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The following file is just a random
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.
 Notes and Queries AGS Quarterly - Summer 1999 NOTES &
QUERIES Whatever Happened to Mrs. Forbes' Negatives? by Jessie
Lie Farber Harriette Merrifield Forbes (1856-1951), as our readers
know, is the woman for whom the Association for Gravestone
Studies named its most prestigious award. She was an historical
researcher, a photographer, and an author who functioned with vigor
and insiglit, and witliout a guide or model. She is the author of
Gravestones of Early New England and the Men Wlio Made Them,
1653-1800. This book, published in 1927, was the first to present
early American gravestones as art objects, America's oldest
sculpture. Written in a simple and lucid style and filled with
documented information, the book has inspired and guided all
subsequent research in the field of gravestone studies, and it holds
its place today as a source that every competent researcher in this
area has used as a reference. Originally published in a small (780),
numbered edition, it has been reprinted four times, most recently, in
a 1989 revised edition by the Center for Thanatology Research and
Education. The photographs used in Mrs. Forbes' book are her own:
she exposed and developed 5"x7" glass plates*, and from the
negatives she made her prints. According to the twenty record books
she kept over a period of 41 years, she took almost 2500
photographs of gravemarkers and graveyard views. (She also
photographed cemetery gates, early New England houses, and her
five children. The record books show a total of almost 4500
exposures.) On the reverse of the title page of the 1989 edition of
her book is a statement that sixteen of the photographs used in that
edition were not made by Mrs. Forbes, with the explanation that ". .
. Ms. Forbes' original negatives have disappeared." What follows is
an account of the travels, the ownerships, and the present location
of Harriette Merrifield Forbes' negatives of gravestones. Harriette
Forbes left her raw research material, including the negatives, to the
American Antiquarian Society (AAS), a renowned research library
near her home in Worcester, Massachusetts. AAS found that the
glass negatives were both too bulky and too fragile for proper
housing at the Society and asked Dan Farber, a member of AAS and
a photographer who had been influenced by Mrs. Forbes' work, for
assistance. He respoiided affirmatively, underwriting the cost of
having the glass negatives copied onto film. The society
subsequently sent out letters offering the glass negatives for sale, at
prices ranging from $5 to $25. There was a small response to this
offer. Among the purchasers were Dan and Jessie Farber, who
brought a selection for display and sale to AGS members at the
Association's 1979 conference in Newport, Rhode Island. Dan and
Jessie then decided to buy a few favorite negatives for themselves,
after which they selected and bought a few more, and then several
large batches until so few were left that the Society gave the Farbers
the remaining negatives. Without planning to, the Farbers had saved
the collection. The negatives were in fourteen filing boxes, each one
in a paper pocket numbered and identified in Mrs. Forbes'
handwriting by the name and date of the deceased and the location
of the stone. Those that had been published showed Mrs. Forbes'
technique for blocking out the backgrounds with paint and
construction paper. For many years the Farbers had been developing
two large, duplicate collections of Farber gravestone photographs,
one for AAS and one for the Yale University Art Gallery. They decided
to have prints made from their Forbes negatives added to these
collections. With the permission and assistance of the AAS, they also
had prints made for AAS and Yale using the society's film copies of
missing glass negatives. (In 1993, they added duplicate prints made
from negatives of Dr. Ernest Caulfield, lent for the purpose by the
Connecticut Historical Society. The three photograph collections,
Farber, Forbes, and Caulfield, have been digitized and put on eleven
CD-ROMs, a project sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society.)
After the Forbes negatives were printed, the fourteen boxes of glass
negatives were returned to the Farbers' attic. Dan's death in May of
1998 gave urgency to the matter of finding better, more accessible,
and more permanent housing for the collection. Three organizations,
two outside New England, were eager to have the negatives. Jessie
felt the collection should stay in New England, and in December she
offered the negatives to the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS),
in Boston. The gift consists of Mrs. Forbes' fourteen boxes containing
1305 original 5"x7" negatives in their paper pockets, plus 86
computer-generated photographs standing in for negatives that are
missing. Theodore Chase, a past president of AGS, a former editor of
Markers, and an active member of MHS, gave the project a finishing
touch. He made a gift to the MHS of funds to cover the Society's
purchase of the eleven CD-ROMs. Where are Mrs. Forbes' glass
negatives? They are at the Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154
Boylston Street, in Boston, except 86, which are in private
collections. If anyone who purchased a glass negative would like to
add it to the society's collection, the person to contact there is Chris
Steele, Curator of Photographs. * One tends to think of Forbes
negatives as glass negatives, and most are. Actually, thirteen of her
original negatives are 5"x7" cut film. 0 Correction: If you tried to
order a copy of Landscapes of Memories, reviewed on page 23 of
the Winter 1999 issue, you may have had a problem with the 1-800
number for Publications Ontario. If you will call (416) 326-5300 and
press prompt 2, a real person will come on the line and you can
order the book. Page 22 Volume 23: Number 3
 AGS Quarterly - Summer 1999 Notes & Queries Save
Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) announces awards Conservation
Treatment Awards help conserve public sculptures; one award to
each state; requiring a 50% match. Next deadline is July 30, 1999.
