Interview with the Hearse Collector

We have a special treat for readers of “The Cemetery Traveler” … an interview with my friend Shawn Koenig, hearse owner, historian, collector, and exhibitor. Shawn graciously shares his journey with professional cars, including his extensive collection and involvement in the MPCC, while providing unique stories about his experiences with hearses.

Before we begin, Shawn, do you have any opening remarks?

Shawn's 1969 S&S Cadillac Kensington when it was owned by a BBQ business

 

Hi, I'm Shawn Koenig. I purchased my first hearse in August 2002 and my love for professional vehicles only grew from there. I still own that 1983 S&S Victoria to this day. My collection has continued to grow over the years. I travel all over the U.S. going to different events for hearses and professional vehicles. I've also done a lot of searching across PA and nearby states trying to find them sitting "in the wild" so to speak, whether it be by chance or following a lead. I do my best to show that these cars have history and craftsmanship worth preservation, but I also appreciate the spooky side of their appeal as well. Most of all, I want to keep these cars in a positive light for everyone since a lot of funeral cars and even ambulances aren't always viewed in the most appealing manner. While I like a nicely done custom coach, I do prefer mine as close to stock as possible.

1.      How many hearses do you own?

I technically own 3 actual hearses. But to many who are not well versed in types of professional vehicles, several of my other cars would be viewed as hearses too. Also in my collection are a flower car, a combination coach, an ambulance and my most recent purchase - a removal van. The latter is now one of my daily driver vehicles.

Shawn's 1969 S&S Cadillac Kensington when it was in ambulance service

2.      Why do you own hearses?

I wanted to get a hearse from a very young age. After getting my first, I got more into learning history and facts about professional vehicles as a whole. The more I learned, the more I wanted. So, as the opportunities arose for me to add to my collection, I did. There are many different models and types just from each coach builder. Each vehicle is individually made and can be unique unless part of a fleet. There are professional vehicles out there that are just 1 or 2 of a kind. They are among the rarest cars and I  still love soaking up more information about them.

3.      How did you get interested in hearses (professional cars)?

As a young child of course thought the Ecto1 from Ghostbusters and the hearse Dracula drove in the movie The Monster Squad were the best ever. When I was 8 years old, one of my brothers was just getting his license and he wanted a hearse. We went to look at one in a junkyard locally. It was a black 1959 Cadillac limo-style combination coach. I couldn't tell you who the coach builder was, at 8 I didn't exactly have the wealth of knowledge I do now. But I knew when I saw it, it was the coolest, biggest car I had ever seen and that I wanted one too. Ultimately our dad said no to my brother. When I was 20, I had the ability to buy one for myself. I still own that coach and I've been hooked on them since.

Russ Slegel with his 1947 Superior Pontiac Limo-Style Funeral Coach

4.      Can you tell me your most interesting hearse story?

I'm sure I have a million little stories about having a hearse. Everything from weird stares while doing things like loading groceries in the back, horror to see a casket inside while stopping to get a bite to eat, parking lot photoshoots by strangers or cheesy comments. 

But my best story, I suppose isn't really mine, but that of a great friend, Russ Slegel, who is no longer with us. Russ was an essential part of the Mohnton Professional Car Club (MPCC) becoming an official club. He helped with so much during its inception and kept things organized. Russ had a great love for Laurel Hill Cemetery [LHC][Philadelphia] and is the reason the annual MPCC is now held on these breathtaking grounds. We had a few club visits to LHC and then teamed up with them for their event "History of Hearses." It was after this that Russ helped me secure a yearly date for the annual club show. The first show in LHC was in 2012, this would have been the 4th annual show for MPCC. The show has been held here every year since, with the exception of one, when Covid forced it to be held elsewhere. 

Sadly, Russ passed away in 2017 after a battle with his health. He decided that he would leave his hearse to Laurel Hill. Russ owned a 1947 Superior Pontiac Limo-Style Funeral Coach that was completely customized in a street rod style. The only thing original on it is the sheet metal. He bought it to do street rod funerals, but only ever did one. In July of 2018 we delivered his hearse to LHC. Tyler Verrecchia, current president of MPCC, did the actual towing. I led the procession which included 3 other hearses besides myself and Russ' being towed. We met an addition 3 hearses at LHC. 

