Gravely Speaking and Syngrammata have decided to dig deep into our photo collections in order to bring you pairs of images drawn from our many years combing through American cemeteries. Each pair will be linked by a theme which we are free to interpret. Suggestions of future themes to follow are welcome in the comments! This week’s theme is humor.

Gravelyspeaking writes:

Nothing is as final as death. The quote, “Dead men tell no lies” reminds us of the silence of the grave. However, the dead can speak one last time in wills, diaries, letters, and epitaphs. Though many epitaphs are chosen for the person after he or she has passed away, some people do choose their own. Mel Blanc’s epitaph signs off with his signature Porky Pig closing at the end of the Looney Tunes cartoon, “That’s All Folks!” One wonders if Mr. Blanc was also making a larger statement on the afterlife.

In the case of Barry Becher, the advertising guru who pioneered late-night infomercials hawking Ginsu Knives who just recently died, his family has announced that his epitaph will read, “But wait, there’s more!” This is his famous catch phrase that has been mimicked by nearly every infomercial now. Again, this epitaph could be read as a double entendre referring to the hereafter.

Amaryllis Jones, who is buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York, also had the last word. Her epitaph reads, “I told you I was sick.” No mistaking that message; she wanted to remind those who she left behind that she was not complaining, this was not the typical ailment, that she was RIGHT, she was sick! Or, she had a good sense of humor.

Syngrammata writes:

In Riverside Cemetery in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Stephen C. Arena has built a notable monument for himself, embedding an architectural fragment within a newly carved granite framework. The architectural fragment is the keystone of an arch in the form of a lion’s head. One imagines Mr. Arena rescued or collected it in the Robert Moses era when older American buildings were being torn down for the sake of beltways and modernization. Ours is a fierce lion, threatening us with a wide-mouthed snarl.
The modern framework for the old lion’s head is worth paying attention to. The pillars are decorated streamlined fluting, and above all rests a pediment like an ancient temple. As I read the monument, it is a classical setting, an “arena,” if you will, which features a lion as a part of the entertainment. Which made me laugh out loud when I first saw it!