I love old graveyards, the weathered stones, the big old trees, the peace and quiet. I think some of the best stone sculpture and bronzes not in museums or on government buildings can be seen in these cemeteries. I am lucky to live near the capital of this state where up in the ghetto is the original old cemetery going back to the early 1800s, which is really not that old. Of course to go there one has to pack a weapon and carry a camera to look like a photographer, even though that is what i am doing, with a little Vodoun maybe. I found one plot that just oozes Ghede and leave my crossed cigars there, and have found other offerings here too. The weapon is for the packs of kids skipping school with BB guns shooting pigeons, and the packs of dogs, and the homeless people who sometimes live in the broken open mausoleums. Things have improved and the caretakers are pretty diligent, though there is always vandalism. Back when the city was growing they disinterred and reburied all that was left of bones and headstones from the older church cemeteries downtown, you know, to make parking spaces. So there are rows of Revolutionary War, Civil War and even a Nunnery’s graves there.
Here is a slideshow of some of my own pictures, which are Copyright 2012 GLHoke:
How i got on this subject today was finding The Cemetery Traveler by Ed Snyder. The nice thing about these links i am posting here is that most are run by photographers, so there are some great pictures, which are copyrighted. His post on What’s Buried in that Graveyard? is very interesting.
This next blog European Cemeteries definitely contains some great photography, and the video below with snapshots taken in the rain of some incredibly great stone carving, is from this site.
And here are three more links to check out. Enjoy!
Secrets of Death (this site has some beautiful poetry)
Blau Stern Schwarz Schlonge 