Russ' final wish was that he stayed with his beloved coach- so he has. Some of his cremains reside inside FYNLRYD (his coach) at Laurel Hill. His family spread some of his ashes on the cemetery grounds at the MPCC show that year, as well. You can usually see FYNLRYD out for special events like the annual MPCC show, if you want to say hello to Russ.

5.      Have you ever broken down in a hearse, and had to call for roadside assistance? Get a tow? Flat tire? 

Almost all of mine have seen some time on the back of a rollback for one reason or another. That's just something that comes with the territory of owning any vehicle really. Sometimes, with very cautious driving, I am able get them home, to a mechanic or to a friend's place to get the repairs completed. Other times it's just something as simple as a tire blowout or broken belt, which I can usually do myself on the spot.

6.      Did you ever have a mechanic refuse to work on one of your cars?

I never had any mechanic refuse to work on them. In fact, most are very intrigued and think they are cool. Just in the last year I've had a mechanic with a local garage ask me when he was going to get to work my hearses when I stopped in at his shop for other business. He had seen them passing by often and thought they were great. I do some simple repairs and maintenance myself as well and have some really great friends who are mechanically inclined that help out when they can too.

7.      I believe you once told me that ambulances performed double duty as hearses a long time ago?

Shawn Koenig's combination coach

Yes, many funeral homes used to provide ambulance services to their community and most often offered this free of charge. Certainly, a far cry from the cost of an ambulance ride today. A lot of funeral homes could not afford 2 separate vehicles to be able to offer these services to the community, so the coach builders built a dual purpose funeral car called the combination coach. The car could be used as a hearse or ambulance. It had features like a siren in the grill, demountable emergency lights, cot bar, casket rollers that flipped to roll the stretcher in and foldable jump seats for the person attending to the patient. Some had removable landau bar panels for funerals which were replaced with signs in the windows to denote ambulance use.

8.      Other people obviously own hearses and regularly display them in shows (like at Laurel Hill). Are you all part of a club?

Sean Koenig

I personally started the Mohnton Professional Car Club (MPCC) in 2008. I also started the annual show held at Laurel Hill Cemetery with help from another MPCC member Russ, who got us a secured deal to hold the event there. I mentioned this previously. I was president of the MPCC until 2021 when I stepped down and took some time away. I still maintain great friendships with a lot of members and will come out in support of their events when I am able. I very much still support the club whenever I can. 

I more recently started Shawn Koeing's Professional Car Club (SPCC). Yes, my last name is spelled wrong on purpose.  It was started as more of a joke than anything, on a friend who seemed to think I was my own hearse club and also just couldn't seem to get my name right. It's not a very formal club and just focuses on having a few fun events throughout the year. Always accepting new members though!

I'm in two larger organizations as well, the National Hearse and Ambulance Association (NHAA) and the Professional Car Society (PCS). The latter does also have a yearly meet up which always brings out some amazing vehicles.

 Abby Bart's 1981 Thacker Mercury Station wagon-based first call car/hearse

9.      You obviously know a lot about hearses. Whenever I photograph one and post it on social media, you are my go-to person to identify its make, model, and year. I appreciate that. I assume all hearses are custom-made from … station wagons? Or am I incorrect?

While it might seem like most hearses are built off station wagons due to their general shape, this is not typically the case. Hearses are custom built by multiple coach builders. While some did start as station wagons, most did not. Coaches built on station wagon bodies are considered a more affordable economy version of the vehicle. They were commonly used as first call cars, as well. Cadillac and also Packard  (when they were still operating) had a commercial chassis that they sent to a coach builder to build on. The commercial chassis was a longer frame with everything up to the firewall complete with the dash, front seat, tail lights and bumper in a box. Everything else is basically hand built,  something that makes each coach unique, as I have already said. In most cases the bumper is cut for the license plate too. Currently, Cadillac sends an incomplete car to the coach builders for them to customize. There are so many ways professional cars were built, it's really it's own subject.

10.  You post photos on social media of cemeteries you’ve visited. Can you describe your interest in cemeteries?

I find cemeteries to be so peaceful and serene. So many are truly like outdoor art galleries, showcasing phenomenal skill and artistic abilities in the creation of the final resting places for loved ones. I love looking at all the different stones and mausoleums. The meaning behind motifs, symbols and designs on stones is another great rabbit hole of information to dive into. It's a bonus to me when they say something interesting or have pictures. My fiancé is currently on the hunt for stones with recipes, so we can try them out. Cemeteries are something else that I was drawn to early in my childhood and carried through into adulthood. 

