Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know.  But I do not approve.  And I am not resigned.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay (poet, 1892-1950);
 excerpt from Dirge Without Music

REMEMBERING THE PAST

Cemeteries have fascinated me since I was a child.  Early on, I remember visiting a Russian Orthodox cemetery and being intrigued by the atypical headstones and striking sculpture I discovered.  That allure remains with me today.  I never tire of exploring an uncrawled graveyard.

Imagine my surprise to learn along the way that I am just one of thousands who are taphophiles.  Taphophilia is an interest in or love of graves and cemeteries.  I am especially drawn to the memorial art and architecture of cemeteries.  My keenest interest is finding and photographing cemetery angels and unusual headstones.

Cemeteries blend remembrance, history and art in a peaceful, but sometimes neglected setting.  I believe the past should never be forgotten and we should appreciate the heritage of all graveyards.  To that end, I encourage all who visit Cemetery Visions to support your state and/or local community's efforts to save and preserve historical cemeteries.

LINKS:

Arizona Gravestones
Association for Gravestone Studies
Find A Grave
Mount Auburn Cemetery (Cambridge, MA)
Pioneers' Cemetery Association (Phoenix, Arizona)
Saving Graves