Two weeks ago, I wrote an article titled “Taking the ‘Scary’ out of Locating Cemeteries” for the Halloween edition of the "Along Those Lines…" column. I don’t think I’m very different from most of you in my love for cemeteries. Throughout my life, I’ve been fascinated by them on a number of levels. I wrote a column in 1999 on the subject of “Cemetery Iconography” which you may find interesting as well.

Cemeteries are not only the final resting place for our ancestors, family members, and friends; they are a reflection of the community. Furthermore, they are a rich study in history, architecture, burial customs, sociology, and philosophy.

Yes, I said philosophy. Each time I visit a cemetery, I am struck by the different thoughts and attitudes expressed in the design of cemetery markers, the iconography used on the stones, the information carved on them, and the epitaphs. A single cemetery marker is perhaps a final image of the person left behind, and as we walk through the graveyard, it is perhaps the only impression of the individual we will ever know.

The Farber Gravestone Collection Online
Apparently I am not the only person who feels this way. Anna Miller of Cartography Associates e-mailed me an interesting press release this week concerning a new collection of online cemetery images, which are a “must visit” for each of us. David Rumsey, whose amazing online map collection is showcased at www.davidrumsey.com , and the team of Cartography Associates, have partnered with Luna Imaging at www.lunaimaging.com and have added the American Antiquarian Society’s (AAS) prestigious Farber Gravestone Collection to its online site. You will want to read the press release and the AAS’s description of their Gravestone Collection.

The cornerstone of the AAS’s Farber Gravestone Collection is the work of the late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie Farber, who photographed historic gravestones for more than twenty years. Photographs taken by Harriette Merrifield Forbes, who worked in the 1920s mainly in Massachusetts, and Dr. Ernest Caulfield, who documented Connecticut, grave markers are also included in the collection.

The more than 13,500 photographs in the online collection document more than 9,000 gravestones, most of which date from before 1800. Besides the sheer wonder of having all of these images in one place, what is perhaps most significant is that gravestones of this vintage are in danger of loss by both vandalism and exposure to natural elements. Wind, rain, snow, ice, pollution, acid rain, and natural deterioration are slowly eroding many of these markers, and the preservation of these images is vital to historians and genealogists alike.

View the Farber Gravestone Collection
If you are a serious student of genealogy and cemeteries, I encourage you to make a virtual visit through the collection (www.davidrumsey.com/farber ). On that webpage is a link to the introductory essay by Jessie Lee Farber. In it, you will find the very best education about the history of the cemetery stone and its evolution in America, the physical shapes used, the types of materials used and preservation, the meanings of the icons used, the philosophical and religious meanings of the inscriptions, and sources for additional reading.

The collection itself can be viewed with your Web browser. You must turn off any pop-up stopper software you’re using because the collection uses a second browser window to display the collection’s images. You may use a choice of two pieces of viewing options, both of which are products of Luna Imaging and can be accessed at the site. The insight Browser and the insight Java Client browser both provide access. The insight Browser does not require a software download, but merely a click on the link to activate it. The Java Client software requires a one-time download and provides a better viewing experience. Both support both PC and Mac operating systems, and run with the Internet Explorer, Netscape, and Mozilla Web browsers.

Once you are into the collection’s viewing screen, you can search in a variety of ways, including by keywords and data fields. I searched, for example, for gravestones in North Carolina where the name contains “Alexander” and was rewarded with images from Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, N.C., one of which was the gravestone of a collateral relative, Abraham Alexander, who died 28 April 1786.

Other Online Cemetery Resources
While your ancestors’ gravestones may not be included in this online collection, you will want to learn all about these early cemeteries and their histories, archaeology, history, philosophy—and the artistry of these wonderful carvings.

Some of the other outstanding resources on the Internet are:

Association for Gravestone Studies
www.gravestonestudies.org

A Very Grave Matter
www.gravematter.com

Ancestral Findings Cemetery Database
www.ancestralfindings.com/cemetery.htm

Interment.net
www.interment.net

If you are searching for cemetery databases for a specific state, use your favorite search engine and enter the name of the state (two-word state names should be enclosed in quotes) and the word cemetery, as in the following two examples:

“north carolina” cemetery
illinois cemetery

Summary
As the last image that is left behind to represent a person, the gravestone and its carvings selected by the person or his or her survivors can make a significant statement about the individual. The more you learn about cemeteries, the more enjoyable you will find them and the more helpful the inscriptions may be to your research. I hope you will take the time to become an expert in cemeteries and inscriptions, and that the Farber Gravestone Collection adds to your knowledge and enjoyment.

Happy Hunting!
George

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