Diary of a graveyard.

This thread has gotten 188 views, and I know i was only responsible for about 20 of those....

I feel like you guys are peeking at me in my underware.. Embarrassed

you CAN talk.. Laughing

ask questions? I will gladly take some pictures specific to your interests...

and I promise not to bite..

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Some of the work on old grave stones are so ornate.

If you were to go in an area, other than the poor folks corner, do you think you would be able to date a stone (without looking first) according to its style?

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Never thought about that, but I would say that I could.

What started the other thread was that I saw this group of headstones while I was walking that looked like very early 1800's, or even SUPER late ( 1790) 1700's.
Simple headstones, with a significant amount of weather damage.

Would I be accurate with all my guesses? I might surprise myself, but I will say no.. and find out some time.

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Another point is to recognize different styles of workmanship and by whom. Making gravestones is probably only done by a relatively small number of individuals and companies. Probably a bit of an artform.

So, from region to region, the stones will have their own little traits, too.

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Most threads get proportionate hits, and I've no clue why.

I do have the opinion that this one should stay on the Oakwood Cemetary, and that other cemetaries and photo and history could become offshoots.

Mount Auburn (across the street from my grandmother's house in Watertown, but also in Cambridge) has been mentioned on a2k several times. We could generate auxilliary threads. Odd for me to say this, a main a2k tangent person. Just thinking of organization here.

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shewolfnm wrote:

I love this shot. As a graveyard photographer, myself, I tend to look for the contrast of man (head stones) and nature (tree trunks and roots).

Great thread, Shewolf.

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I've paid attention to ironwork in italy, say in Parma, and Modena, and Faenza. Varies from city to city, which makes sense, and they had different rulers, if I remember correctly, at different times, not to mention different iron workers. And yet folks from Puglia, again in memory, had an effect on church decoration throughout various realms.

Much the same sort of dispersion and localization probably happens in a lot of crafts.

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ossobuco wrote:

Most threads get proportionate hits, and I've no clue why.

I do have the opinion that this one should stay on the Oakwood Cemetary, and that other cemetaries and photo and history could become offshoots.

Mount Auburn (across the street from my grandmother's house in Watertown, but also in Cambridge) has been mentioned on a2k several times. We could generate auxilliary threads. Odd for me to say this, a main a2k tangent person. Just thinking of organization here.

I agree..... didn't we have a general graveyard thread?

Found it:
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=59931&highlight=cemetery

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That picture is one of my favorites too LK just for that reason.

There are a few more examples in the yard of the sort of 'imbalance' of man and nature, or how nature takes over what man leaves.

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If we keep on burying people and erecting monuments to their lives/memory then treating these areas as absolutly sacrosanct, will we eventually run out of land?

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dadpad wrote:

If we keep on burying people and erecting monuments to their lives/memory then treating these areas as absolutly sacrosanct, will we eventually run out of land?

That hasn't been done here in Europe (besides perhaps for celebrities and in small villages): the land has always been lend/bought for a couple of years only (here mostly between 30 and 15 years nowdays - you mostly acna buy it again.

So I didn't buy our family burial vault in my father's native town again (had been the family's burial place for 150 years): besides that it was literally full (since the house was bombed, more cofins had been placed inside than their was place: even on the steps downwards), I knew none of those buried there personally - and last buried was more than 55 years ago.

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dadpad wrote:

If we keep on burying people and erecting monuments to their lives/memory then treating these areas as absolutly sacrosanct, will we eventually run out of land?

I think this as well when I am walking around a grave yard.

I wonder why people think it is ok to place a 2 story, 1 ton piece of stone on top of a body, when in all truth, as soon as the immediate family die, the dead is unknown.

In less then 2 years, our bodies are next to nothing and no identifying marks remain. We are gone essentially.

Taking up huge amounts of space does not change this.

It has become a show of money and nothing else.
A simple small stone with initials work just fine. better then the 2 story carving.. I see it as arrogance more then anything else. and to me it is sad.

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so are you saying the headstones are removed and the cemetary may be sold to a developer who builds houses on it? (for example).

Do the bodies/coffins stay? I assume that they must.

I dont know of this happenning here in Australia. Perhaps it does and I am not aware of it.

There was talk of rezoning/reusing the Melbourne General Cemetary a year or so ago as the land is now very very valuable. Not sure what happened with that.

I will be cremated and my ashes scattered in the mountains. Many people have told me I am a waste of space in this life so i do not intend to take up more space after i am gone.

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dadpad wrote:

so are you saying the headstones are removed and the cemetary may be sold to a developer who builds houses on it? (for example).

Do the bodies/coffins stay? I assume that they must.

That's how it is and was done since centuries - perhaps without contacting a developer.

In my native town, they are just burying "above" - after the old tombs were kept for some years as lawn.

Headstones are usually either taken by relatives [friends have one in their garden: their house from 1740 was removed end of 19th century to the now place - including the headstone from 1800 (someone was buried in the garden originally)] or thrown in the rubbish bin.

Bodies/coffins stay (what ever is left from that).

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I went out today to try to finish the "oddity" part of this thread.

I arrived at 840'ish and looked at my cell phone at 12:15!

3 HOURS!

I still cant believe it..

but I am going to start editing and posting now... while little Bean is napping.

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Starting in the east side , where it seems to be mostly spanish people, I find excellent "odd" examples of home made head stones.

This one is PVC piping..

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/7647/picture001sy6.jpg

All the writting is pretty much worn away.
Again, it looks like one that was written in when the cement was wet

All I can read is Died July 5 194

I think it says 1941

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This style is one of my favorites.

It seems to be hand made of tiles.

Again... the writting has worn away..

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9213/picture002hc6.jpg

I picked this headstone only because I am surprised that the little glass doll is still there.

This place is a HUGE theft spot, even taking fences is popular.
Makes me wonder how old this thing is?

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8325/picture003xa5.jpg

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This, is a little 'house'.

When I stand next to it, it comes just to the bottom of my hips.
Very thin though.. I wonder how that concrete has lasted so long?

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2419/picture004sv5.jpg

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Here is another example of the tile laying grave markers.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1623/picture005wf2.jpg

There is SO MUCH written on this headstone it is just TOO full of family history.
Weather has erased almost all of it though.

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/4200/picture006qq9.jpg

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http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/8251/picture007xj0.jpg

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Diary of a graveyard.

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