Old Cemeteries & Symbols of Death Photos

Historically, death & mortality have been treated more graphically than today. Here is a photographic selection of symbols of death.

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Roman carved marble relief of Death of Priam from Fiesole at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with skull & crossbones at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.
Roman carved marble relief of Death of Priam (c50 BCE-50 CE) from Fiesole at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull (1713) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with skull & crossbones (1709) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull (1740) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.
Headstone with skull, moon & heart at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Pair of tombstones with winged skulls at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with grim reapers & hourglass at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.
Headstone with skull, moon & heart (1713) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Headstone with winged skull (1737) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Pair of tombstones with winged skulls (1752 & 74) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with grim reapers & hourglass at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.
Tombstone with grim reaper & hourglass at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with grim reaper & hourglass at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstones with death heads on Copp's Hill Burial Ground. Boston, MA.Death head on tombstone of Ebenezer Montfort in Old Granary Burial Ground. Boston, MA.
Tombstone with grim reaper & hourglass at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with grim reaper & hourglass (1737) at Granary Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstones with death heads (1740s) on Copp's Hill Burial Ground. Boston, MA.Death head on tombstone (1516) of Ebenezer Montfort in Old Granary Burial Ground. Boston, MA.
Tombstones of servant & young woman in Old Granary Burial Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with skeleton & angel in King's Chapel Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with death symbols in King's Chapel Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.
Tombstones of servant & young woman in Old Granary Burial Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with skeleton & angel in King's Chapel Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone with death symbols in King's Chapel Burying Ground. Boston, MA.Tombstone (1754) in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.
Tombstone with winged skull in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.Tombstone with winged skull in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.Tombstone in Quincy burial ground. Quincy, MA.Tombstone with skull in Trinity Church. New York, NY.
Tombstone with winged skull (1737) in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.Tombstone with winged skull (1727) in Old Hill Burying Ground on Monument Sq. Concord, MA.Tombstone in Quincy burial ground. Quincy, MA.Tombstone (1700s) with skull in Trinity Church. New York, NY.
Tombstone with angel in Trinity Church. New York, NY.Tombstone with skull in Trinity Church. New York, NY.Draped tombstone & tower of Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Late 19th C tombstones at Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.
Tombstone (1761) with angel in Trinity Church. New York, NY.Tombstone (1730s) with skull in Trinity Church. New York, NY.Draped tombstone & tower of Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Late 19th C tombstones at Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.
Antique tombstones among oaks at Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Anchor carved on tombstone in graveyard of Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Augusta Marta tombstone died 1820 age 25 in Colonial Park Burying Ground. Savannah, GA.1817 tombstone of James Barrie in Colonial Park Burying Ground. Savannah, GA.
Antique tombstones among oaks at Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Anchor carved on tombstone in graveyard of Grace Episcopal Church. St. Francisville, LA.Augusta Marta tombstone died 1820 age 25 in Colonial Park Burying Ground. Savannah, GA.1817 tombstone of James Barrie in Colonial Park Burying Ground. Savannah, GA.
Tombstone at St. John's Episcopal Church. Richmond, VA.Tombstone from Fort Sully cemetery at South Dakota State Historical Society Museum. Pierre, SD.Mission Dolores cemetery tombstones of child who died in 1859. San Francisco, CA.Mission Dolores cemetery tombstones of man & woman mourning under a weeping willow. San Francisco, CA.
Tombstone (1793) at St. John's Episcopal Church. Richmond, VA.Tombstone (1870) from Fort Sully cemetery at South Dakota State Historical Society Museum. Pierre, SD.Mission Dolores cemetery tombstones of child who died in 1859. San Francisco, CA.Mission Dolores cemetery tombstones of man & woman mourning under a weeping willow. San Francisco, CA.
Early tombstone in cemetery of St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Strasburg, PA.Abraham Lincoln's Tombstone. Springfield, IL.Alexander VII Monument by Bernini in St Peter's, Vatican, features Death with hourglass reaching from beneath sculpted drapery. Vatican City.Huey P. Long tombstone used until his body reburied in State Capitol lawn at Louisiana State Museum. Baton Rouge, LA.
