@Regran_ed from @drlindseyfitzharris - "Today, as the world watches a president being laid to rest, I have funerals on my mind. So here’s a little interesting bit of history for you. This is a funeral invitation from 1688. These types of invitations first appeared in the 17th century, and acted as an admission ticket since there would have been limited seating in both the church as well as the funeral feast which followed. Amongst the earliest printed cards were those in which the recipient was "desired to accompany” the corpse, with the end phrase being "…and Bring this Ticket with you." Pallbearers were often assigned a number on the ticket to signify their position in carrying the coffin. Early invitations were wood engraved, with the centre remaining blank so the details could be filled in by hand. As technology progressed, however, printers began creating funeral invitations using stock borders and text that could then be adapted to the occasion. By the 19th century, engraved funeral invitations were being replaced with small, embossed memorial cards that were then sent out after the funeral as a keepsake. These were typically white with a silhouette at the centre, surrounded by Classical figures, urns and columns. They would have been mounted on black flock or velvet to set off the design; and were created specifically to be framed. SWIPE FOR MORE EXAMPLES." #presidentialfuneral #georgehwbush #bushfuneral #president #41 #funeralhistory #funerals #victorian #death #mementomori #TIL #FOTD #themoreyouknow - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBVZd3Hw0V/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1p2wzrwusz3cg