Cemeteries

There are 14 posts tagged Cemeteries (this is page 2 of 3).

Union Burying Ground

The location is available to the public. Not open to the public exactly, but not closed at any time either.

I did not go inside the old brick wall. Partly because it was tumbling down in places and I did not want to cause any more damage to it, not one brick more of it. Mostly because it looked so undisturbed over the wall. I just didn’t want to put my footsteps in there.

The grass over the fence was golden swirls. I was using the smaller camera and I don’t think it ever quite caught the colour of the grass. It was very golden, like something you would draw for a fantasy scene.

It was called the Union Burying Ground. Built in 1848 for the United Empire Loyalists in Ontario.

I’m working on uploading my photos into my own gallery. (Not part of WordPress). I’ve started with the photos I took from the cemetery we found in Burlington last week.  I will add a link to the other photographs once I get the software working the way I want. At the moment I’m having a battle with it over file sizes.

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The Association of Graveyard Rabbits

The main site for The Association of Graveyard Rabbits hasn’t been kept updated but I found Canadian members.  Not all active but at least the lights are still on (or the sites are still loading). I’d be glad to list more Canadian members if one comes along.graveyardrabbits

The Graveyard Rabbit of British Columbia, Canada – M. Diane Rogers

Rock of Ages: Grave Concerns (The Graveyard Rabbit of Alberta)

My Grave Addiction (Ontario)

Graveyard Rabbit of Grey County, Ontario – Janet Iles

Exploring Cemeteries for Photography and History

I like exploring cemeteries for the stonework. Everything else is nice but it’s really stone sculpture that I want to see. Weathering just adds to the allure.

Why should you consider exploring cemeteries with your camera? Here are a few reasons:

Beauty – Some landmark cemeteries are full of very elaborate and ornate sculptures, many of which can be considered works of art.

Character – Older gravestones and statues often have a weathered look that can only be produced by decades or centuries of exposure to the elements.

History – Cemeteries chronicle the history of cities and towns. Even a casual examination of gravestones can provide clues into customs, tastes, and norms of a given era. Reading some of the inscriptions can provide touching glimpses into people’s lives, how they lived, what they valued, and how they were thought of by others.

Atmosphere – Regardless of the season or weather conditions, cemetery scenes can evoke quite a bit of emotions on the part of the observers. A dark moody sky set against the end-of-day’s streaming sunshine can produce some vivid imagery.

Wildlife – Cemeteries in rural settings often border wooded areas. As such, it is not unusual for some to become veritable sanctuaries for wildlife.

Repose – In all but the most popular cemeteries, early morning and late afternoon hours will likely find you with little company. Getting some exercise while experimenting with some creative photography techniques in a serene setting can be quite peaceful and relaxing

Source: Photographing Cemeteries and Exploring Their Beauty

Why are Coins Left on Gravestones?

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COINS LEFT ON TOMBSTONES

While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave.

These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America’s military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited.

A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the solider when he was killed.

According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.

In the US, this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier’s family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war.

Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a “down payment” to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.

The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men and women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire.

This was on Facebook today.