• Institution muséale : Québec Museum of Folk Culture

This exhibition delves into the evolution of social rituals surrounding death in Québec from early colonial times to the present day.

It shows, among other features, the radical transformation of the content of wills which, originally, were essentially religious documents. Reproductions of wills dating back to early colonial days can be compared with present-day wills.

The exhibition looks closely at the professionalization of death-related occupations. Visitors will discover the advances made between the undertaker of yesteryear and today’s funeral director or thanatopractor. Our survey of funeral directors, who have often been in this profession for generations, shines a spotlight on this little-known trade. How do they proceed to embalm the body, to cremate the remains? How are the funeral directors’ training and practice now regulated?

The body viewing ritual has also changed a great deal, going from the deceased’s living room to the funeral home within a single generation. The disposition of the remains has also seen new trends that are highlighted in this exhibition.

The mourning process, which used to be highly regulated, is now almost invisible within society. Death has become taboo. What happened in just a few years? How is our society now dealing with death?

The exhibition also provides an opportunity to discover authentic artifacts related to mortuary rituals from the early 20th century: embalming tables, traditional undertaker garb, makeup kit, mourning clothes, mortuary works made with hair to pay tribute to the memory of the deceased, concrete coffin, etc.

The last part of the exhibition focuses on how death has captured the imagination of Quebecers: the Grim Reaper, the ghost stories and other legends.

From March 24th 2010, to March 11th 2012