I’ve never been much for visiting cemeteries, at least not to view the graves of people I’ve known or loved. I don’t really have a good excuse for this — it’s probably just a selfish way to avoid emotions and issues that I prefer to repress.
But a recent visit to my hometown happened to coincide with the anniversaries of my father’s and sister’s deaths, which happened one day apart, though in different years. So my other sister and my mother convinced me to go along on their annual pilgrimage to the Holy Cross Cemetery where both my sister and father are buried.
All of the images today are from advertisements for monument companies that appeared in The National Geographic from 1937 to 1966. The one exception is the first image, which is from the 1908 Sears catalog. Click on any image for a larger version.
At the Catholic cemetery where my family members are buried, the gravestones are almost all flush with the ground, not of the “monument” variety pictured in these ads. I don’t know if that’s a Catholic thing or a reflection of the times — clearly the older cemeteries are more inclined toward true monuments instead of simple grave markers.
I suspect the flat-style grave markers are purely a practical consideration to make mowing the lawn easier. At this particular cemetery all the flowers are picked up and disposed of on Thursday, so it’s best not to come on Wednesday, at least not with a fresh arrangement.
All those flat tombstones make it difficult to find the right one, but my sister knew where to go. The trash receptacles at Holy Cross cemetery are disguised as hollowed-out tree trunks, which keeps everything looking dignified.
I suppose it’s a little tricky advertising for tombstones. I haven’t seen any recent examples, certainly not complete with celebrity endorsements like this one from 1966 featuring Normal Rockwell.
And I think this ad, which juxtaposes your wedding day with that of your death, is a little depressing.
I like the simple dignity of this cross, and the logo design for the Monument Institute of America is a fitting one.
I did find myself pretty emotional on seeing my father’s and sister’s graves, especially my sister’s because she died at a young age. I hadn’t visited her grave in 35 years, so it brought back a lot of memories.
I’ve decided to be cremated. Despite the sentiments expressed in all these ads, I just can’t imagine leaving a monument to myself.
This article was last modified on May 17, 2023
This article was first published on October 16, 2009
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