Assessment Awards fund an on-site condition survey by a
conservation professional to determine need and provide cost
estimates for conservation treatment. Up to $850 is available per
award. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Maintenance Training Awards train government personnel or
volunteers in low-tech maintenance of up to four outdoor sculptures.
For more information on these and other awards, contact Heritage
Preservation 1730 K Street, NW, Suite 566, Washington, DC 20006
(202) 634-1422 or (800) -422-4612, www.heritagepres ervation.org.
Texas Cemeteries Receive "Historic" Designation In Katie Karrick's
newsletter, Tomb With a View, it is noted that nine Texas cemeteries
have received the new Texas Historical Commission's designation
"Official Historic Texas Cemetery." They include New Tabor Cemetery
near Caldwell; Bolivar Cemetery in Bolivar; Hodges Cemetery in
Gonzales; Shelby Chapel Cemetery near Athens; Bushdale Cemetery
near Rockdale; Lindale Cemetery near Bowie; Shiloh Cemetery near
Richland Springs; Fairmount Cemetery in San Angelo; and Lockwood
Cemetery near Manor. Katie writes, the designation was developed
to address the illegal destruction of historic cemeteries and removal
of cemetery fixtures. Any individual or organization is eligible to
submit an application for designation. To be eligible for the
designation, a cemetery must be at least fifty years old and be found
worthy of preservation for its historic association. For more
information about the new designation, contact Cemetery
Preservation Coordinator, Gerron Hite at 512-475-4167 or
[email protected]. ARE YOU A CEMETERY POSTCARD
COLLECTOR? If so, would you like to swap your extra cards with
other collectors at the AGS regional conference in Portland this
August? Those interested in participating in a swap should drop a
note to: Sybil F. Crawford 10548 Stone Canyon Road - #228 Dallas,
TX 75230-4408 Please let her know approximately how many
postcards you intend to bring and she will make the necessary
arrangements for table space and timing of the swap (so it will not
interfere with other conference activities). If you are not a "swapper"
but have cemetery postcards you would like to give away, they
should be sent to the same address and will be distributed to swap
participants as part of a "freebie" package. Members in the News
BARBARA SIEG, past president of the Coalition to Protect Maryland
Burial Sites, spoke on the topic "The Plight of Historic Cemeteries in
Maryland" at the Coalition's Annual Meeting and Workshop. The
meeting's theme was "Protecting Cemeteries — Preserving our
Heritage" and was held on March 13, 1999. Those who were at the
New Jersey AGS Conference last June met KARIN SPRAGUE who led
a participation session on carving slate stones. She has a new
address: 904 Tourtellot Hill Road, North Scituate, RI 02857, tel.
(401) 934-3105. Millstone Research Center seeks millstones being
used as gravestones In the Summer 1997 issue of the Quarterly,
Walter Hollien asked in "Notes and Queries" for information and
photos of millstones that are being used as gravestones. Margaret
Jenks sent him the photo of the H. A. Rowe millstone gravestone
shown below. He continues to seek more information to add to the
Center's research. Millstones were considered quite valuable and
were often mentioned in early wills. Mills were often taxed on the
number of millstones they contained with nothing assessed for the
mill building. Sometimes millers were killed in mill accidents and the
millstone involved in the accident was removed to be used as the
gravestone. Or it may have been considered unlucky prior to the
accident and therefore removed and used for a burial. Do you have
some stories and photos to add to the collection of information?
