Graceland
Cemetery
Directly down the street from my
building is one of the premier cemeteries in Chicago. Graceland
has open, tree lined roads, well manicured grounds, and is definitely
the place for an expensive monument and that final resting place
near the famous from Chicago's history.
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The loveliest part of Graceland is the
area around the pond. Most of the most famous graves are
clustered around it. The columns near the center of the
picture are from the Potter Palmer memorial.
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Cemetery
Art
Every large cemetery has
original art: bronze statues, stone carvings, brass doors,
the best that money can buy. The wealthier the customers,
the better the art. Graceland had a lot of wealthy and famous
customers.
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This is the allegorical
statue of death that is the monument to Dexter Graves, one
of Chicago's earliest settlers. It was paid for by his son
who seems to take the mantle of greatness on himself. The
artist is Larado Taft, a noted Chicago sculptor who has
other monuments around the city. Completed in 1909, the
actual title of the work is Eternal Silence. The late 19-century
allegorical symbolism is evident and well executed, if a
bit creepy. |
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The way the statue is wrapped
in a toga-like garment with the hood-like effect contributes to
its eerie effect. |
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One of the intriguing elements
of this monument is the presence of coins on its base. What do they
mean? I am not sure but perhaps they represent the fee that the
dead were thought to have paid to Charon so he would ferry them
across the river Styx. They are not always there so someone must
be "cleaning up". |
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A Virtual Tour of Chicago's Cemeteries
© 2002 Joe Kelley
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