FYI
Reopening Soon!
Please be advised that the Society's museum will be closed to the public for the month of January 2022 so that we can conduct our annual ritual of cleaning the collections and refreshing the exhibits. When the museum reopens to the public on February 2, its latest exhibit will focus on 19thcentury mourning customs. Titled “’Til Death Do Us Part: Victorian Mourning Customs in America,” the exhibit will examine traditions that are still practiced by many today. Among the featured objects will be a photograph of Henry Meigs Landis in his coffin and a death mask that was created for Joseph Richard Brognard, an ancestor of Joseph Simpson, the Vineland man who invented Skee-Ball. Henry, the first-born son of Charles and Clara Meade Landis, died of cholera shortly before his first birthday. The exhibit will also showcase examples of black glass jewelry, engraved name plates from local tombstones and black-trimmed invitations to funerals that were mailed to family members and friends. The photo shown here of Krusen's might seem unusual to us today but combining these kinds of businesses were commonplace in Vineland during the 19th century.
Our Mission
The Vineland Historical and Antiquarian Society is dedicated to collecting and preserving artifacts and records related to Vineland and the South Jersey region, and to sharing that material with visitors through exhibits, programs and other appropriate venues. Vineland has a rich, culturally-diverse past that is reflected through our collections. To learn more, please contact us or make an appointment to visit. Researchers are welcome but appointments are required at least ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE OF YOUR VISIT to ensure that needed resources are available. There is a $10 charge for non-members to use the research library. (Pictured at left: Vineland's first museum, c. 1890s)
Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions at the museum and support the development of new programs. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
