Remembering the Irish Famine
Gone but not forgotten. Not forgotten because WE are remembering the Irish Famine. Each St. Patrick’s Day my heart is turned to the Irish. My own father was born on St. Patrick’s Day and was fittingly given the middle name of Patrick. We live in…
Riding the Cemetery Railroad
What would it be like to take passage on a cemetery railroad? Imagine it is 1854 and a new train has been built to serve your home city of London. It only has one destination. It travels 23 miles to the end of the line…
Damaged Gravestones
Damaged gravestones mean lost history. In many cases, the damaged gravestones contain not only personal family history but also community and cultural information. Some gravestones are damaged by natural causes. Others are damaged by either well-meaning or ill-intentioned humans. But if damaged gravestones are photographed…
Understanding Jewish Gravestones
If you’ve spent much time in cemeteries, you’ve probably seen some matzevot or Jewish gravestones. You may have wondered – what is the significance of the rocks placed on them? Why are some of the gravestones vertical and some horizontal? Or what do the inscriptions…
Portraits in Stone
Families have been immortalizing their loved ones with portraits in stone on their gravesites for thousands of years. After all, it’s hard to lose the people you love. So we rationalize that if we could have just one last look at their face, it might…
Australian Gravestone Symbols
Waverley Cemetery in the suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world – and it’s a great place to learn about Australian gravestone symbols. Waverly Cemetery is perched on high cliffs overlooking the…