Please contact Walter Hollien at Millstone Research Center, PO Box
346, Long Valley, NJ 07853, tel. (908) 876-3672. (^ '•jrtuMR ,„ ^V:
.Jii£. Millstone used as gravestone Photo sent by Margaret Jenks
Volume 23: Number 3 Page 23
 1999 AGS CONFERENCES For all questions regarding
conference registration contact these people: AGS 1999 Washington
DC Conference George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia June 23-
27, 1999 Thomas Mason, Registrar PO Box 4065, Gaithersburg, MD
20878-1209 e-mail: [email protected] AGS West
Coast Conference "Seeking the West" Reed College, Portland,
Oregon August 5-8, 1999 Jeanne Robinson, Registrar OHCA Office,
PO Box 802, Boring, OR 97009-0802 (503)658-4255 e-mail:
[email protected] CALENDAR August 21-22 - Battle
Reenactment of The Valley Campaign, Virginia at Wickham Park,
Manchester, and East Hartford, CT. Sponsored by Friends of Center
Cemetery and the Patriotic Commission, both of East Hartford,
Connecticut. For information call Ruth Shapleigh-Brown, (203) 643-
5652. Events at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio: July 17-18 -
Heritage Weekend, 130th Birthday Celebration. September 12 and
Oct. 3 - Architectural Walking Tours discussing mausoleums and
chapel. September 25 and 26 - Angels of Lake View and Other
Sculptures. For reservations/information call (216) 421-2665.
"Stones & Bones" Trolley Tours with tour guide Katie Karrick will
explore Cleveland's oldest cemeteries on June 20, July 10,
September 19, and October 23, 30 & 31. Reservations (216) 771-
4484. To request a registration form for either conference, contact:
AGS office: Denise Webb, Administrator 278 Main Street, Suite 207,
Greenfield, MA 01301 (413)722-0836 e-mail: [email protected]
October 16 through November 11 on Wednesdays and Thursdays -
Show of Rubbings by Barbara Moon at the Old York Historical Society
in York, Maine. The rubbings will also be shown during their
Halloween festivities on October 21, 22, 23. © 1999 The Association
for Gravestone Studies To reprint from the AGS Quarterly, unless
specifically stated otherwise, no permission is needed, provided: (1)
the reprint is used for educational purposes; (2) full credit is given to
the Association and the author and/or photographer or artist
involved; and (3) a copy of the document or article in which the
reprinted material appears is sent to the AGS office; and (4) the item
is not a graphic which we have received permission to print one time
only. The AGS Quarterly is pubhshed four times a year as a service
to members of the Association for Gravestone Studies. Suggestions
and contributions from readers are welcome. Copies of most issues
are available from the AGS office for $3.00. The goal of the AGS
Quarterly is to present timely information about projects, literature,
and research concerning gravestones. To contribute articles, notes,
or queries, please send items to the AGS office. Membership fees:
(Senior/Student, $25; Individual, $30; Institutional, $35; Family,
$40; Supporting, $65; Life, $1000) Send to the Association for
Gravestone Studies office, 278 Main Street, Suite 207, Greenfield,
Massachusetts 01301 . The membership year begins the month dues
are received and ends one year from that date. Journal articles to be
considered for publication in Markers, The Journal of the Association
for Gravestone Studies: Please send articles to Richard Meyer, Editor
of Markers, PO Box 13006, Salem, OR 97309-1006. His telephone is
(503) 581-5344 and e-mail address is [email protected]. Tlie current
available issue of Markers is volume XV. Address other
correspondence to Denise Webb, Administrator, AGS Office, 278
Main Street, Suite 207, Greenfield, MA 01301. Telephone: (413)-772-
0836. E-mail: [email protected] Check our Web Site at
wvirw.berkshire.net/ags Tlie Association for Gravestone Studies 278
Main Street, Suite 207 Greenfield, MA 01301 NON PROHT ORG U.S.
POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 183 GREENFIELD, MA
 AGS Quarterly BULLETIN OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR
GRAVESTONE STUDIES Table of Contents NEWS FROM THE BOARD
OF TRUSTEES 2 MEET THE AGS BOARD OF TRUSTEES .3 FEATURES
"Spirit Houses at Eklutna, Alaska" by Judith Abranovich 4 "Lead
Lettered Gravestones of Great Britain" by Robert Klisiewicz 6
TOPICAL COLUMNS 17th & 18th Century: James Slater 9 19th &
20th Century: Barbara Rotundo 11 Gravestones & Computers: John
Sterling 13 Conservation News: W. Fred Oakley, Jr. 14 REGIONAL
COLUMNS Northwest and Far West Region: John Lovell 15 Midwest
Region: Helen Sclair 16 Southeast /Caribbean Region: Sharyn
Thompson 18 Mid-Atlantic Region: G.E.O. Czarnecki 19 New England
& Maritime Region: Robert Klisiewicz 20 , Across the Oceans:
Angelika Kriiger-Kahloula 21 PUBLICATIONS SENT TO THE
ARCHIVES 17 AGS LENDING LIBRARY 24 1999 CONFERENCES 25
NOTES & QUERIES 26 MEMBERS IN THE NEWS 27 IN
APPRECIATION AND WITH THANKS 28 The mission of the
Association for Gravestone Studies is to foster appreciation of the
cultural significance of gravestones and burial grounds through their
study and preservation. AGS Quarterly Editorial Board: Mary Cope,
Jim Fannin, Rosalee Oakley, Barbara Rotundo, John Spaulding
Quarterly Contributions: Comments and contributions are welcome.
When submitting time-sensitive material please keep in mind that
the AGS Quarterly often takes several weeks to reach the
membership. Mail your contributions to the appropriate column
editor or to the AGS Office, 278 Main Street, Suite 207, Greenfield,
MA 01301. Advertising Prices: Business card, $30; 1/4 page, $50;
1/2 page, $90; full page insert, $200. Send camera ready advertising
with payment to the AGS Office. TWO AGS CONFERENCES THIS
SUMMER— WASHINGTON, DC, in June; PORTLAND, OREGON, in
August. Plan to attend! Telephone: 413/772-0836 e-mail:
[email protected] AGS web site: http://www.berkshLre.net/ags
Volume 23: Number 2 Spring 1999 ISSN: 0146-5783
 Board Neius AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 AGS Board of
Trustees June 1998-1999 Ruth A. Shapleigh Brown, Manchester, CT.
Frank Cahdonna (President), Rome, NY Claire F. Deloria,
Baldwinsvi]Ie, NY Robert Drinkwater, Sunderland, MA James Fannin,
Jr., Concord, MA. Susan Galligan, North Attleboro, MA Daniel B.
Goldman, East Greenwich, RI Geraldine Hungerford, Bethany, CT C.
R. Jones, (Secretary), Cooperstown, NY Robert Klisiewicz , Webster,
MA W. Fred Oakley, Jr. (Treasurer), Hadley, MA Stephen Petke, East
Granby, CT Brenda Reynolds, Woodstock, CT Virginia Rockwood,
Leyden, MA Barbara Rotundo (Vice President), Belmont, NH Beth
Smolin, Pelham, MA John Spaulding, Sr., Manchester, CT John
Sterling, East Greenwich, RI Janet Taylor, Pittsfield, MA Gray
Williams, Chappaqua, NY Ex Officio Laurel Gabel , (Research
Clearinghoitse Coordinator), Pittsford, NY Richard E. Meyer, (Markers
editor), Salem, OR Office Staff Denise Webb (Administrator) Orange,
MA Elizabeth Seelandt (Assistant Administrator) Shelburne Falls, MA
NEWS FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Highlights from the Board
of Trustees meeting on January 23, 1999 • William Wallace, Director
of the Worcester Historical Museum in Worcester, Massacliusetts,
spoke to the Board about a gravestone exhibit he plans to mount at
the Worcester Historical Museum in summer 2000 or spring 2001 .
He asked AGS to partner with the museum in the exhibit's design
and funding. The Board appointed a committee to meet with the
museum personnel. • Several possible projects were discussed that
would honor Daniel Farber. A committee is following up ideas that
were most promising. • The treasurer reported that the closing total
for the year 1998, which was expected to be in deficit, atctually
came out a $6,000 surplus. • Forbes and Oakley Award nominations
were discussed, the Nominating Committee's report was accepted,
the Grants Committee and the Quarterly editorial board reported on
their work, and conference updates for both Washington, DC and
Portland, Oregon were given. • Trustees are giving thought to our
Mission Statement, and to adding to it a Vision Statement. LATE
BREAKING NEWS FLASH We held this issue while our Washington DC
conference staff negotiated a new venue for the June conference.
