Category Archives: Symbolism

Marshall Field

Posted on December 21, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

In a rags-to-riches story suitable for Horatio Alger, Marshall Field, who started as a clerk in a dry goods store, ended up buying the store in which he worked in 1865.  By the time Field died in 1906, he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Famous graves, Symbolism | 1 Comment

Victorian Mourning Figure

Posted on December 16, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Many Victorian cemetery monuments are imbued with a multitude of symbolism.  In David Robinson’s book, Saving Graces, mourning figures from some of the most beautiful and famous cemeteries in Europe show sculpted beautiful, young, and voluptuous women often wearing revealing clothing mourning … Continue reading →

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The Griffin

Posted on December 8, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

On the Pelton Tomb in the Greenwood Cemetery at New Orleans, Louisiana, the top of the crypt displays urns flanked by two griffins.  The griffin is a mythological beast that has the combined head and wings of the King of the … Continue reading →

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Cast-iron tomb

Posted on December 5, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Cast-iron is an oft-used material for fencing in cemeteries but it is also used as a building material for tombs.  The Pelton Family tomb in the Greenwood Cemetery at New Orleans is one of two identical cast-iron tombs in the … Continue reading →

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The Pineapple

Posted on November 30, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The pineapple won its name because the outside of the fruit looked like a pinecone and the fleshy interior was reminiscent of an apple—hence the name—pine+apple. Since the early days of Spanish exploration of the Caribbean, the pineapple was recognized as a … Continue reading →

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The Lyre

Posted on November 29, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Often symbolism is highly stylized in the metalwork surrounding tombs and crypts. The gate to the Albert Crima Family crypt in the Saint Louis Cemetery, Number One at New Orleans, Louisiana, for example, has a stylized lyre. The lyre is … Continue reading →

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Angel in prayer

Posted on November 26, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

An elaborate fence with marble fence posts and cast iron railings surround the William A. Brady Sr. gravestone within the Saint Patrick Cemetery Number Two at New Orleans.  The cast iron gate is another fine example of the symbolism to … Continue reading →

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Odd Fellows

Posted on November 25, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization that formed in England in the 1700s as a service organization. The American association was founded in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 26, 1819. According to the I.O.O.F. Website, “Thomas Wildey … Continue reading →

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The Flame

Posted on November 24, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

The Taylor Dufilho Family Crypt in the Lafayette Cemetery Number 1 at New Orleans, Louisiana, is topped with a flame rising out of a garland-festooned urn.  Here the ironwork surrounding the crypt is repeating the symbol of the flame in the … Continue reading →

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Iron work

Posted on November 22, 2012 by gravelyspeaking

Symbolism and funerary art found in cemeteries is not limited to the gravestones.  Rich detail and iconography can also be found in the gates and iron work that surround many graves and adorn mausoleums.  The Cypress Grove Cemetery in New … Continue reading →

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