Monthly Archives: June 2012

A Victorian Flower

Posted on June 28, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The young female figure, head looking down in reflection and sorrow, is seen holding an Easter lily in one hand.  Unfortunately, the fingertips in her other hand are broken, but it is likely her hand was holding a flower which she … Continue reading →

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From Greek Architecture to Greek Myth

Posted on June 27, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The Earthly remains of Benjamin and Irene Smith were laid to rest in a solemn and gray granite Greek revival-style mausoleum.  The mausoleum is of the Doric order—characterized by the fluted columns with no base resting directly on the stylobate, … Continue reading →

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Gothic Architecture

Posted on June 25, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The C.W. Gheens Mausoleum is an architectural jewel nestled in the famed Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.  Built in 1874 for Charles W. Gheens, a wholesale grocer, real estate investor and cement producer, its design gives the viewer a … Continue reading →

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Flowers

Posted on June 24, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Victorians used many flowers in their funeral practices.  The body lay in state in the parlor of a home as long as four days, often without the benefit of being emblamed.  To cover the odors, Victorians filled the parlor with … Continue reading →

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The Veil

Posted on June 23, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The matching segmented-top white marble gravestones (they probably wore matching bowling shirts, too!) of John and Rachel Ann Craft, husband and wife, are located at the First Baptist Churchyard in Kingsbury, Indiana. Each gravestone displays curtains which are pulled back to reveal a coffin.  The lifted curtain represents … Continue reading →

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The Curtain

Posted on June 21, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The curtain or the veil  symbolizes the exit from one realm to the entrance to another.  Here a little girl has made the passage from this life to the next as she seemingly takes one last glimpse at Earthly world. … Continue reading →

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Father Time and the Weeping Virgin

Posted on June 18, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

In this funerary sculpture, a winged Father Time is depicted here as an old man, with a long beard and a large pair of wings. Father Time is standing with one of the tools of his trade that makes him instantly … Continue reading →

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A Father’s Day Wish

Posted on June 16, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

About a decade and a half ago, AT&T reported that nearly 20 million more calls are made on Mother’s Day than on Father’s Day.  Father’s Day, however, had the distinction of being the biggest day for collect phone calls! My … Continue reading →

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A Mother’s loss

Posted on June 14, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Sometimes while I wander through cemeteries I just read the epitaphs.  The following epitaph that I read in the Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington, has really stuck with me because it is poignant and displays the loss and pain … Continue reading →

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Calla Lily

Posted on June 12, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The calla lily is a stunner with it’s long slender stem, brillant white flowers, and broad leaves.  Though it is called a lily it is actually not in the flower family liliacea. The South African native is actually a cousin to the … Continue reading →

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