Once I started visiting, I couldn't get enough and wanted to see more. I always have some sort of camera on hand to capture not only the interesting stones and mausoleums, but also little oddities and quirks, the visiting wildlife and so on. Finding and visiting cemeteries is one of my favorite pastimes. Obviously they are a great backdrop for a professional car photo shoot too.

11.  You also post photos of other people’s hearses that you see at shows, or rusting behind someone’s garage. Is there a “Holy Grail” of hearses? Do you have a favorite?

I guess the "Holy Grail" for a lot of people would be any 1959 Cadillac based procar, with that large fin and bullet tail light rear. Another would be any of the carved panel coaches. I personally like 1960-61 Cadillac based hearses, specifically S&S or Eureka built models. I would be happy with any coach builder version though. A 1959-60 Flxible Buick hearse. Flxible built a majority of Buick based coaches at that time and are now out of the procar business completely.  I would also like matching flower cars and family cars to go with each of my 1969 S&S models.  A 1974 Miller-Meteor Cadillac Criterion is one of my favorite ambulances. I like the styling of these a lot. I have so many on my wishlist, but I am happy with what I currently own.

1959 Superior Cadillac Royale Landaulet owned by Scotty Adams

12.  Do you have a 2025 schedule of appearances you’d like to share with our audience? 

There are so many great hearse and professional car events, I make it to as many as I can. Some great ones are coming up this year: 

Parking lot picture of Hearsemania 2024 in Mansfield, OH. 

6/13/25 to 6/15/25 is Hearsemania at the S&S/Superior plant in Lima, OH. Hearsemania is always a good time, but this year is going to be something really special for professional car collectors. I'll be making the trip out. 

Saturday 8/9/25 is the 17th Annual MPCC Professional Car Show at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA. This is a do not miss show. Besides the great showing of cars in a stunning cemetery, they have raffles, snacks and a scavenger hunt that is really fun. I always make sure to get to this show.

8/12/25 to 8/16/25 is the PCS International Meet in Latham, NY. This meet brings out so many great vehicles too. They plan different events and outings over the course of the week leading up to the main show day. I'll be making the trip for a few days for this one.

Saturday 8/23/25 is Rats N Reapers Hearse and Rat Rod Show in Hagerstown, MD. This is a new show this year, but I have a good feeling that it's going to be a fun time with cars, vendors, food and entertainment too. I plan on making it out.  

October 2025 TBA The Hearse Show at The Haunt in Schaefferstown, PA. This will be the 4th year I'm putting this show on. Last year we had a great turnout with 22 procars. It takes place at a spooky little haunt that is completely volunteer run with all proceeds going to local fire companies and charities. I'm hoping to get a date nailed down and start promoting shortly. 

Another event that needs mentioning but that I won't be able to attend this year is Hearsefest in Fowlerville, MI Saturday 9/20/2025. This event is huge and definitely a must see for anyone who has a love for hearses.

PLEASE join me in thanking Shawn Koenig for taking the time to answer my questions and to provide us all with his great stories! I met Shawn at the Oddities Bazaar Market in Adamstown, PA, in May of 2021 where he was part of that event’s hearse show. Please come to one of the events he mentions and show and his cars some love!

All photos except for the lead photo were provided by Shawn Koenig.

Cemeteries Are Not So Depressing

What is depressing is watching a Thanksgiving Day parade in the rain. Like the one that happened in Philadelphia this year, 2024, and in NYC, to the multi-million-dollar Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Jimmy Fallon’s big smile notwithstanding. I wasn’t even there, I was just watching on television. Depressing watching those people trying to have a good time. I’ve had more fun attending funerals in the rain. 

It's easy for me, a cemetery creeper, to say that, if you’re depressed, go visit a cemetery! Sometimes the world is too much world us, as Wordsworth wrote. Whether it’s during a busy day at work or I’m sitting in my car in the supermarket parking lot watching rats running under a dumpster, I sometimes long to get away – to a cemetery. Quiet and ratless solitude. 

