Remembering the Dead: Applying Museum Collections Research to Historic Lone Mountain Cemetery

Abstract

Cemeteries act as outdoor museums due to the similarities between collections and grave markers, allowing for historical, cultural, and artistic context to be learned from objects. A case study at Lone Mountain Cemetery, this thesis will apply collections research practices to the grave markers through the art depicted on them, in order to provide insight into the issues surrounding the erasure and preservation of grave markers. When a person dies, their identity is displayed on their grave marker through symbols, written epitaphs, and also the materials used. Modern people interact with these identities when they visit a grave, identifying with the deceased, reflecting on them, or by acting out rituals of defiance. Cemeteries function parallel to that of museums, serving as places of education and recreation. Cultures change throughout time, but cemeteries allow people to step back and observe the differences and similarities between past cultures and the present.