In keeping with a 10-year tradition, the Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society will once again close its doors to the public from December 31 of this year through January 31, 2022. The practice allows the staff to make changes in the exhibits, organize the collections and plan for new programs that they hope to introduce next year.

Patricia A. Martinelli, Society curator, has started adding some of the more recent donations into the exhibits, such as the 1905 grape juice dispenser from the Vineland Grape Juice Company. The dispenser, which stands about two feet tall, was once used at lunch counters and restaurants to provide customers with a refreshing taste of grape juice.

In addition, the staff will be working on “’Til Death Do Us Part: Mourning Customs in Victorian America,” which will be featured in the museum’s great room in 2022. It will include photographs and artifacts such as a mourning wreath that was created from the hair of the departed. Many of America’s current mourning customs are derived from those that were practiced in the 19th century.

The Society looks forward to seeing visitors again when the museum doors reopen on February 2, 2022. In the meantime, for further information, call 856-691-1111 or e-mail [email protected].

Mourning pieces like the one shown here were made from human hair. They were large enough to hang on a wall or small enough to be worn in brooches, rings or necklaces.