I’ve long felt that there is beauty in the forgotten world of these memory gardens. The absence of distraction allows me to focus, sometimes on nothing in particular. I have fleeting memories of live people whom I’ve met over the years, but I can remember exactly where I made a particular cemetery photograph twenty years ago. I also know that most of my cemetery visits have been fun, and all have been therapeutic. They can be a cushion against the outside world. And those cemetery fences...? 

Originally meant to keep the thoughts of the dead away from those of the living, one can also interpret cemetery fences as demarcations, boundaries of a memory world in which hope and solace reside. Cemeteries can sometimes be more than a cushion for us to relax on, they can be a trampoline for our emotions, our creativity – maybe even our sanity. A private place that most people avoid - in our midst but a world away.

Victoria Wyeth, in her Halloween, 2024, lecture on her family’s artwork (virtual gallery talk sponsored by the Brandywine River Museum in Chaddsford, PA), said that after her grandfather Andrew Wyeth died, she was depressed for months. It was only after her Uncle Jamie flew her to Maine to picnic at her grandfather’s grave, did she experience the calm joy of being in a cemetery.

Victoria and her Uncle Andy (who died in 2009) had been very close, she being his only grandchild. A few months after his death, Jamie Wyeth flew her to Maine where he and Victoria’s Dad took her to the cemetery where Andy was buried. They had a picnic. She said they “turned the cemetery into something that’s not scary.”  Now, whenever she’s sad or something cool happens, she visits the cemetery and talks with her grandfather. She loves that her Dad and Uncle took a situation like that, brought her to a cemetery and made it normal. She went on to say that this interaction with cemeteries is really important, something people tend to avoid.

I used to think that visiting and volunteering to do work in cemeteries was all about respect – respect for the past, and ultimately, respect for ourselves. I now think that respect ties in deeply with memory. Cemeteries are full of memories - maybe not ours, but we can still appreciate them. I volunteer at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Philadelphia. I’ve witnessed people visiting from a thousand miles away, scooting in a motorized wheelchair up a sidewalk cleared by the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Inc., to visit a grandparent who had died forty years earlier. Witnessing other people’s experience with memory can create a profound impression, a not depressing memory.

When I wrote my new book, Abandoned Cemeteries of Philadelphia and its Environs (due out in 2025 on Fonthill Media), I mention a quote by my friend Ross Mitchell, who at the time I interviewed him in 2006, was the Executive Director of Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. I was speaking with him about ways in which an historic cemetery can stay in business (because that’s what cemeteries are, businesses - when they’re full, and can have no new burials, there is no income). 

Laurel Hill, like many cemeteries, hosts events. Sometimes admission is charged, usually donations are requested. Laurel Hill has hosted rock concerts, movie nights, historic tours, running events, classic hearse shows - all to engage the community and create positive memories for the attendees. Such events raise money for the upkeep of the grounds. I asked Ross how he came to terms with people thinking that fund-raising events in a cemetery was disrespectful, an impingement on peoples’ memories. He said: 

“People really need to come here and see Laurel Hill for themselves. They need to overcome their inhibition of ‘why would I want to visit a cemetery’ and realize that not all cemeteries are very depressing places. In fact I think this one is really a celebration of life. And you talk about, well, isn’t it disrespectful? If you look at the monuments and the sculpture in Laurel Hill you know these people wanted these monuments to be seen.”

There are many reasons to visit a cemetery, you don’t need to be visiting someone who died. There is history, art, architecture - and everything in a cemetery changes with the seasons of the year; things look different whenever you visit. You will witness the embodiment of other peoples’ memories and will come away with your own. While its true that during a brief visit we only get a fleeting glimpse of other peoples’ lives, but this can be enough. 

My friend George Hofmann, in his article, Bipolar Disorder and Memory writes about his memory as he gets older (George actually works in a cemetery) - “Instead of some deep resonance I’m lost in wavering impressions. Impressions can be beautiful. Beauty comes more readily in a forgotten world.” 

In the same article, Hofmann mentions a line from the movie, Nomadland, in which the central character states, “What’s remembered lives.” I have all good memories of cemeteries, even the one where I attended the burial of a friend’s nine-year-old son. Although that day was traumatic, the memory was modified years later, when the Dad took over the care of this cemetery - the prior owner could no longer manage it. So this Thanksgiving season, there are things to be thankful for, like memories. And come to think of it, I’ll bet all those people standing in the rain at this year’s Thanksgiving Day parades came away with good memories.