American University was not able to make commitments to us in a
timely fashion, so the June conference will be held at George Mason
University in Fairfax, Virginia. The committee is pleased that the
facilities at George Mason will accommodate all planned conference
activities. Transportation hubs are still the DC area airports. Denise
Webb New Administrator is Aboard The Board of Trustees is pleased
to aimounce the selection of Denise Webb as Administrator of the
AGS Office. She began training on January 5 with Rosalee Oakley,
Acting Administrator since October 1997. Though Denise is a native
of California, she comes to us from two years' residence in the
Netherlands where her husband's work took them. They returned to
the states last year and took up residence in Orange, Massachusetts,
about a half hour's drive from the AGS office in Greenfield. While in
California, Denise w^orked for eight years for Kenetech Windpower,
Inc., in Livermore, holding positions of wildlife response coordinator,
and avian task force technician. She is a certified paralegal, with a
history of working closely with local, state, and federal regulatory
agencies as well as corporate executives and attorneys. In these
positions she developed organizing, communicating, and computer
skills, all of which are excellent abilities to utilize in the AGS office.
Denise met the Trustees at their January meeting. It is with great
pleasure that we welcome Denise to AGS, and we look forward to
workiiig with her to carry out our mission of advocacy for
gravestones. 0 AGS QUARTERLY: THE BULLETIN OF THE
ASSOCIATION FOR GRAVESTONE STUDIES ISSN: 0146-5783 March
1999 Published quarterly by The Association for Gravestone Studies,
278 Main Street, Suite 207, Greenfield, Massachusetts 01301.
Telephone: 413/772-0836 e-mail: [email protected] AGS web site:
http://wA\T\'.berksliire.net/ags Page 2 Volume 23: Number 2
 AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 Meet the AGS Board of
Trustees MEET THE AGS TRUSTEES These pages contain the final
set of introductions to the members of the AGS Board of Trustees
which we began in our Spring '98 issue. Tlieir biographies, together
with their plwtograpits zvill lielp you know a little more about those
members who spend considerable time and energy supervising the
work of the Association, who bear their oum expense traveling to
Board meetings, ivho zvrite, edit, draw, organize, advise, plan, and
ultimately, envision the future of AGS. "I never met a cemetery I
didn't like," says Claire Deloria, a sentiment that certainly qualifies
her to be a member of AGS. Her interest in cemeteries is an
outgrowth of her love of history. As a history teacher, she realized
the potential of teaching the history of a community through
studying its cemeteries. Students, as well as adults, have responded
with interest and enthusiasm to this approach. As a member of the
AGS Board, she continues to pursue her interest in the cemetery-
education connection. She is a retired high school social studies
teacher, and is presently an adjunct instructor in the Education
Department of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York. In addition
to visiting cemeteries, she enjoys reading, developing curriculum for
elementary and high school students, and giving talks on the role of
quilts and quilt patterns in the history of women. Claire Deloria Gray
Williams is a freelance writer and editor who has lived most of his
life in Chappaqua, Westchester County, New York. His subjects range
from health to history. His most recent book is Living with Shingles
(M. Evans, 1997), and his most recent magazine article is "Classic
Tools for Contemporary Gardeners" {Organic Gardening, November
1997). He is presently at work on an exhibition and book on
Westchester County landmarks, sponsored by the Westchester
County Historical Society and composed of his own photographs and
text, plus historical illustrations. His fascination with old graveyards
and gravestones goes back to the seventh grade, when he was
exploring the Quaker burying ground in Chappaqua for an
assignment in local history. His special interest is the early carvers of
New York and Connecticut, and he has contributed articles to
Markers concerning the New Haven carver Thomas Gold, the
Westchester carver Solomon Brewer, and the gravestones preserved
in the crypt of New Haven Center Church. Markers XVI contains his
article on the use of lettering styles to identify carvers. Gray Williams
Virginia Rockwood, who has recently moved to Leyden,
Massachusetts, has been an art teacher for twenty years. She
teaches at the Brattleboro Area Middle School in Brattleboro,
Vermont. She earned her M.Ed degree from the University of
Massachusetts. When it comes to rubbing gravestones, she has
thirty-one years of experience. From time to time she renders
drawings for various AGS publications and pubhcity pieces. Virginia's
husband and two young sons have joined us at conferences from
time to time. She has recently begun a gravestone jewelry and t-
shirt design business called "Wicked Stepmother." Virginia Rockwood
Volume 23: Number 2 Page 3
 Feature Article AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 M, Spirit
Houses at eklutna, Alaska by jiuiitb Abnmovich . y part was done, in
helping with the cleanup from the oil spill disaster of the Exxon
tanker at Valdez. I wanted now to travel north of Anchorage, to head
up to Hatcher Pass and the old abandoned gold mines. I asked locals
if there might be a cemetery of interest to visit along the way. 1 was
told to visit the cemetery at Eklutna; you could not miss it, I was
assured. Take Highway #1 (the Glen Highway), north out of
Anchorage about twenty-five miles. Exit at Eklutna, turn left. With
that information, I drove north. The old log church of St. Nicholas
took my attention as I entered the site. The hand-hewn logs begin
to tell the age of this oldest structure in the Anchorage area. Rumors
have its age dated back to the 1830s, where it is believed to have
been built on the site of a Russian Mission, near Knit. A story tells of
it being dismantled and moved to the present site in the late 1800s.
