Name/Title
Carl Specht Funeral CardEntry/Object ID
2017.70.38Description
Funeral card for Carl Specht, featuring Specht's photograph, information on his death, and a short poem.Use
Funeral memory cards were shared as keepsakes by grieving families in keeping with traditional mourning rituals in the late nineteenth century.Context
Valparaiso resident Carl Specht, the son of Claus Specht of the Specht Finney store, died of typhoid shortly after enlisting in the Spanish-American War. His family purchased this card from the mail-order catalog of H. F. Wendell & Company, self-described as “the largest memorial house on Earth.” Catalogs offered the choice of many mottos, poems, and designs. This design features lilies, a Christian symbol of purity, devotion, and resurrection.Acquisition
Accession
2017.70Source or Donor
Found in CollectionAcquisition Method
Found in Collection