I COUNT NONE BUT SUNNY HOURS
...so reads what remains of a tarnished brass sundial, once the adornment of an Edwardian-era headstone which now, toppled by weather and years, rests askew in rustling prairie grass and slithering blackberry vines. Initially, cemeteries may seem like a morbid choice of subject matter or, perhaps worse, a passe fancy born of too many vampire movies, dark obsession, or pursuit of the melodramatic yet there is so much more to these places - more history, more artistry, more expressions of raw humanity - than first impressions might imply. As a child, it was my Father who taught me an appreciation for the unusual beauty and intrinsic historical value of the tender, scrolling words, emotive sculptures, signs and symbols, ceramic portraiture, unique architecture, and thoughtful design that bore tribute to the dearly departed.
As I would come to learn, burial practices vary as widely from one culture to another as do religions, histories, resources, traditions, and geographical distances themselves. And, of course, the majority of the world's people practice cremation as a means of transition from one world to the next. With our worldwide population growing exponentially over the past century and open, sprawling landscapes becoming a rarer commodity with each passing day, the Cremation Association of North America reports that if current trends continue graveyards may one day be a thing of the past. So don't be afraid to take a leisurely stroll through your local cemetery some sunny afternoon and enjoy a unique, reflective peek into the past.
Simply said, a cemetery tells the deep, personal tales of the community who built it... and serves to remind us of our most basic connections to one another. Thank you for visiting Chat Noir Photographie today, your time and interest are most sincerely appreciated.
"Death, the only immortal who treats us all alike, whose peace and whose refuge are for us all. The soiled and the pure, the rich and the poor, the loved and the unloved." - Mark Twain
