Grave Landscapes Lecture & Book Signing

Grave Landscapes: The Nineteenth-Century Rural Cemetery Movement  by James R. Cothran and Erica Danylchak
Because of overcrowding in urban graveyards during the Industrial Revolution, a revolutionary new type of American burial ground located in the countryside just beyond the city was introduced. These rural cemeteries predated America’s public parks, and their popularity as picturesque retreats helped propel America’s public parks movement. Danylchak will discuss the inspiration for rural cemeteries, their physical evolution, the nature of the landscapes they inspired, and the value of these cemeteries in the 21st century.