Thursday, May 04, 2006

Finding Mary's Tombstone

Several years ago I picked up a beautiful CDV — an outdoor view in a cemetery picturing a tombstone flanked by two women. One woman rests her hand on the stone, and the other stands a few steps behind it. Both women are dressed warmly. In the background, leafless trees and the stone wall of a two-story building are visible. The photographer's name is not on the CDV mount, nor is there any indication of where this scene is located. However, the name, life dates and inscription are easily readable. The name of the deceased is Mary Greenleaf Woods. I spent some time researching her, and eventually discovered that she was buried in a cemetery located behind Rosse Hall at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. On my way back from Indiana, I drove to the college and found the grave site. The years had not been kind. The withered stone had been broken into three pieces (fortunately repaired, and it appeared recently) but it was there, and I was thrilled to find it and take a digital photograph from the same ground upon which a photographer had stood 150 years ago.

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