The last question Victoria Wyeth asked her grandfather before he died, was about how to create the color black. He said that he didn’t start by squeezing inky paint from a tube. “You build in the excitement before adding black, you slowly build it up with blues and reds and greens.” So let’s all make sure that when our screens go black, our lives will remain a colorful memory for those we leave behind - full of blues and reds and greens. When they visit your grave, let them leave with a smile - even if they don't know who you are.

REFERENCES:

Why The Cemetery Is a Celebration of Life:

https://www.stoneangels.net/ross-mitchell-part-8-visiting-laurel-hill-why-the-cemetery-is-a-celebration-of-life/

Virtual Gallery Talk with Victoria Wyeth: Halloween Edition 2024:

https://www.brandywine.org/museum/events/virtual-gallery-talk-victoria-wyeth-halloween-edition-2024-0

America’s First Family of Art:

https://pinestrawmag.com/americas-first-family-of-art/

Solar Eclipse 2024 - The Day the Cemetery Sky Went Dark (sort of)

The partial eclipse we saw in the Philadelphia area on August 21, 2017 certainly eclipsed the one we just saw on April 8, 2024. I have yet to write about the first one (I’m a little behind in my work), which I will do after I publish this one. All in all, the 2024 celestial event was disappointing. The day was partly cloudy – until right before maximum sun coverage, when it became totally cloudy. It remained so for about forty minutes afterward. I and the other hundred people at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia saw next to nothing. If only I had consulted California Psychics (“the joy of certainty”), I could have saved myself the trip. At the advertised rate of a dollar a minute (https://www.californiapsychics.com/), that would have been a worthwhile investment.

While Philadelphia was not in the path of totality, people expected a respectable 80% show (the 2017 event was also an 80% eclipse).  We were in the path of partiality. Since I spent the 2017 eclipse at West Laurel Hill Cemetery (Bala Cynwyd, PA) with my friend Bob, I thought I’d spend some time during the 2024 eclipse at its sister cemetery, Historic Laurel Hill in Philadelphia. There are some very tall monuments there and I figured they would look good with the eclipsed sun around them.

I arrived at the cemetery about a half hour before the show was to begin (3:23 pm for maximum coverage in this geographic area). The light had already begun to get weird and I noticed a zinc monument up on a hill, one I’d never noticed before. Trick of the light. As you can see, I came prepared. I heard on the radio the day before that you can safely view the eclipse through a colander. Since I hadn’t paid close attention to exactly HOW you were supposed to do this, I thought I’d just bring one to use as a photo prop (I later made spaghetti with said device). 

Photo by Jason Ranck

The zinkie, as you can see, was rather plain, but still an unusual find. In this geographic region,  maybe you’ll see one or two per cemetery if you’re lucky. These things came in such wonderful designs when they were made (late 1800 through early 1900s), but the ones in Philadelphia cemeteries tend to be rather plain. A few weeks after the eclipse, my friend Jason sent me this image of a zinc monument he photographed in Old Ebeneezer Cemetery, in Tripoli, PA. Now THAT statue would’ve made a stellar foreground subject with an eclipse above her!

I drove around the grounds for a bit, looking for good observation points. Many people were walking around, looking at the sky, lounging on beach chairs, all seemed to have chosen their spot. One woman was staring into the sky through the bottom of a cereal box! I’d heard this was a method as well – you make a pinhole in the bottom and look toward the sun. I actually had ISO 12312-2:2015  safety glasses, but was a bit self-conscious about the way I looked in them. I had this feeling someone was behind me shaking their head, muttering under their breath, “loser…”

Though the sky clouded over a few times before the big moment, there were bright patches of sun here and there. Mostly here, very little there, when it mattered. I had planned to station myself at the base of two enormous obelisks, with the sun placed between them. Trouble was, the perfect spot was occupied by a twenty-something couple making out on the granite coping. They actually had a camera set up and had it on a tripod, trained upward at an angel perched atop an obelisk. Prime spot. After driving around the cemetery the hour before, I had decided this to be the best vantage point. Unfortunately, they did too. 

