New Orleans: Cemeteries

Images of America: Louisiana

by Eric J. Brook

The mysticism of cemeteries is inescapable. We are intrigued by the way these sacred cities of the dead have the ability to both fascinate and unnerve us at the same time. Within these final resting places lie many personal histories marked by nyriad monuments ranging from grand architectural homages to endearing sculptures and simple gravestones. The cemeteries of New Orleans have long enticed residents and visitors alike with their beauty and rich history. In New Orleans, the cemeteries are unique in that they are primarily built above ground. Done in part because of the city's location below sea level, this type of burial is also a common practice rooted in the area's Latin culture tradition. In over 200 photographs accompanied by an illuminating narrative, the author invites us to join him on a visual tour of some of the most captivating burial site of the Crescent City.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 6, 1999

Reviews

[MKF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even after reading books on New Orleans cemeteries I didn't realize there were so many. Many are so close together but are in worse conditions then its neighbor. The stones, statues, monuments, and tombs are beautiful even the ones damaged or broken.

[Charla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very difficult to adequately cover a single cemetery in only 126 pages, but the author did a very good job giving at least brief descriptions of many New Orleans cemeteries in this book, including photos of some that no longer exist. The celtic cross in Metairie is the monument that I most admire. It has the symbols for the four evangelists (winged man, winged lion, etc.), the lamb of Christ, the words "I am the way, the truth, the life", a lot of celtic knotwork, a pelican, and other symbols. One of the most noteworthy (for me) contains the pelican, crossed cannons, cannonballs, two years (1862 & 1865), CSA, and the initials F.B. I don't know who F.B. is, or if that might stand for a battle, possibly. It's a mystery.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little gem is part of a series which collects historic photographs of Americana. Images of America: New Orleans Cemeteries includes hundreds of black-and-white photographs of more than a dozen New Orleans-area cemeteries, including all three St. Louis graveyards, both Lafayette cemeteries, and the Metairie, Cypress Grove, and Greenwood necropolis. The photos are a nice blend of overviews or landscapes—which give a sense of the larger graveyard—and detail of the reliefs or inscriptions adorning specific tombs.

My favorite section of the book illuminates the Girod Street Cemetery, the original Protestant burial ground, which was laid out in the rural style popular in northern graveyards. Christ Church Episcopal founded Girod Street Cemetery in 1822, but by the 1950s, it had been allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the Church deconsecrated the land and demolished over a thousand tombs. Part of the former cemetery lies under the end zone of the Superdome. Some say this explains why the New Orleans Saints rarely win. The photos of the overgrown graveyard, pre-demolition, are reminiscent of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Breathtaking!

Another highlight is the chapter on the Jewish Cemeteries, which are seldom featured in other books on New Orleans. Despite the Inquisition’s prohibition against Jewish settlers in Catholic Louisiana, the first synagogue outside the original 13 American colonies was founded in New Orleans, so there is a long history of Jewish burials in the area. Although the monuments span from slate tablets up through modern granite blocks, this book makes clear that Victorian-era artistry was as appreciated in Hebrew Rest as is any other graveyard in town.

The only flaws in this book are minor. There is no list of cemetery names or addresses, not even a contact number for Save Our Cemeteries, the group who’s worked so hard to restore and protect these fragile treasures. That’s the fault of the author. The publisher’s fault lies in the lack of a listing of the other Images of America titles. If I knew how many cemetery books they’d published, I might be writing them a check even now.

This is another review from Morbid Curiosity #7.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I didn't find this book as interesting as some others that I have read on this topic. The one thing that I did find interesting was the level of repair / disrepair between cemeteries that are often just a few streets apart.