Death was highly visible in Victorian culture. It was a time for communal feeling, studied response and ritual, with people encouraged to give public expression to their grief. Throughout the Victorian period there were 'hair artists' who specialised in turning locks of hair into jewellery that could be worn as a memorial to someone who had died. Printed catalogues presented customers with a choice of designs and offered discreet guarantees that the locks of hair were not muddled or substituted in the process.

The girl's photograph and hair in this piece combine to make a very physical memento. In the Victorian period photography had a special significance for memorial objects. Valued for preserving a true likeness and capturing a fleeting moment, it encapsulated the transient nature of life.