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While most think of cemeteries as great places to whip out ghost hunting tools, not so long ago people picnicked in graveyards, making a day of it.  Yes, these greenscapes offer much more than potential jump scares. Each grave holds the story of someone that lived, struggled, failed and prevailed. The tombstones are bookmarks. There is symbology on the graves that, if you take the time to decipher, unlock a secret language that adds depth to your understanding of local history and lore. From the tragedy of the Spanish Flu to tragic fires to the flower-cloaked graves of Hollywood-types, cemeteries have no entrance fee. In fact, the grandest cemeteries across the US were planned and developed by some of the preeminent landscape architects of our time. My personal favorites, though, are the ones you hear about in whispers at a local coffee shop, where the graves have been grown over with weeds and ivy and the trees above drip with moss. 

I’ve been obsessed with cemeteries since I was a kid. It all began when my mom needed to attend night classes. She hired an unusual babysitter. The lady was nice enough, but she was the daughter of a cemetery caretaker which meant we stayed at a cottage in the middle of Pasco Cemetery  while she watched us.

From the history of cemeteries, to burial customs, tombstone symbology, and an overview of cemeteries you MUST visit before you, well, need a cemetery...I promise you'll learn something new.

Show Creators, Social Media Links and Sources:

Art Director: @NorasUnnamedPhotos (on Instagram)

Curious Cat on Twitter

Curious Cat on Instagram

Host, Jennifer Hotes, on Twitter

Links to Sources and Materials:

Thomas Sherman Ambrose interred at Preston Cemetery on FindAGrave.com.

https://thefield.asla.org/2022/02/10/mountain-view-cemetery-oakland-california-an-early-olmsted-design/ 

https://oakwoodniagara.org/history-of-the-rural-cemetery/

Chinese Repatriation of Bones

https://www.kalw.org/show/crosscurrents/2017-12-13/a-new-art-exhibit-traces-the-journey-of-bone-boxes-throughout-the-chinese-diaspora

Thomas’s Grave I

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Art Director, Nora, has a handmade, ethically-sourced jewelry company!