room" by the family. At the death of a family member, it was used to show the body and carry on the wake. Interestingly, when the wakes moved out of the home to a public building the new business became known as a funeral parlor. "   If you are ever near Hoosick Falls, NY, check out the museum for a look into our past. 




Hoosick Township Historical Society (n.d.). Hoosick Township Historical Society. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.hoosickhistory.com/maplinks/museuminfo.html
A Funeral Home today may look similar to this:




source: Dignity Memorial Gerber Chapel (n.d.). Photo Gallery - Gerber Chapel. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.dignitymemorial.com/gerber-chapel/en-us/photo-gallery.page?image_start_id=4bccb73c-08e5-daaf-dd13-91d3b1b44d45

Instead of having vehicle like a hearse you may see today to carry the deceased, they used a hearse pulled by two horses in earlier times. It had glass windows with curtains over them. The 'hearse' has changed in appearance over the years. One similarity is that people would pull over to the side or stop out of respect of the hearse carrying the dead body which is done today.




source:Urban Remains (n.d.). very rare 19th century american hand carved horse drawn funeral hearse "eternal flame" wood finial. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/very-rare-19th-century-american-hand-carved-horse-drawn-funeral-hearse-eternal-flame-wood-finial.html#ur-desc

A hearse today may look like this

source:
HearseWorks: 2005 Cadillac Landau Coach by Bennett Funeral Coaches. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2012, from http://www.hearse.com/vehicles/motorized/cadillac/2005/bennett/landau_coach/v001_PBandJ/pages/pa.html




Once the family picked a funeral director, the funeral director removed the body to take to the funeral home where it was embalmed. In some cases, it was cremated instead depending on the families wishes.  The family members also made to make other decisions such as the time and location of the funeral service, whether to publicize it in the form of an obituary, who will say the eulogy, and the place of burial or cremation. The family also had to choose the clothing that the deceased would wear during the wake/funeral. 


While some aspects have similarities,there have been some changes over time.