Others have dated the church near the end of the Russian period,
pre-1867. 1870 was a date given by one historical architect. In 1976
reconstruction grants provided funding for the restoration of the
church, and thus it stands today. The church is small. As 1 am
checking it out, my peripheral vision was scanning for gravestones. I
left the church and walked in the direction I thought led to the
cemetery. I was still looking for it, when actually, I was looking right
at it! 1 stood stock still in my tracks as 1 exclaimed aloud, something
to the effect, "Holy smokes, this is the graveyard!" No one told me
the cemetery was made up of little wooden houses, painted in bright
colors and Easter pastels, some plain white with little picket fences
around them. 1 was looking for gray stone gravemarkers, and I
found myself in a carnival of color. Little wooden spirit houses, gaily
painted, complete with tiny windows and funny gingerbread-type
trim standing erect at the apex of the roof. Needless to say, I was
standing amidst the most unusual burial site I had ever encountered.
No granite markers, no solemn stones standing in testament to the
dead. Here was a sort of village of the dead, a little house for each
individual's final resting place. The effect of this cemetery is quite
unlike that of standing among cold, stone markers. Deserted as this
cemetery was, I found myself following along the paths from one
spirit house to another, as if exploring a village, rather than a
cemetery. Obviously, though, no one was "home," so to speak. Each
spirit house is different, carefully constructed and nailed together.
Adult memorials are about six feet long and four feet high.
Memorials for children, about the size of a common shoe box. Some
houses have patterns of stripes or chevrons painted on the front or
on the roofs. Others consist solely of roofed picket fence, with a
blanket attached over the top. A small house inside a larger house
means a child and mother were buried together. Spirit houses that
cover Orthodox graves have an eight-pointed, three-barred Orthodox
cross, standing in the earth, near the door or the front of the house.
Spirit Houses at Eklutna, Alaska Photos by Judith Abranovich Page 4
N'olume 23: Number 2
 AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 Feature Article A forty day
mourning period is observed before a spirit house is erected. After
burial, a blanket is immediately placed on the grave to show respect.
Red stones are placed at the edges of the blanket to hold it down.
The color of the blanket shows clan associations; red blankets
denote those of highest respect. In some instances, the blanket is
the deceased's favorite color. The older custom, no longer practiced,
was to feed the grave three times a day. A favorite dish of the
deceased was placed under the house and kept filled with food or a
favorite tea during the mourning period. In houses of children, toys
or clothing are sometimes put inside. Spirit houses are designed by
the family and most are decorated in similar style for all family
members. About eighty spirit boxes stand at Eklutna. The
Athapascan Indians interred here leave evidence of how they
managed to exist comfortably with two belief systems, Christianity
and their own traditional aboriginal beliefs m an afterlife (a paradise
above the clouds, which souls 9i t ■■ -"■! ffl f^fw ■"■■ i' *" I-
'^^T^SW -r-^ -t:;.; '.^.^. ^=gtj ^ ':'j^\, ,, b. r! ,1\^.^-^ »»»-?■
'""^^ih^m-XM '■■■i a,r T^m |iP m^^m \ i rl^ 1— +^|M m-
,i«.-«=gaHii«lfe mim> ■ '^ reached by climbing a giant tree trunk,
on which these souls rested). This burial ground, though it may be
shrouded in that gray, northern Alaskan light, stands in colorful
reminder of life and customs in an often harsh and cold land. 0
Judith Abranovich is a member from Haddon Heiglits, Neio Jersey.
