Darren Waterston
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Despite their reputation for emotional restraint, Victorians indulged in complex and elaborate rituals surrounding death and mourning. No better example is the case of Leland Stanford Jr., the only son of Leland and Jane Stanford, who died at the tender age of 15 from typhoid fever while on a visit to Florence, Italy. The family’s immense loss became the impetus for several commissioned monuments and works of art that perpetuated their son’s memory… [such as] paintings, photographs, and documents relating to the life of Leland Stanford Jr., as well as objects such as chalkboards from séances held by Mrs. Stanford after her son’s death…
Text and paintings by Darren Waterston.