Images of America

Historic Burial Grounds of the New Hampshire Seacoast, a photographic study of Colonial Era-burial grounds, uncovers the fascinating history of the area from the 1680s to 1810. These early cemeteries are a direct link to our past, and yet very little has been done to preserve their history through photographs. By understanding how, why, and by whom these gravestones were made, the symbolism they portray can be understood, and we will gain a clearer understanding of the ways in which our ancestors lived and died. The burial grounds and the gravestones within them have often been called "open air museums." They contain some of the oldest works of art found in the area; some gravestones are more than 300 years old. Through the author's collection of photographs, one can see the entire range of images present in the area's old burial grounds, including grinning skulls and crossbones, heavenly cherubs, and epitaphs that tell magnificent tales. This collection is a must for anyone interested in local history, genealogy, or colonial-era art.

Portsmouth Cemeteries, a photographic study of this city's cemeteries, uncovers a compelling history of the area from the Colonial era to the 1900s. These cemeteries provide a direct link to the past, where many stories are told in stone. The gravestones and monuments feature unusual works of art, and the inscriptions act as documents that preserve family histories, valiant military service, and memories of photographs, readers can see how gravestones evolved over time and learn about some of Portsmouth's own practitioners in the art of stone carving.

Laid out in 1848 as a rural garden cemetery by Henry A. S. Dearborn, Forest Hills Cemetery celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2008 as Boston's premier arboretum cemetery. Since the mid-19th century, its 250 magnificent acres have been the resting place of people of all walks of life, ethnicities, religions, and races. Among these are poets Anne Sexton and E. E. Cummings, playwright Eugene O'Neill, and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. Forest Hills's landscape is a museum of sculpture, art, and monuments that chronicles the Victorian age to the present. The first crematorium in New England was here, and prominent Bostonian suffragette Lucy Stone was the first person to be cremated at Forest Hills in 1893. An active cemetery and an all-embracing place, Forest Hills offers a bucolic and picturesque setting for the "gathering of generations" and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cemeteries Around Lake Winnipesaukee, a photographic study, reveals the compelling history of the region from the time when Native Americans first inhabited the lake's shore to the 1900s. These cemeteries are some of the oldest cultural and archaeological remnants of the past around the lake, and their scenic locations and gravestones and monuments provide a tangible link to the past. Through the author's collection of photographs, readers can see the final resting places of people as diverse as early settlers, ministers, doctors, Revolutionary and Civil War veterans, drowning victims, and even a controversial author. Readers will also discover the art and business of gravestone carving and learn about some of the region's early practitioners in this unusual art form.