Victorian Era Mourning Lithograph

This ornate plaque was found in a barn in Huntsville. It commemorated the death of Eugene Williams which happened on June 2, 1896 when he was only four years old. Information on prints like these is scant but they were common during the Victorian Era, which lasted through the last half of the 19th century. The idea of mourning deeply and publicly for loved ones became popular after Queen Victoria's husband died and she mourned him until the end of her life. The custom crossed over to the United States and even found a home in the mountains of Appalachia. This plaque would have been displayed in the family room of the home for everyone to see, and includes the name and age of the deceased followed by a poem. Eugene Williams, along with the rest of his family, is buried in Wartburg Cemetery in Morgan County. How did this print bearing his name end up in a barn in Huntsville? Your guess is as good as ours. 

The poem featured at the bottom states:
"His merry voice is strangely hushed, And closed the laughing eyes, His gentle, loving, tender heart in solemn slumber lies, The summer sun and the summer rain, Sweet flowers to life shall kiss, And thoughts shall bloom that he is free, From sorrow such as this."

This lithograph was purchased by the parents of Eugene Williams to mourn their son who died in June of 1896.

Close up of the inscription and poem featured on the certificate.

Eugene Williams' tombstone in Wartburg Cemetery.  Photo courtesy of findagrave.com