Fall 2024 Edition
Alumni & Friends Magazine
Worth a Thousand Words
A new photography book celebrates burial grounds as places of inspiration.
Laura Andr茅 | September 12, 2024
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鈥溾 is a photographic portrait of the state鈥檚 cemeteries and burial grounds by Ohio photographers and . The text and photo captions, written by Robin L. Smith, provide an overview of the history of burial grounds鈥攆rom prehistoric mounds to modern 鈥済reen鈥 cemeteries鈥攁nd many fascinating details about gravestones, mausoleums, statuary and cemetery landscapes.
According to historian Jeffrey E. Smith, the coffee-table book 鈥済ives readers more than a book about cemeteries鈥攊t is about the American experience itself.鈥
The introduction provides an overview of the historical place of burial grounds in our society and of their value today, not only as rich sources of history but also as repositories of art, architecture and nature. Cemeteries record the history of their communities in their names and dates, but they also tell us how a community wanted its history recorded: How did this community see itself? Who were the prominent people, and what did they accomplish? Graveyards, especially older ones, are also full of quirky names and mysteries. Who would name a child Nimrod, and where did that name come from? Why would two families build identical side-by-side mausoleums? Who would want a grave marker that looks like a pile of stones?
The book鈥檚 chapters cover prehistoric mounds and early European American burial grounds; the evolution from rural cemeteries in the 19th century to modern green burials; art, architecture and symbolism in cemeteries; cemeteries and nature; military and institutional burial grounds; and distinctive ethnic cemeteries. Cemeteries in all 88 Ohio counties are included and listed in a guide at the end of the book.
In over 200 photographs, the book鈥檚 creators highlight and showcase these sometimes neglected pieces of history. Their work shows that rather than dark, morbid places to be avoided, cemeteries are historic landscapes that are full of beauty, hope and honor for those Ohioans who came before us.
Lake View Cemetery in Cuyahoga County is one of the many final resting places featured in the book. Courtesy Ian Adams
A full moon rises as Canada geese fly over a group of cherubs. St.Joseph Cemetery, Franklin County, Lockbourne, Ohio. Courtesy of Ian Adams
The Old Hudson Burial Ground is the final resting place of many of Hudson's early settlers, including Ruth Mills Brown, the mother of abolitionist John Brown, who was buried here in 1808. Courtesy Ian Adams
Laura Andr茅 is the publicity and metadata manager at the .
Feature photo courtesy Ian Adams
