For May's American Cemetery & Cremation, I interviewed 5 popular Instagram taphophiles. In the article they talk about why they photograph cemetery monuments, what they look for, and what they hope to impart to readers.
Near the edge of Green -Wood Cemetery, a sculpture of a beautiful woman –Rose Guarino--reclining across stone steps stops visitors in their tracks. Open-eyed, with lips parted and long hair flowing, she is dressed in a flowing gown, and wearing sandals. She clutches a bouquet in her hands. For generations, Brooklyn locals have believed that the monument commemorates a mafia bride gunned down on her wedding day in a revenge killing. The true story behind the statue does involve a murder and is just as tragic. In the summer of 1909, Dominica Merello and her daughter, Rose Guarino, were dining with family members on the lawn of their NJ summer home when Pietro Silverio, an irate domestic employee, rushed the women, gun in hand, to exact revenge for losing his job. As the women attempted to flee, Silverio gave chase and shot Guarino in the back. She died three days later. Guarino's body was held for two years in the cemetery's receiving vault while the monument w...
Alfred Harvey was a comic book publisher and animation producer who founded Harvey World Comics in 1940. He introduced iconic characters such Blondie and Dagwood, Felix the Cat, the Green Hornet, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Dick Tracy, and Richie Rich. His characters not only made him the leading comic book publisher during the 1950s but also left an indelible mark on the world of comics. Harvey is buried next to his wife Elsa Victoria, who preceded him in death by four months. The monument features a bas-relief of his company's mascot, Joker, a harlequin jack-in-the-box character. The couple is buried within the Larchmont Temple grounds.
Some of my best cemetery finds have come my way through pure serendipity. Walking through a cemetery can be a solemn and, at times, an eerie experience. The silence, the weathered tombstones, and the weight of history all cast a mysterious cloak over the atmosphere. Yet, amidst the somber surroundings, there are occasions when serendipity sweeps in to unearth unexpected stories that lie quietly beneath the gravestones. Cemeteries are not solely the resting place of the departed: they are also a testament to the lives lived, the triumphs and struggles woven into the fabric of humanity. Each tombstone tells a unique tale, often with fragments of personal narratives that time has erased. But sometimes, amid the rows of weathered memorials, a serendipitous find sheds light on forgotten stories, connecting us to the past in ways we never imagined. One might stumble upon a gravestone adorned with flowers, meticulously maintained despite the passage of time. Curiosity piqued, we learn that a ...
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