Common Shade: Marking Our Graves

Green-Wood Cemetery 500 25th Street, Brooklyn

A quick stroll through Green-Wood makes evident the myriad styles in which people memorialize friends, family, or themselves. And just like any other visual art, popularity of styles shift and change with the cultural at large. Join Eva Bowerman, Chair of the New York Chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies, for a look at American monuments and memorialization through the years. Why were certain styles more popular than others, and what outside forces influenced prevailing memorialization customs? Eva's background in art history informs her view of the shifting popularity of styles and customs regarding tombstones and monuments. She'll examine the American monument landscape at large, and touch on specific examples you can find in Green-Wood. After the presentation, a discussion will follow with Eva and Common Shade moderator Evan Michelson.