The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut sent out enterprising door-to-door salesmen armed with a catalog to show customers the full range of “white bronze” markers the company produced. These grave markers came in a wide assortment of sizes and shapes and were somewhat like grave marker erector sets. The more elaborate markers had a shell of sorts and then various panels could be bolted on according to the tastes of the family ordering the grave marker. In this way, each marker could be “customized” to the tastes of the individual.  Though the company billed the markers as “white bronze” they were cast zinc.  The markers are distinguishable by their bluish-gray tint. Many of the designs mimicked designs that were commonly found carved from stone.  The company set up their first subsidiary in Detroit, Michigan. Others followed in Philadelphia, New Orleans, St. Thomas, Ontario, Des Moines, and Chicago.

Another way to order a gravestone was directly from the Sears Roebuck catalog, which was mailed directly to households across America.  Founded by Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck in 1893, the company, the Amazon of its day, offered a wide array of household merchandise and became one of the largest retailers in the country, even offering a large selection of gravestones.  The company mailed separate catalogs featuring their wide array of gravestones to order at relatively inexpensive prices, plus shipping, of course.