I mentioned in a previous post, that I wanted to add book reviews to the blog. I am an avid reader, of both fiction and non-fiction, and I think this platform will be a great way for me to share some of my favorite cemetery-related books. I am hoping to share some great resources, and good reads that you may want to add to your own book collections.
Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A field guide for historic graveyards by Tui Snider
Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A field guide for historic graveyards by Tui Snider
This book is a great resource for learning more about symbols that you may find in your local cemeteries. It’s filled with photos to help you visualize the symbols for easy recognition. It also goes in-depth on a variety of symbols that can be found; like the different meanings for hands, and the many varieties of statues. The book is also laid out in a way that makes referencing it very easy.
I only purchased this book this year, but it has become a go-to when trying to decipher the symbols I come across.
You can read more from Tui at her website. She also puts out a weekly newsletter every Sunday, detailing new articles and what’s new on her youtube channel.
I look forward to reading some of her other works in the future!
Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I just finished reading 199 Cemeteries to see before you die by Loren Rhoads. It’s a great read, showcasing beautiful and unique cemeteries all over the world. It has me thinking a lot about travel lately. Unfortunately, travel isn’t really in my future at the moment. We are currently in Step 3 of the Ontario Reopening Plan due to COVID-19. Restrictions have lifted a little and life is getting a little bit back to normal. But, I am not quite ready to do any major traveling just yet. This past year and a half have been hard, and my mind has wandered a lot—daydreaming of visiting far-off places and new cemeteries.
Reading 199 Cemeteries to see before you die has been helping curb that wanderlust. A little bit. It’s been a nice escape, but my bucket list of cemeteries to visit just seems to be getting longer and longer!
Here are my current top 5 cemeteries I want to see before I die:
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Located in Sleepy Hollow, New York. This cemetery is 85 acres, and is most notably the resting place of Washington Irving, the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. This cemetery might be best known for its fictional dead people—as the namesakes for characters in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow come from this burial ground. Supposedly even the grave of the Headless horseman can be found here. This cemetery also offers walking tours; The Original Knickerbocker: Washington Irving & The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Classic Evening Lantern Tour. You can also pick up a free legal-sized map at the Cemetery office, or purchase a full color 17 x 20 map for self-guided tours.
Located in Salem, Massachusetts. It is also known as the Charter Street cemetery. It’s the oldest cemetery in Salem, and holds some connections to the witchcraft trials that took place there in 1692-1693. It has many beautiful slate and sandstone grave markers. I would love to see the detailed deaths heads in person. Some of the more notable people buried here are: Salem witch trial judge John Hathorne, and a passenger on the Mayflower, Capt. Richard More. There is also a memorial to the men and women who were killed during the witch trials.
Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This cemetery holds the graves of over 121 victims of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, that happened on April 15, 1912. They are memorialized with granite markers, laid out in the subtle outline of a ship’s hull. There is also a mass grave for the victims of the Halifax explosion that happened in 1917 and war graves of commonwealth personnel from World War I and World War II.
Necropolis means “city of the dead” in Greek. This historic cemetery in Toronto Ontario, opened in 1850 and is the final resting place of many notable Canadians such as Toronto’s first Mayor, William Lyon Mackenzie and Dr. Roy Dafoe, of the Dionne Quintuplets fame. It is also the final resting place of George A. Romero, director of the horror movie classic Night of the Living dead. This large cemetery also contains a cremation chapel. The chapel was erected in 1872, with the crematorium added later, in 1933.
Located in New Orleans, this cemetery opened in 1789, it’s the oldest and most famous in New Orleans. Most of the graves are above-ground vaults, following Spanish custom due to the area having a high water table. The most notable graves here may be the Voodoo Priestess Marie Laveau, and notorious slave owner Delphine LaLaurie. You can also find the future final resting place of Nicholas Cage here.
Today is World Photography Day! This annual day of recognition celebrates the art, science, and history of photography.
“A photograph has the ability to capture a place; an experience; an idea; a moment in time. For this reason, it’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Photographs can convey a feeling faster than, and sometimes even more effectively than words can. A photograph can make the viewer see the world the way the photographer sees it.” – worldphotographyday.com
I absolutely love photography. It’s been a hobby of mine for quite a while. To me, taking a photo is capturing a moment from my point of view. I have dabbled in many different forms of photography; wedding, portrait, food, landscape, and more. My niche is cemetery photography. I have always been drawn to cemeteries. I love being able to show others how I see them. I love using my lens to showcase minute details, rolling hills dotted with stones, curious creatures who call cemetery’s home and so much more.
So how can you celebrate World Photography Day?
Learn a little something about the history of photography
A couple of weekends ago I visited the grave of Renée Sweeney.
While planning out a hike that weekend, I checked which cemeteries would be along the way. One of them just so happened to be her resting place.
I usually don’t spend as much time in newer cemeteries because the stones and symbolism are much more modern and not as nuanced. This cemetery is full of some very interesting stones and stories. Because I was searching for one grave in particular, I took my time walking through the rows, examining every stone. I came across some lovely stones and epitaphs, as well as some heartbreaking ones.
But none as heartbreaking as the family plot of Renée Sweeney.
Her grave marker is small, laying flat to the earth, but it tells a story of a life cut short, that had a lot of love yet to give. The epitaph reads “Loving Daughter and Sister, Life is fleeting Love is forever” A trombone is engraved on her stone, as well as a treble clef and an angel. She is buried beside her mother.
What happened to Renée is terrifying and heart-wrenching. She was 23 years old when she was brutally murdered in 1998. She was stabbed at least 30 times while working at Adults Only Video.
Her murder went unsolved for 20 years.
In 2018, Robert Steven Wright was arrested. He faces a second-degree murder charge. Due to the pandemic, he is still awaiting trial. His new trial date as of this writing is October 25th, 2021. The trial is expected to last 5 weeks.
Renée’s story can be found in more detail in Unsolved Sudbury: Missing. Murdered. Unexplained. by Sarah May. Books are available locally at Bay Used Books, Jan Browning Boutique, and Sudbury Paint and Custom Framing.
If you are interested in learning more about this tragic history, you can read more about it at these links:
Cemetery Photography by Chantal Larochelle 