Fading Glory 2

Here are some more gravestones suffering from erosion. These can be found in the Sale (Brooklands) Cemetery. I particularly like the fragment of stone that stands upright.

Fading Glory

There is, I feel, a certain beauty to these eroding headstones which captures my imagination. These are fast disappearing last vestiges of the record of a person's life, and I find myself drawn to capture them. It is quite remarkable how some of the faint traces of an inscription remains readable.

Brandwood End Cemetery

Recently, I went to Brandwood End cemetery in Birmingham which was full of wonderful cemetery statuary. Sadly, its spectacular chapel is decaying and I believe the Cemetery Friends organisation was refused Lottery funding. I was scanning a mass of cemetery-related vintage postcards, today, and found I actually had a Brandwood End card in my collection. How things have changed.

Angel with Butterfly Wings

One of the reasons for going to Nottingham's Rock Cemetery was to photograph the angel in the sandstone quarry part of the cemetery. It is quite special because the Angel has butterfly wings. It marks the grave of Laura Zella Davenport who died in 1887 aged 48 years and her husband, Stephen who died in 1889 age 52.

Mother and Child Memorial

One of the most poignant graves in Nottingham's Rock Cemetery is that of a Mother and Child. The memorial is topped by a very large Angel that holds a baby in one arm while the other points heavenwards.

The inscription reads:

Sacred to the Memory of Helen

The beloved wife of Thomas C. Seal

Who calmly passed away March 20 1884,

29 years.

Begotten Again unto an inheritance that Fadeth Not Away

Also

Nellie Beatrice

The dearly beloved and only child of the above who joined her dear mother the following day. Aged 3 years and 5 months.

The grave  was paid for by a lace manufacturer, Thomas Cutts Seal. His wife Helen passed away aged 29,while his only child Nellie died the next day aged three years five months.. Poor Thomas married again in 1890 but his second wife Eleanor died aged 30 years. Thomas died in 1908 aged 52. His third wife Amy died aged 54 in 1923.

American Funeral

Three snapshots of an unknown burial in America. I think this is could 1930s, 40s or 50s. The mechanism supporting the coffin looks substantial. Thoughts on date or how the coffin lowering mechanism works would be appreciated.

Standing Angel points to Heaven

When visiting Brandwood End Cemetery in Birmingham for the first time, I was very impressed by the angel that stands under an impressive cover held up by black columns. Some discolouring through age leaves her with a black finger pointing upwards while her other hand rests on an anchor. I couldn't read the name of the person this memorial commemorates.