Sunnyside Cemetery, Signal Hills, CA - 09 JUN 2009

Because it was a typical June morning, heavily overcast, giving everything a soft light without harsh shadows, I decided to head over to Long Beach and re-photograph the Denni Angel (see the first entry of 2009, "Farewell 2008").

I think I like her in black & white the best...it makes the trees less distracting.

While I was shooting, a man came out of the office to tell me the story of another statue on the other side of the cemetery. It seems Ansel Adams made this statue famous in 1939 when he photographed it with Signal Hills in the background. Here's his shot:

Ansel Adams 1939 "Angel of Sorrow"

The derrick towers are long gone and the trees have grown high enough to cover the hill but from this angle you can see small parts of some grasshopper drills.

However, this angle would tell a story similar to the Adams shot...

but I prefer the image without a background to distract from the "Angel of Sorrow".

There are no wings, so I have no idea why that's her name.

To view more of my cemetery images: EnfocusGallery.com

City of the Silent, Cemeteries of Colma, CA

A small incorporated town in San Mateo County just south of San Francisco is a place were the dead out number the living one thousand to one.

Walk into a local bar and you are bound to have someone tell you, "It's great to be alive in Colma." (Their local joke.)

In 1902, San Francisco outlawed interments within the city limits and the largest cemeteries had to move their populations out of town. Business was moved to the first town outside of the city limits that was accessible by train...hence the creation of Colma's new (lasting) business. 

There is one cemetery for pets and 17 for humans.

They include: Catholic, Jewish, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Greek Orthodox (Russian), Oddfellows, & Serbian, to name a few.

The famous located here include: William Randolph Hearst at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Wyatt Earp and his wife Josephine Marcus at the Jewish Cemetery, Hills of Eternity, as well as Levi Strauss who founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans; at Holy Cross, is baseball star, Joe DiMaggio (who became more famous for marrying Marilyn Monroe) and Abigail Folger, the coffee heiress who was murdered by Charlie Manson.

This one looks more like a Valentine card than a grave marker:

There are some statues that have faces which are so distinct that must have been custom made. 

Not sure if this is Romanesque or the hair style of the period.

Very similar but different robes.

Again, similar yet different statues.

Then there are some statues that leave me undecided as to the best angle.

This is one of my all time favorites:

To view more of my cemetery images: EnfocusGallery.com

Bohemian National Cemetery – Chicago, IL

Founded in 1877 by Bohemian, Moravian & Slovak immigrants, "to provide a dignified place for burials free of religious restrains" which really meant they were fed up with the Catholic priest denying burial in the Bohemian-Polish Catholic cemetery to those he disliked. 

This cemetery was created to be "open to all religions, nationalities and races.To view more of my cemetery images: EnfocusGallery.com

Graceland Cemetery - Chicago, IL

Graceland is one of the "Garden Cemeteries inspired by the English garden movement (1830-1855).

This was the period when cemeteries turned into beautiful welcoming gardens, inviting families to spend a Sunday picnic with departed loved ones.

This 119 acre Victorian era cemetery was established in 1860. Graceland is known for its' Art Deco Mausoleums and has some wonderful Egyptian Revival art work. It is on the US National Register of Historic Places.

Eternal Silence

Also known as the Dexter Graves Monument or the Statue of Death, created in 1909 by American sculptor Lorado Taft.

The cemetery was originally created outside the city limits, but now it's surrounded by the city, located just north of Wrigley Field. Notables buried here include George Pullman (inventor of the railroad sleeping car), Chicago brewer Peter Schoenhofen, Victor Fremont Lawson (publisher of Chicago Daily News), three of the Deering brothers (International Harvester fame), and Charles Dickens brother, Augustus.

Above is the Schoenhofen Pyramid (family) Mausoleum designed by Chicago School architect Richard E Schmidt...below are close-ups of the side statues

And from another angle...just lovely.

This is an interesting women...

but, I like the close-up of her hand the best.

I know they offer tours throughout the year and special "Haunted Tours" on Halloween. According to the internet buzz this seems to be one of the most active cemeteries for ghosts.

These images were taken on December 11, 2006.
To view more of my cemetery images visit: EnfocusGallery.com