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Eggener's section entitled Comings and Goings in the Silent City is not
only about the visits of the living to cemeteries, but also the comings and
goings of the religious and cultural acceptability of holding events like
fairs, markets and sporting contests within cemetery walls. He mentions the
practice of American colonists in grazing their cattle in cemeteries. They
reckoned that in cemeteries, the dead made the nutrient levels much higher. In
his social commentary, he also talks about the historic popularity of cemeteries
with the living, resulting in visitor numbers having to be limited.
Notwithstanding these interesting anecdotes, the depiction of the
architectural elements of Cemeteries is still a major focus. About half of the
book is taken up with a description of American Burial Grounds from Churchyards
to Memorial Parks and Beyond. Eggener describes the landscaping and design
elements of churchyards, graveyards, secular burial grounds, rural and lawn park
cemeteries and military cemeteries. He even describes pet cemeteries as well as
ship and automobile graveyards!
A second smaller section illustrates buildings and other architectural
elements, such as gates and gatehouses, walls and fences, administration
buildings, lodges and chapels. Becoming gradually smaller, the third section
deals with Grave Markers, Sculpture, Monuments and Mausoleums. Eggener sees
these markers as "cultural documents conveying information about religious and
philosophical beliefs, cultural transmission, demographics, economics and other
matters".
The author always retains the social, cultural, economic and historical
context in his discussion. He describes the role of cemeteries in community
development in America, during the westward movement of the frontier. As people
died, others stopped to bury them and towns sprang up as they became burial
sites and places of reverence and remorse.
Eggener also draws links between economic progress and cemeteries. For
example, he demonstrates how economic growth led to the standardisation of
monuments. He also describes how commercial imperatives gradually led to an
increase in the number of graves per acre.
The book demonstrates cultural differences in burial practices, including
those of Native Americans. He discusses the significant differences between
the cemeteries of New Orleans, which are somewhat reminiscent of Père La Chaise
cemetery in France, and the rest of America.
In short, this book looks at cemeteries from many angles, both
photographically and thematically. He even has a real estate angle, describing
cemeteries as "suburban subdivisions for the dead" and community mausoleums as
"mortuary apartment houses". He has a hygiene angle too and indicates how
changing attitudes to hygiene impacted on the relative location of cemeteries
away from regular housing and their increasing location to rural areas.
If you've never visited a cemetery except out of necessity, you may change
your mind after reading Cemeteries by Kevin Eggener. And whether your
interests are historical, architectural, social or otherwise, there's something
for you in Cemeteries.
Publisher: W W Norton & Company, Inc 2010
ISBN 978-0-393-73169-9
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