Mourning poke bonnet, ca 1840 US, the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The style of the poke bonnet manifests the demure and modest style that followed the young Queen Victoria&amp;#8217;s accession to the throne in 1838. This severe all-black example was probably worn for mourning, a long-standing custom that the Queen elevated to a social institution, especially after the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert.