Early tombstone in cemetery of St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church. Strasburg, PA.Abraham Lincoln's Tombstone (1808-65). Springfield, IL.Alexander VII Monument by Bernini (1678) in St Peter's, Vatican, features Death with hourglass reaching from beneath sculpted drapery. Vatican City.Huey P. Long (1893-1935) tombstone used until his body reburied in State Capitol lawn at Louisiana State Museum. Baton Rouge, LA.
Bronze death mask of Napoleon by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi at Cabildo Museum. New Orleans, LA.Bronze death mask of Napoleon by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi at Cabildo Museum. New Orleans, LA.James A. Garfield bronze death mask by Augustus Saint-Gaudens at Garfield NHS. Mentor, OH.Print of the death of James K. Polk. Little Rock, AR.
Bronze death mask of Napoleon (c1821) by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi at Cabildo Museum. New Orleans, LA.Bronze death mask of Napoleon (c1821) by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi at Cabildo Museum. New Orleans, LA.James A. Garfield bronze death mask (c1881) by Augustus Saint-Gaudens at Garfield NHS. Mentor, OH.Print of the death of James K. Polk. Little Rock, AR.
Engraving of death of President William Henry Harrison. Indianapolis, IN.Print showing Death of Napoleon May 5, 1821 at Destrehan Plantation. Destrehan, LA.Aging & Death painting by Hans Baldung Grien in Prado Museum. Madrid, Spain.Eve, the Serpent & Death by Hans Baldung Grien at National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa, ON.
Engraving of death of President William Henry Harrison (April 4, 1841) at Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Indianapolis, IN.Print showing Death of Napoleon May 5, 1821 at Destrehan Plantation. Destrehan, LA.Aging & Death painting (1541-4) by Hans Baldung Grien in Prado Museum. Madrid, Spain.Eve, the Serpent & Death (c1510-5) by Hans Baldung Grien at National Gallery of Canada. Ottawa, ON.
Race Track [Death on a Pale Horse] painting by Albert Pinkham Ryder at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Maya culture terracotta beaker with dancing death figures from Guatemala at New Orleans Museum of Art. New Orleans, LA.Skulls carved into Ball Court walls at Chichén Itzá inspired players to win or die. Mexico.Tombstone in San Francisco Monastery in Quito. Ecuador.
Race Track [Death on a Pale Horse] painting (c1896-1908) by Albert Pinkham Ryder at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.Maya culture terracotta beaker with dancing death figures (600-900) from Guatemala at New Orleans Museum of Art. New Orleans, LA.Skulls carved into Ball Court walls at Chichén Itzá inspired players to win or die. Mexico.Tombstone in San Francisco Monastery in Quito. Ecuador.
Lion of death in Fengdu on Yangtze River. China.Mural from Death Temple in Fengdu on Yangtze River. China.Tibetan statue of Yama, lord of death, at Museum of Natural History. New York, NY.Maori tombstone at Christ Church in Russell. New Zealand.
Lion of death in Fengdu on Yangtze River. China.Mural from Death Temple in Fengdu on Yangtze River. China.Tibetan statue of Yama, lord of death, at Museum of Natural History. New York, NY.Maori tombstone at Christ Church in Russell. New Zealand.
Death portrayed at Holocaust Memorial. Miami Beach, FL.Ceiling fresco of Mary begging for mercy for world enchained by death & devil by Johann Jakob Herkomer in St Anna's Chapel at Museum of City of Füssen in Kloster St Mang. Füssen, Germany.Stone carving on coffin lid on which Abbot Gregor von Füssen is depicted together with Grim Reaper along with a holy man with an hour glass between them in St Anna's Chapel at Museum of City of Füssen in Kloster Mang. Füssen, Germany.
Death portrayed at Holocaust Memorial. Miami Beach, FL.Ceiling fresco (c1700) of Mary begging for mercy for world enchained by death & devil by Johann Jakob Herkomer in St Anna's Chapel at Museum of City of Füssen in Kloster St Mang. Füssen, Germany.Stone carving (1554) on coffin lid on which Abbot Gregor von Füssen is depicted together with Grim Reaper along with a holy man with an hour glass between them in St Anna's Chapel at Museum of City of Füssen in Kloster Mang. Füssen, Germany.
All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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