Category: American
-
Young Sheldon
Whenever I start researching a cemetery, I always start by looking for a name. My own. Hopefully that won’t be interpreted by you as arrogance. My forename isn’t very common – I’ve only met two other Sheldon’s in my time: one a distant cousin and the other at a party donkey’s years ago. I am…
-
The Afterlives of the Rich & Famous
A young American’s journey to visit the graves of every U.S. president, vice president, and other notables “Just tweeted this, because it’s ruddy brilliant!” That’s what Sheldon commented on my February 16th Instagram post, which showcased the final resting place of Richard McDonald, co-founder of the McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain. Dick’s urn, nestled in…
-
The Closet & The Coffin
For LGBT History Month I’m inviting friends and fans alike to delve into our cemeteries and unearth some queer stories – there are loads, if you know where to look! Today I’m very pleased to post a blog by The Astroholic, himself, Dr Alfredo Carpineti! Alfredo is an astrophysicist and writer for IFLScience; here he investigates the true leanings…
-
Rock Creek Cemetery
Who says cemeteries can’t be beautiful? You see those mausoleums? They gave me shade from the relentless August that I had to endure during my stay in Washington D.C. I walked a mile from the Catholic University of America campus (where I was staying) to the first and finest of the cemeteries in the States.…
-
Four Graves for Harvey Milk
To celebrate LGBT History month I’ve asked writers, historians and scientists to write about interesting queer people who now reside in our cemeteries and crematoriums. To start us off, I’m thrilled to have a blog post from Loren Rhoads, author of ‘199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die‘ and ‘Wish You Were Here: Adventures in…
-
What Becomes of Us After Death?
…Hiram Maxim had an idea. Hiram Maxim is the dictionary definition of an eccentric. An American by birth, he was also an inventor – creating a type of inhaler and a machine gun. You could argue he’s responsible for filling up most of the world’s cemeteries with the latter device, although in his own lifetime when…
-
Ashes to Ashes
As the world goes mad and Summer has made way for Autumn, on a rare day off I decided to have a stroll around North London. It wasn’t around a Cemetery, for once. I know, I know. Considering that 75% of us decide to be cremated nowadays, I thought I’d take a slight tangent from…
-
The Most Incredible Article About the Civil War You’ll Ever Read
by Sheldon The blazing hulk of the USS Tulip burnt ferociously as 29 year old John Davis gasped for breath; his head erupting from the surface of the dark waters of the Potomac. Embers rained down from the sky – shouting aloud, in part to let people know he was alive but also to see if any of…
-
The Creatives of Chiswick Old Cemetery
It’s long been an ambition of mine to go to the grave of William Hogarth. Unquestionably he is one of our greatest artists and political commentators. His works, from The Pilgrim’s Progress to his portraiture, offered social analysis that was as cutting as it was accessible and understandable by the British populace. With a free…