No matter, I sat down about thirty feet away and made some images like you see here, not unlike so many others you saw on social media. As I saw and heard planes flying, I wondered what the view was like from up there. Did they have to force all the people on the wrong side of the aircraft to stay in their seats so the plane wouldn’t tip with everyone looking out the windows on the same side? 

Sky gazers, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia

The temperature was about 65 degrees F, prior to the eclipse, but with the heavy clouds and the sun mostly covered by the moon for those four minutes, the temp dropped perceptibly. Animals started acting like it was the end of the day, feeding time. Silflay, for bunnies, if you've read Watership Down. Small flocks of birds appeared out of nowhere (and, as I later discovered, dropped some gifts on the windshield of my parked car). A groundhog popped its head out of a hole about twenty feet away from me. It quickly became faux dusk and the spotlights that illuminate the Silent Sentry bronze Civil War statue came on.

The quality of light during the cloudless eclipse in 2017 was phenomenal. The way everything looked in the soft, indirect light was otherworldly. Nothing cast a shadow, all was illuminated by a soft, faintly glowing light. That went on pre and post eclipse. Alas, we saw next to none of that in 2024 due to the heavy cloud cover. 

Photo by Sarah Amendola (www.mockingbirdlaneartistries.com)

As I packed up to leave, my totality-traveler friend Sarah Amendola texted me from Ohio, with magnificent photos of the total eclipse – in a cemetery! Here’s one of her stellar images!  Now, if you’re a photographer, you would know that such an image would be impossible to capture. Sarah, in all candor, states that she photographed the total eclipse and later layered it onto her image of this statue she photographed in an Ohio cemetery. 

Another friend traveled to upstate New York (from Philadelphia) to do the whole bed-and-breakfast thing with her family, taking a weekend total-eclipse mini-vacay. I knew that being in the Path of Partiality, Philly would not get the full show. No matter. On the way out, I spied two women with safety glasses peering into the sky from the side door of an antique hearse. Certainly not something one sees every day. Both work at Laurel Hill, and were there to greet the arriving guests. Very gracious, these Laurel Hill people!

So, the 2024 partial solar eclipse in Philadelphia wasn’t nearly as transcendent an experience as the 2017 event, but it has given me the initiative to write about that and finally post the photos. Look for it here soon!

The Sad Hour

Oddly, after twenty years of hanging around in cemeteries, photographing, researching, and writing about them, I have only this past year learned about “the sad hour.” And I have my friend Sarah Amendola of Mockingbird Lane Artistries to thank for it.

Sarah and I have exhibited and sold our cemetery-related art and art objects at various shows and events (both physical and online), like "Market of the Macabre," at Philadelphia's Laurel Hill Cemetery and the "Darksome Art and Craft Market." We've been friends for about ten years. Sarah creates jewelry and objets’ d’art that run toward the dark side.

Sarah (rear) at "Market of the Macabre," Laurel Hill Cemetery, Phila., 2023

Sometime in 2023 I saw her Instagram posts for an object she was casting from a 3D print of a Victorian artifact. It was a clock face of some sort. The “Sad Hour… ?” I’d seen and heard of some obscure Victorian-era mourning artifacts, but this was one of the oddest.

Laurel Hill Cemetery, Phila.

Every once in a while I’ll see a grave stone or marker of some sort with some time-related symbolism, or even actual clock times. The hourglass is classic, but I’ve also seen clock faces and mentions of time, such as on this zinc monument at right. I’d wondered for years why the time of death was something a person would record on their grave marker ….

The coffin plaque in itself is rather interesting. Later in this post, you’ll find links to Sarah’s online business where you will find examples of many such objects from Sarah’s collection. I thought it would be informative to transcribe for you my interview with Sarah, concerning “The Sad Hour,” so you can have a privileged look into her world. 

"The Sad Hour"

The Sad Hour: Hand Painted, Working Clock (link)

What exactly is this object I see on your website, Sarah?

This coffin plaque replica is called The Sad Hour. In Victorian times, death was beautified more than it is today. Very decorative hardware was used on the coffins, postmortem photos were taken, and hair was collected and made into framed art and jewelry for the family to keep as remembrance. The women wore beautiful black dresses and accessories when they were in mourning. 

