Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
I have a penchant for dramatic graveyard art, those winged but bent angels, the weeping women clinging to crosses, the monuments that stretch toward the heavens.
An angel in Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Dramatic art in Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Clam shell marker, Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
One stone in the Greenridge Cemetery in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.that has me wondering about its bearer’s past is in the shape of a clam shell. This seems like an unusual choice for someone who died in 1864—especially given its upstate New York location. I can imagine clam shell grave markers closer to the coast. How one found its way here is a mystery to me.
—Lori Tripoli
The back side of a clam shell stone at Greenridge Cemetery, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
Interested in graveyard art? Consider these posts:
In cemetery iconography, the seashell – more specifically, the scallop – is a symbol of Christian baptism, resurrection, &/or eternity. Once you notice it, you’ll start seeing it in many cemeteries all over the U.S. 🙂 It seems to be often used for children’s markers along with a sleeping cherub.
Thanks for that information, Trish! I didn’t know that. I hadn’t seen the scallop before in a graveyard. I’ll be on the lookout now!
-Lori Tripoli