Historical information

Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901.

Mourning stationery for letters, both writing paper and envelopes, was printed with black borders, of varying depths, as a token of bereavement. Black sealing wax, black leather blotters, and jet paperknives were also sometimes used.

Physical description

Foolscap letter on Education Department Melbourne letterhead, with a black edging signifying mourning for Queen Victoria. The correspondence concerns Ballarat School of Mines leading Teacher T.S. Hart and the Technical Schools Conference.