The Sad Hour clock is a rare coffin plaque that was used to display the deceased’s time of death. Victorians were superstitious; they believed if the clocks weren’t stopped at the time of death, their soul couldn’t pass on, and they would be stuck to haunt the living. 

How and when did you first learn about the "sad hour?"

I have been collecting Victorian era coffin hardware for a handful of years and have a friend that has been collecting and reselling all types of funerary items for over a decade. He was the reason I learned of The Sad Hour.  I have been actively searching for and wanting one to add to my collection ever since. 

Sarah's collection of vintage coffin hardware

I wondered why I had never heard of this. You say it's rare?

It is definitely rare, though I have 3 close friends who each have one in their collections. More common coffin plaques used during that era have inscriptions that read “At Rest,” "Mother," "Father," or “Our Darling” (which was often used for children and babies). 

"At Rest" necklace, made from an original coffin plaque. (link)

So, you’ve scanned and copied one of the originals? Where is the original?

The original Sad Hour that we scanned is owned by my friend Dan Cogliano of Klopek’s (https://www.instagram.com/klopeks_offerings). [Below is a photo of] the original that resides in Dan Cogliano’s personal collection, which is the piece that was 3D scanned by Jason and I. 

Vintage Sad Hour from Dan Cogliano’s personal collection (link).

Can you describe the process you used?

Jason Welsh of First Density Material and I used a custom programmed rig that hooks to a digital SLR to take photos of any object. The object rotates and the camera takes around 155 shots in 3 different camera positions. Software is used to stitch the camera angles into a 3D mesh using matched vector points in the scene. The 3D mesh is then brought into software that allows the mesh to be cleaned up and post processed for 3D Print. (Click here for Instagram Reel showing this process.)

Oversized working clock replica of "The Sad Hour," Special Edition Gold (link)

Sounds unique, super-technical, and historically accurate. If I remember your exhibit at Market of the Macabre in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery, you had a Sad Hour clock on your table that was maybe eight inches high [see photo at beginning]. Was that the size of the original coffin plate?

The original size of the Sad Hour is approximately 5.5 inches tall and 4 inches wide. 

Once Jason and I scanned Dan’s original, we resized the clock to a much larger size so it could be hung on the wall and used as a working clock. The working clock measures approximately 9.75 inches tall and 7 inches wide. 

And what else do you plan to make, based on your scans?

We have scanned a huge portion of my coffin hardware collection. I have been creating and selling this type of jewelry on my website for several years. 

Sample coffin hardware jewelry made by Mockingbird Lane Artistries (link)

Is your version made of metal?

The objects are electroformed, a process that has been around since 1838 which allows an object to be coated with a very thick layer of metal. Unlike electroplating which only allows a thin deposit, electroforming can be deposited as thick as your equipment allows. So 3D prints are made of the replicas with a certain surface thickness removed so that it can be replaced with electroformed copper. Its a reverse molding process that uses the 3D print as the form.

What was the original made of?

The original seems to be made from castable metal with a nickel plating.

How does this item fit in with your other hand-crafted products at Mockingbird Lane Artistries?

A lot of my jewelry is Victorian inspired, so the sad hour jewelry fits in perfectly with the other coffin hardware replica jewelry I have created. 

Sad Hour necklaces from Mockingbird Lane Artistries (link)

Are you planning other 3D projects?

Coffin hardware necklaces

Recently we have been scanning many vintage Halloween objects, such as blow molds and ceramics which will make another unique collection of jewelry. Halloween and Victorian style are two of my favorite things. I also make jewelry from actual, original coffin hardware, as you see here. These are Victorian escutcheon plates for thumbscrews; I also use vintage coffin nails in my jewelry. You can see many examples on my Instagram site (click here to see).

Vintage, original coffin hardware

How can people check out your products?

I do have a website, which is 

https://mockingbirdlaneartistries.com/

I can also be found on Instagram 

https://www.instagram.com/mockingbirdlaneartistries

And Facebook 

https://m.facebook.com/MockingbirdLaneArtistries

This is Jason's website, First Density Material - he offers scanning services for replicating objects in 3D.

Coffin hardware jewelry from Mockingbird Lane Artistries 

Sarah, I greatly appreciate the time you and Jason spent with me creating this blog post. Experiencing the creative process behind your art has been a truly unique experience!