the Art of Memory
simplifying the landscape
Toward the end of the 19th century, fences and curbing around individual lots at Mount Auburn were removed in an effort to minimize clutter and generate open space, thus creating a more unified appearance and one that was easier to maintain. Landscape designer Lawrence Caldwell, active at Mount Auburn in the 1920s and’ 30s, wrote that“ the new Cemetery should become a park-like area with inspiring natural scenery carefully preserved and developed to attain a high degree of quiet dignity and peace.” 9 While upright headstones continued to be erected, unobtrusive flush markers set at grade with the ground also became popular at this time. These simple, rectangular monuments provide a flat surface for names and dates of the deceased as well as space for a personal design or emblem such as a crest, cross, wreath, or bird.
Photo, Mount Auburn Staff, 2011
evolving traditions of commemoration
In addition to flush monuments and upright headstones, unique examples of contemporary design can be found at Mount Auburn. Recently placed in the Cemetery is a stone sculpture by artist Izumi Masatoshi— a boulder carved of Japanese basalt, and split in two, that rests on a flat granite plinth. The two rocks facing each other, and the space between, symbolize the relationship between husband and wife and elicit a powerful emotional response.“ You try to make something
Photo, Jennifer Johnston, 2013 that will be meaningful,” says stone cutter Douglas Coffin, who works with families to design artistically carved stone monuments. 10“ Today, families want to remember and honor their loved one in a way that is highly personalized,” says fourth-generation monument dealer David Sullivan. 11 Resting on a sloped hillside, this seemingly simple monument is surprisingly fresh and new in spirit. Elsewhere in the Cemetery, a kinetic sculpture by artist Anne Lilly marks the grave of architect Benjamin Thompson. Inspired by a watercolor drawing by Thompson, it moves gently and playfully in the breeze.
6 | Sweet Auburn