Eliz, Thanks for the info and the link. I bookmarked it for easy reference. :o) DEB Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net Washington Co., Ohio (A History and Genealogy Website) http://home.comcast.net/~diamonddeb/Index.html ----- Original Message ----- From: <ElizHgene@aol.com> To: <OHWASHIN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, November 14, 2003 1:59 PM Subject: [OHWASH] FARBER collection of Gravestones now online > >From todays Ancestry news, if you don't already know about David Rumseys map > collection <G> you have a treat in store. Meantime the Farber Collections is > well worth the Insite Java download (free) > Eliz > > > The Final Images We Leave Behind > by George G. Morgan > Two weeks ago, I wrote an article titled "Taking the 'Scary' out of Locating > Cemeteries" for the Halloween edition of the "Along Those Lines…" column. I > don't think I'm very different from most of you in my love for cemeteries. > Throughout my life, I've been fascinated by them on a number of levels. I wrote a > column in 1999 on the subject of "Cemetery Iconography" which you may find > interesting as well. > Cemeteries are not only the final resting place for our ancestors, family > members, and friends; they are a reflection of the community. Furthermore, they > are a rich study in history, architecture, burial customs, sociology, and > philosophy. > Yes, I said philosophy. Each time I visit a cemetery, I am struck by the > different thoughts and attitudes expressed in the design of cemetery markers, the > iconography used on the stones, the information carved on them, and the > epitaphs. A single cemetery marker is perhaps a final image of the person left > behind, and as we walk through the graveyard, it is perhaps the only impression of > the individual we will ever know. > The Farber Gravestone Collection Online > Apparently I am not the only person who feels this way. Anna Miller of > Cartography Associates e-mailed me an interesting press release this week concerning > a new collection of online cemetery images, which are a "must visit" for each > of us. David Rumsey, whose amazing online map collection is showcased at > www.davidrumsey.com, and the team of Cartography Associates, have partnered with > Luna Imaging at www.lunaimaging.com and have added the American Antiquarian > Society's (AAS) prestigious Farber Gravestone Collection to its online site. You > will want to read the press release and the AAS's description of their > Gravestone Collection. > The cornerstone of the AAS's Farber Gravestone Collection is the work of the > late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie > Farber, who photographed historic gravestones for more than twenty years. > Photographs taken by Harriette Merrifield Forbes, who worked in the 1920s mainly in > Massachusetts, and Dr. Ernest Caulfield, who documented Connecticut, grave > markers are also included in the collection. > The more than 13,500 photographs in the online collection document more than > 9,000 gravestones, most of which date from before 1800. Besides the sheer > wonder of having all of these images in one place, what is perhaps most > significant is that gravestones of this vintage are in danger of loss by both vandalism > and exposure to natural elements. Wind, rain, snow, ice, pollution, acid rain, > and natural deterioration are slowly eroding many of these markers, and the > preservation of these images is vital to historians and genealogists alike. > View the Farber Gravestone Collection > If you are a serious student of genealogy and cemeteries, I encourage you to > make a virtual visit through the collection (www.davidrumsey.com/farber). On > that webpage is a link to the introductory essay by Jessie Lee Farber. In it, > you will find the very best education about the history of the cemetery stone > and its evolution in America, the physical shapes used, the types of materials > used and preservation, the meanings of the icons used, the philosophical and > religious meanings of the inscriptions, and sources for additional reading. > The collection itself can be viewed with your Web browser. You must turn off > any pop-up stopper software you're using because the collection uses a second > browser window to display the collection's images. You may use a choice of two > pieces of viewing options, both of which are products of Luna Imaging and can > be accessed at the site. The insight Browser and the insight Java Client > browser both provide access. The insight Browser does not require a software > download, but merely a click on the link to activate it. The Java Client software > requires a one-time download and provides a better viewing experience. Both > support both PC and Mac operating systems, and run with the Internet Explorer, > Netscape, and Mozilla Web browsers. > Once you are into the collection's viewing screen, you can search in a > variety of ways, including by keywords and data fields. I searched, for example, for > gravestones in North Carolina where the name contains "Alexander" and was > rewarded with images from Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, N.C., one of which was > the gravestone of a collateral relative, Abraham Alexander, who died 28 April > 1786. > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >