Friday, June 22, 2001
With any luck at all, at this time tomorrow I will be relaxing on the beach, letting a cool ocean breeze compete with the hot sun and warm sand to maintain a perfect temperature. It is only the thought of this tranquility that keeps me sane for these last few hours at work today. How many last minute emergencies can pop up in one day? They seem to be all wrapped up and tucked away for the moment and in another hour or so, I really won't care too much one way or the other.
Tomorrow will be here soon enough. It's a three hour drive from here to the ocean, depending on traffic, of course. That's why we plan to leave quite early, getting a jump start on the rest of the lemmings... err... vacationers. The drive always seems shorter than it is, moving from the heart of the city, across the Chesapeake Bay on to the flat farmlands of the Eastern Shore.
If you look closely, you can mark your progress by the roadside soil. It changes slowly but steadily from concrete to rich brown earth to a sandy mix as you approach the shore. Water starts to make its presence known, first as a few creeks, then the long narrow neck of an inlet leading onwards to wide marshes. If the wind is just right, you can catch a bit of salt in the air well before the mileage markers say you have any reason to think your trip is over.
Turning southbound on the coastal highway, a sharp eye out for speed traps and the turnoff road, it takes all my inner strength to contain that universal childhood cry, "Are we there yet?"
So look for me next week, with tales of sand burials at the hands of my nephews, enough pictures to make you want to come along next year, and maybe even some salt water taffy. In the meantime, a few folks may be dropping by to keep you entertained in my absence. Until then...Are we there yet?
Posted by coldmarble @ 03:15 PM ET [Link]
Thursday, June 21, 2001
The Association for Gravestone Studies is holding its annual meeting and conference June 21-24 in Boston, MA. This Conference will offer attendees a wide variety of lecture topics and tours in Boston and surrounding areas. Tours include Forest Hills and Mt. Auburn Cemeteries and a variety of colonial burial grounds.
Posted by coldmarble @ 01:07 PM ET [Link]
Don't need your grave forever?
To solve the problem of a coming shortage of tomb space, the Kawasaki Municipal Government plans to draw up an ordinance allowing a time limit on graves in cemeteries. The grave site would be rented for a set period of time, then the remains would be disinterred and placed in a communal memorial service tower or storage building.
The idea may seem a bit strange at first but there are certainly historical and cultural precedents for temporary entombment. The aboveground family tombs used in New Orleans are one example that comes to mind, with the last occupant's remains being pushed aside to make room for the next. In early European churchyards, burials were carried out in a circle around the church. By the time that things came around "full circle", the grave site was used for a second or even a third occupant.
The idea makes sense in an area that is running short of space. It may cause some havoc for future genealogists trying to trace their family history.
It would also end the chance of surprise discoveries while taking a graveyard stroll.
It was a sunny afternoon last autumn when I last walked through the wooded paths of Green Mount Cemetery. One of Baltimore's first urban park cemeteries, Green Mount has been the burial place of some quite notable citizens since its founding in the 1850's. Within its brick and stone walls, you'll find a little bit of quiet countryside right in the heart of the city. When surrounded by hundreds of interesting tombstones and statues, it takes something special to catch my eye. Seeing my own last name on a tombstone was special enough to do that.
It was the tombstone of my great-grandfather. I'd never met the man. I knew little about him except for a few facts, his occupation, where he'd lived, but not much else. I sure didn't know that he was buried in Green Mount Cemetery. Our family has lived in this town, or nearby areas, for close to two hundred years. Seeing that simple stone somehow made that real.
Posted by coldmarble @ 01:03 PM ET [Link]
Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Or just a way to gather together photos of cemetery art from around the country and publish a book without having to pay any usage fees or royalties to the photographers? The "competition" rules make me more than a little leary about sending any images to this group. They get an exclusive 5 year right to use any of the images entered for any purpose, all for a chance at one of the four $500 "prizes".
Pardon me, but signing away exclusive rights to any use for a period of five years seems a bit too steep an entry fee for this little "contest". If they want to write a book and need photographs for it, a more upfront approach to collecting images would yield some higher quality submissions. I guess I should be glad that web images don't have enough resolution for decent quality printing.
Posted by coldmarble @ 12:02 PM ET [Link]
With the rise in popularity of woodland or green burials, using natural setting without headstones or other visible markers, some concerns have been raised over the ability to accurately locate a grave site after the passage of time. Some cemeteries have relied upon charts to plot the location of graves but these can become inaccurate due to changes in the landscape or simple errors in charting. Others have considered using GPS (Global Satellite Positioning) systems to mark the location but the accuracy of this system may not be adequate to precisely locate a grave.
Penwith Woodland Burial Place is using a microchip and scanner system to aid in the marking of plots in their eco-friendly burial ground. Supplied by a Sussex company, Asset Track, the chips are attached to pegs which are buried about 5 inches beneath the ground. A handheld scanner can then be used to detect the chip.
Though lacking the visual grace and beauty of a finely carved marble angel, this new system may offer some interesting alternatives in creating a truly personal memorial. Expansion of the amount of storage available in the marker and upgrading the display capablities of the scanner could lead to an incredibly information rich grave marker. Gone would be the days when one's epitaph was limited by the size of a stone. Inclusion of sound or video clips, a full biography telling more of one's life than arrival and departure times, offering one last chance to add a bit of love and beauty to the world.
How long would such a system last? Best to ask Ozymandias.
Posted by coldmarble @ 11:24 AM ET [Link]
Tuesday, June 19, 2001
Reid's IR gel filter arrived and it didn't take him long to put digital IR to the test. Considering how much easier IR is with a digital camera versus all the fun involved with film, it looks like he's happier than a pig in mud. Looking forward to seeing more soon, Reid.
Posted by coldmarble @ 10:19 AM ET [Link]
What happens when you combine classic bumper stickers with typography terms?
Bumperstuck!
[via Firda]
Posted by coldmarble @ 10:15 AM ET [Link]
Monday, June 18, 2001
A "Top Ten" list of influential photographic monographs from Jack Fischer of the San Jose Mercury News provides a short discussion of the reasons for his selection of the following artists but as is the case with many print medium pieces adapted for the web, fails to provide any links to the works of the photographers in his list.
Robert Frank
Walker Evans
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Alfred Stieglitz
Roy DeCarava
Diane Arbus
Harry Callahan
Andre Kertesz
William Klein
Sylvia Plachy
While these photographers certainly have a place as influential contributors to the world of photographic art today, the photographers influencing my own works are a bit more obscure. Given my fascination with alternative techniques and my odd choices of subject matter for most of my work, this shouldn't be too surprising.
The lady that got me hooked on tombstones in the first place, Jacqueline of GothicTomb.com, opened my eyes to what a wide variety of opportunities can be found in the local graveyard. At her request, I grabbed a few photos of Poe's tomb for use on her site. Those photos and her encouragement and support started me off on an adventure. Thank you, Jackie.
Another photographer's work showed me the ethereal visions that could be produced with alternative techniques. George Smyth's combination of pinhole photography and infrared film opened some doors that led me towards new ways of capturing the feel of a cemetery on film.
My interest in pinhole photography was also greatly influenced by the works of Willie Ann Wright. The incredible clarity of her images made with such a simple device helped me to believe that it was possible to combine the soft focus and infinite depth of field offered by pinhole techniques in ways that can bring forth unique and moving images. Knowing that it could be done was inspiration to keep trying through many failures.
Who's shoulders did you stand on to help you see as far as you do today?
Posted by coldmarble @ 02:34 PM ET [Link]
Sunday, June 17, 2001
Spent most of the day visiting the 
Old Fool, enjoying a quiet brunch and a leisurely afternoon with him and my mom. Yes, it's an awful nickname, totally lacking when it comes to conveying the respect he has earned so many times over so many years. He seems to like it, though, so that's what we call him.
He offers some wise advice for an old fool, but never coercion. He supports and guides without pushing, quietly holding his tongue as we make our mistakes and then holding our hands as we pull ourselves up from the messes we've made.
I don't think we've ever said to each other, "I love you."
Somehow it would be redundant.
Posted by coldmarble @ 09:48 PM ET [Link]