She may be reached at (609) 547-8959. Volume 23: Number 2 Page
5
 Feature Article AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 LEAD
LETTERED GRAVESTONES OF GREAT BRITAIN by Robert Klisiewicz
Widecombe on the Moor, Devon, England Photos by Robi'ft Klisiewicz
A Ithough Great Britain was settled long before North America, the
early gravestone history was quite similar in both cultures. Prior to
the time of North American settlement, burial monuments in Great
Britain were generally reserved for the wealthy, who were interred
with suitable marker inside of the local cathedral, or at the very
least, in the parish church. The common folk, on the other hand,
were usually deposited, one upon the other, in rude graves, and
marked, if at all, only by a wooden slab or post. In the seventeenth
century. Great Britain prospered; first as a result of commercial
ventures with its global empire, then, somewhat later, with the
flowering of the industrial revolution. As a result, the growing middle
class demanded the same dignities of burial as the rich (although on
a lesser scale, of course). The limited burial space inside the church
was, by that time, nearly exhausted, and burials were forced outside
of the church walls, and into the church yard. Even then, the
wealthy had the preferred location, closest to the church, while the
less well connected had to make do with burial further out from the
church, often just inside the churchyard walls. At this time, stone
markers, set either vertical or horizontal, began to replace the
wooden markers. Most communities depended upon local stone for
their markers, and in many areas, the stone was unsuitable for such
a purpose. Some of the stone was of such poor quality that its
usefulness as a grave record would barely outlast the survivors. The
incised letters eroded or flaked to such an extent that the stone
would occasionally become unreadable within a generation. People
in localities where stone quality was that poor were forced to look
for other ways of marking the graves of their family members. The
two most popular methods were either by the use of a cast metal
slab, replacing the stone entirely, or by use of a smaller cast plaque,
bolted onto the stone. Both of these methods proved worthy, but
were expensive and called for sophisticated methods of
manufacture. A third method, more suited to the simple talents of
the local blacksmith, carpenter, or mason, was to cut letters out of
any soft metal and affix them to the stone. The stone surface might
deteriorate, but the letters would remain remarkably readable. There
are two common forms of lead lettered stones; the most usual
method features a smooth stone with lead lettering fastened to the
face of the stone. Each letter is made from a rough piece of sheet
lead, fastened to the stone by hammering the soft lead into holes
pre-drilled into the face of the stone.' (See Illustration 1.) When the
lead is secure, the desired letter is cut with a sharp chisel and
Procedure for fastening lead letters to stone ^22> A B CD Raised
Letters A Holes are drilled into the face of the stone in appropriate
pattern B Sheet lead is hammered into holes until secure C Letter is
cut from the protruding lead with a sharp chisel, and face smoothed
D Three dimensional view of cut letter showing position of pins
securing the letter to the stone Illustration 1 Page 6 Volume 23:
Number 2
 AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 Feature Article hammer. This
procedure is continued until the entire epitaph is complete. A more
complicated method employs lead letters set into matching lettering
cut into the stone using modern stone cutting methods, and then
formed and shaved down until they are flush with the face of the
stone. (See Illustration 2.) The letters are either left the original gray
color or painted white or black to compliment the shade of the
stone." The letters on all of the stones are remarkably similar in
style, and I asked stonemaker David Thomas of Llangollen, Wales,
whether such lettering was commercially manufactured. He insisted
that the letters are still cut by hand by the better stonemakers but
that you can buy commercially made letters. He wouldn't use a pre-
formed letter in his own shop, saying "It looks like it is made of
plastic and stuck on. Horrible stuff." ^ Prime examples of extended
lead lettering can be found in the parish cemetery in the tiny Devon
town of Widecombe on the Moor. The Northmore stone (Fig. 1)
features black painted lead letters on a rough surfaced, light colored
stone, and was probably set in 1946 on Annie's death, and then
updated in 1956 when her husband Simon passed away. In contrast
is the Chowen monument (Fig. 2), where white painted lead
lettering was used on a slightly darker stone. Both stones are
perfectly readable, even from a distance, and stand out from the
more common, incised lettered stones in the graveyard. The
