Cities of the Dead

When traveling I’m always on the lookout for cemeteries. Not everyone understands why, including my wife. I know I’m not alone as there are many famous paintings and photographs of these areas.
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I will try and explain what fascinates me though I think fascinate is too strong a word. Nor is it morbid curiosity. I’m drawn to them for the serene setting and peacefulness that is found in them. Then there are the stories to be told if you stop and listen. Monuments, statues, markers all tell a story of lives lived, their loves, their sorrows, achievements, scandals and so much more.
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In America cemeteries as we know them today did not always exist. Usually people were buried in small sections of land that a family owned or in church plots. In 1831 all that changed when in Cambridge Massachusetts the Mount Auburn Cemetery was constructed.
From that date forward how the dear departed were buried changed so that soon elaborate park like cemeteries were becoming the norm. In fact public parks didn’t exist so these large beautiful grounds with statues, memorials, plants and trees became an attractive place to be while leaving the ordinariness of city life.
In fact upon entering a cemetery you often will do so through an elaborate gated entrance that in a way symbolizes you are leaving behind the city of living with all its hustle, bustle and noise and entering a city of the dead where quiet and respect are in order.
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Perhaps not as quiet as you might expect. A resurgence is taking place in today’s cemeteries. Families are gathering in them and it’s no longer unusual to see them having a picnic which is how it used to be. Some cemeteries are having concerts on their grounds.
There are groups of horticulturists that have taken it upon themselves to plant fresh flowers and maintain these sites with a Victorian flourish. In particular are the bathtub sites. So named because of their resemblance to bathtubs. Protruding outward from the base of a headstone is a planter that resembles a bathtub.
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Cemeteries are remarkable places filled with the most extraordinary sculptures, ancient trees as well as plants and flowers that really do make it a "Green Space" for all to enjoy.

More photos from this shoot can be seen by clicking on the link "More Information"