RON's Every Sunday at Union Dale Cemetery

RON_RIP

Senior Member
As my Every Monday project winds down I am starting this new project with different parameters. I am switching to my 18-140 lens, with polarizing filter attached, and altering my f stop to convey the mood that i am trying to set. Union Dale Cemetery, spread out on 92 acres, features itself as one of the first pastoral cemeteries. Not affiliated with any particular church, it was set out in the country "a pleasant buggy ride", from Allegheny City. Many notables of Allegheny City and Pittsburgh are buried here. There are politicians and industrialists, and the usual bunch of Nineteenth Century rascals. But many soldiers are also buried here, including one Medal of Honor recipient. And many whole families repose on these grounds. The grounds abound with many unusual monuments and mausoleums and I shall attempt to show you some of them starting with this one. _AAA8341 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
July 3rd, 2016. An unfortunate choice of stone have rendered many monuments unreadable._AAA8539 - Version 2.jpg

A very popular type of monument, shaped like a chaise lounge with a well for a blanket of flowers, reminds me of the line from Omar Khayyam----- "Ourselves must we beneath the couch of Earth descend--ours_AAA8536 - Version 2.jpgelves to make a Couch--for whom?"
 

paul04

Senior Member
Good start Ron,

I know when I go into the local Cemetery, I'm amazed at some of the dates on the headstones, some dating back over 100 years.
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
Good start Ron,

I know when I go into the local Cemetery, I'm amazed at some of the dates on the headstones, some dating back over 100 years.
This Cemetery dates to the 1850's and was originally a farm. Alas, many of the oldest stones are too badly eroded to read. What is shocking to us today, is how many young children are buried here. Mortality rates being much higher back then. I noted one family plot that had a very large marker for a family member who died at 15. The markers for the rest of the family were much more modest. The child must have been the light of they life, and, of course, their every hope for the future.
 
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RON_RIP

Senior Member
Sunday, July 17, 2016. This section of the Cemetery abounds in large Monuments. Here is one example. The victorians loved the allegory in their choice of statues_AAA8744 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
I probably should have posted this photo first as it is the logo of the Cemetery._AAA8815 - Version 2.jpg

But my theme today is the fences. Given that the Cemetery is in three main sections, it is surrounded by miles of wrought iron fencing. So now I am left to ponder on who the fencing is keeping out and who it is keeping in_AAA8807 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
Obelisks seem to be a popular form of monument here and in a lot of major cemeteries. Amazing how such an ancient form continues to be popular. The obelisk itself simply seems to be announcing the family name and the stones scattered at its base are the individual markers for that family group._AAA8855 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
Am uncertain of the exact nature of this building. There is no name on it, only a date. Perhaps some kind of chapel or place to temporarily store a coffin in severe weather._AAA8856 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
There are many of these large mausoleums here at Union Dale. It would almost seem that if you wanted to be buried in such a structure you should make arrangements for it long before your demise. Because, once you are dead, you are broke and why should your relatives spend that their inheritance on such an elaborate tomb._AAA9080 - Version 2.jpg
 

RON_RIP

Senior Member
I started shooting cemeteries in the late 70s and have not stopped. The art is some of the older cemeteries is fantastic. Craftsmanship like that is hard to come by now.
This Cemetery was started during the Victorian Era and the Architecture is quite elaborate. Sadly, the choice of stone has led to many monuments being no longer legible and so stories and inscriptions are sometimes lost to the ravages of time. We remarked just today that the granite grave markers have held up the best and even old ones can still be read.
 
This Cemetery was started during the Victorian Era and the Architecture is quite elaborate. Sadly, the choice of stone has led to many monuments being no longer legible and so stories and inscriptions are sometimes lost to the ravages of time. We remarked just today that the granite grave markers have held up the best and even old ones can still be read.

I have seen that over the years. Sometimes the time of day (Strong angle of light) and post processing can make them more readable but not always.
 
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