outstanding Hamlyn stone (Fig. 3), with its rampant lion flanked by
lead bolts clearly shows that even when the black paint has flaked
off, or more likely, had been rubbed off (perhaps by the actions of a
lawnmower), the lettering is still quite legible. In a walk- through an
old graveyard in these communities, one can almost immediately
pick out the lead lettered stones, as their crisp words still stand out
after generations of wear. By comparison, it becomes a chore to
read the corroded, lichen covered, incised stones of their B C A Flush
letters A Shape of finished letter is cut into stone, and holes drilled
Sheet lead is pounded into cut, forcing the lead to conform to the
shape of the cut, and into the drilled holes The excess lead is shaved
off with a sharp chisel, leaving the letter flush with the face of the
stone Illustration 2 B C ^!^' t^ * : 4-^^c* ■z — r ^ k. I.OV A 6&L
SfH) M tf^^ '■ W^i..U^OMa®?*rJUtY 19' .„ ' '^k: ' " ^: aI»o of ^v
At:lf» ^^ YpARS Fig. 1 Stone for Annie and Sunon Nurtliiiiure
neighbors. Lead lettering remained popular in these locations
through the turn of the century, but, by mid twentieth century the
styles slowly changed and granite or marble stones with cut lettering
became as common in Great Britain as in North America. For all of
its durability, lead lettering has its disadvantages. If not well
secured, individual letters can fall from the stone and be crushed
underfoot or disappear in the grass. In the case of raised lead
lettering, once that would happen, it would become almost
impossible to guess the missing letter unless it could be revealed by
the context of the word or name taken as a whole. This is not such a
problem with level lead lettering, because if the letter were missing,
the incised outline would still be visible. A far greater problem with
lead lettering is its appeal to vandals and thieves, who could quickly
strip a stone of its letters, either to sell as scrap or simply for the
sake of mischief. This did not seem to be a major problem in rural
Great Britain, for there was little sign of vandalized stones in the
cemeteries examined; however, Thomas was familiar with situations
where this type of vandalism did happen. Thomas said that the
demand for lead lettered stones is slowly dying out in Great Britain,
which doesn't displease him in the least. He acknowledged that they
are complicated and time consuming compared to the cvitting of
modern stones, but some people still insist on this style, and
gravestone makers in such localities must continue to offer them for
sale. In concept, this would be not unlike the filling in a tooth, where
a hole was undercut and a metal filling was forced into the hole,
with the base of the filling larger than the opening of the hole. The
filling would be even more secure if the sides of the hole were left
rough. "Although not common, it is not unknown to find gilded
letters. Volume 23: Number 2 Page 7
 Topical Columns AGS Quarterly - Spring 1999 Interview at
his shop. Market Street, Llangollen, Wales, July 25, 1997. Thomas
told me that only a few months prior to our discussion, the
newspapers featured a story where graveyards in Liverpool were
being vandalized, with the lead lettering stripped from the stones
and sold for scrap. He led me over to a stone in his display area and
casually peeled back the edge of a demonstration letter using his
fingernail only. It was easy to see how someone with a putty knife
and a pair of pliers could strip a stone in a matter of minutes.
Swapping the putty knife for a sharp screwdriver would make the
level lead lettering just as easy to pry off as the raised lettering. 0
Robert Klisiewicz is an AGS member from Webster, Massachusetts.
He may be reached at (508) 943-5732. Fig. 2 Stone for Frederick
Chowen advertisement HAND CARVED LETTERING IN STONE
Houmann Oshidari 781/862-1583 433 Bedford Street Lexington, MA
02420 , , IS GEORGE HAN1.YW. Ftll. A*11CF K*/ 3l«^ 1952. A'QCD
** ytAllS. Ami TBANCitS HAMKK. OUI^STOW COURT WIOSCOMBf.
FATHEH or TM« A80VC .. FELL ASIEBP JtWt Zaw I9S3. AC£D ao
rcABa. ' diso MARY ANN HAMtyW. virt or fine ABOVE FEll ASLIEP
Mm. 3»° tS'tO. " Ati^o St YtAna*. V MARlANNf MAJCAfiET HAHiyK. /
■ F/^. i Stone for Francis George Hamlyn AGS Receives Bequest Last
fall the Trustees received notice AGS would be receiving a $1000
bequest from the estate of long-time AGS member Josiah Fowler of
West Roxbury, Massachusetts. We are grateful for this gift and
encourage members to consult with their financial advisors about
ways to benefit organizations they care about as well as helping
themselves at tax time. We would be pleased to consult with you
regarding any possibilities your advisors may suggest. advertisement
r Bert & Buds iniage L^ojjins "Don't Be Caught Dead Without One"
T-Shirts S20.00 (incl. postage & handling) Send check or money
order (No cash, please) to:Bert & Bud's Vintage Co P.O. Box 995,
Murray, KY 42071 j "Don't be caught dead without one" i Page 8
Volume 23: Number 2