25 September 2010

William French






This is a memorial for William French who lost his life on 13th July 1896 by saving a dog from drowning in Highgate Ponds North London. The dog survived, alas Mr French did not. The monument was erected in St Pancras and Islington Cemetery in commemoration of his brave deed and paid for by public subscription.

19 August 2010

Figure in a shroud.

A figure in a sack like shroud, St Mary’s Perivale, London. This is the only one I’ve ever seen quite like this.

13 August 2010

Ricardo's Cat

Ricardo’s cat, a large mosaic cat from Pere Lachaise cemetery Paris which always makes me smile.

02 August 2010

Marville, a Cold War Baby Blues - Part Two



"Two World Wars left Europe with a scattering of well tended war cemeteries," the Lady of the Cemetery said. "The Cold War however, sprinkled the European countryside with tombstones of Canadian Forces personnel and their families..."




According to the Canadian Department of National Defence, more than 1,370 Canadians were buried in Europe during the Cold War. "But many graves were lost," the old lady said. "In Canada graves are kept in perpetuity, you know. But in Europe a grave is usually leased for a period of 20 to 25 years, after which the headstone is removed and the grave is used again."

As the Canadian Forces prepared to leave Europe, the National Defence Headquarters became aware of this issue. People had relatives buried there, but no grave could be found. One month a Canadian had been buried in a military cemetery, the other in a civilian.

"Plots in the children's section already expired after 5 to 20 years," the old lady said. "And they could not be renewed, you know."




In April 2002 the Department of National Defence launched a website which made it possible to search easily for names in an alphabetical listing. National Defence also went into negotiations to renew the leases and protect the graves.


"It turned out that the graves of serving members were by far the smaller number," the Lady of the Cemetery said. "Many of them were newborn babies, you see? And that's why I got the Cold War Baby Blues, mister."

For the graves that were lost, a memorial cairn was raised in the cemetery where once the grave was, with the names of the Canadians buried here.



Many of them simply had "baby" in front of the surnames.

"See for instance Marville, France," the Lady of the Cemetery said. "Cozy little village it was."

Read Also: Marville, a Cold War Baby Blues - Part One

(To Be Continued!)

31 July 2010

unknown Chicago area cemetery - a set on Flickr




unknown Chicago area cemetery - a set on Flickr

If anyone recognizes this graveyard, please give me details about it's location and name. As far as I can recall, it was in the vicinity of All Saint's Catholic Cemetery in Des Plaines. There were a lot of Germanic names and there was an old, white church house on the grounds by the road.

VOTE FOR Cemetery Girls | By Daryl "Darko" Barnett | Blurb

Cemetery Girls | By Daryl "Darko" Barnett | Blurb

Blurb has a "People's Choice Award" for the contestants in their Photography Book Now contest. I don't think the prize is much more than a pretty certificate written on with a quill, but still, it's a little bit of notoriety. I'd be honored if you'd vote for my book. You only get to vote for one book, one time only.

Thanks!

29 July 2010

21 July 2010

Dead Man's Penny

This is known as a dead man's penny. I discovered it on a monument at the City of London cemetery.

19 July 2010

Emily Pankhurst, London.



Emmeline (Emily) Pankhurst 1858 – 1928, leader of the suffragette movement. Brompton cemetery, London.

06 July 2010

05 July 2010

Glasgow Necropolis Scotland - the snake and hand.


A snake and hand from Glasgow Necropolis, Scotland. The snake or serpent biting its own tail and forming a circle is called an Ouroboros. Used in ancient cultures it can symbolise unity, eternity or the cyclical nature of many aspects of life.

21 June 2010

Paris


Angel with child from a cemetery in Paris, this wonderful monument is made from a white iron.

16 June 2010

Pere Lachaise, Paris

I’ve never seen another quite like this – an unusual mirrored monument from Pere Lachaise, Paris with tiny figures depicting the life of the man buried there.

11 June 2010

Ironwork, West Norwood Cemetery


A wonderful monument with virtually intact ironwork from the Greek cemetery at West Norwood cemetery London.

10 June 2010

Pere Lachaise, Paris.


An unusual Buddhist memorial from Pere Lachaise cemetery Paris. It has ‘faces’ on all four sides.

05 June 2010

The worms of Southend Cemetery
















This is the amazing scene at Southend Cemetery in Essex UK. Millions of caterpillars spinning their silk webs all over the trees. In their caterpillar stage, the bugs, known as web worms, weave leaves of trees together and eat them. They are bird cherry tree ermine moths and when they emerge fully grown, they become distinctive white moths with five rows of black dots. It gives the cemetery a kind of eerie winter wonderland feel!

03 June 2010

Burnham, Essex UK


I discovered this coffin shaped memorial in St Mary the Virgin’s churchyard in Burnham, Essex and dubbed it the camouflage coffin!

02 June 2010

City of London Cemetery


This woman from the City of London cemetery always makes me shiver no matter how warm the weather is, there is something a little creepy about her and she is also very difficult to photograph well. Her features appear very lifelike.

31 May 2010

27 May 2010

Montmartre cemetery




An angel of death who appears to be sinking a paddle steamer. This amazing monument is from Montmartre cemetery in Paris.

26 May 2010

Melaten


A beautiful, quiet cemetery surrounded by busy city life, Melaten is located on Aachener Strasse in Cologne, Germany. I can't remember the first time I found this place but since then I have been back many times. On my last visit I finally found some very interesting information. The location was originally used during the Middle Ages for witch burnings and executions, including the hanging of a church robber in 1797. There was also a leprosarium for lepers on the grounds, which is where the cemetery gets it's name; Malade is french for ill. The building was closed in 1767 when leprosy was mainly wiped out in Europe. In 1804 Napolean ordered that Cologne citizens only bury their dead outside the municipality, which is when it was decided to use Melaten as a cemetery.








































23 May 2010

Sir Richard Burton 1821 – 1890, Mortlake Cemetery London.











Burton was an explorer and is buried with his wife Isabel, in a monument in the shape of an Arab tent in Mortlake cemetery London. He was a fearless traveller leading expeditions including a search for the source of the Nile. He explored not only countries but also cultures and religions, learnt more than 20 languages and dialects, and was captivated by the lure of the East. Burton was not a Catholic, but his wife was a devout. When her husband died in 1890, Lady Burton insisted on a Catholic burial. Public subscription raised the bulk of the £460 needed to build the tomb. The interior was furnished and decorated at a cost estimated at a further £1,000, including both Christian and Islamic symbols, reflecting areas of Burton’s special interest. I wandered around the back to see if the curtain detail continued there and discovered a ladder to a glass window on the roof of the tomb. Despite my fear of heights I climbed up and took some interior shots, both coffins were clearly visible. The tent–like structure is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and looks almost out of place in the tiny churchyard.

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