A GRAVE AFFAIR

A Bibliography of books & other materials
on gravestones, cemeteries, epitaphs,
mourning, funerals, and related subjects.

These pages include items we have sold over the last decade, as well as other entries, and they are updated with new material on a regular basis. We hope that they will be interesting to those interested in these subjects. If you see a book listed here you would like to locate,
please let us know.

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[Adams, John Quincy] Addresses in the Congress of the United States, and Funeral Solemnities on the Death of John Quincy Adams, who Died in the Capitol at Washington on Wednesday Evening, February 23, 1848. Washington; J. and G.S. Gideon: 1848. Former President of the United States and Massachusetts Congressman John Quincy Adams collapsed on the floor of the House on Monday, February 21st, 1848, and was carried to the Speaker's Chamber, where he died two days later. This pamphlet contains an account of the life of this very remarkable man, as well as addresses in the House, the funeral oration of the Reverend R.R. Gurley, Chaplain of the House, and a description of the funeral procession. Softcover, 6"x9", 40 pages, engraved portrait frontispiece with tissue guard.

Adams, Norman. Dead and Buried? The horrible history of bodysnatching. New York; Bell Publishing Company:1972. The phrase "You are worth more dead than alive" was often taken to its grisly, logical end by 19th century grave-robbers in England and Scotland, working to supply the demanding medical trade with corpses for anatomists. 5.5"x8.5", 152 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Agnes and the Little Key: or, Bereaved Parents instructed and comforted. By her father. Boston; S.K. Whipple and Company:1857. 2nd edition. An interesting Victorian memorial/instruction book dealing with a child's death. 5"x7.5", 191 pages.

Albro, John A. An Address delivered at the Consecration of the Cambridge Cemetery, November 1, 1854, by John A. Albro, D.D., together with Preliminary Remarks by His Honor the Mayor. Cambridge [Massachusetts]; Metcalf and Company: 1854. Softcover. 6"x8.5", 35 pages.

Alden, Timothy. A Collection of American Epitaphs and Inscriptions with Occasional Notes. New York; 1814. One of the most popular early studies of American gravestone epitaphs. "From an early age, I have been in the habit, as opportunity has presented, of copying from stones, erected to the memory of the dead, the epitaphs of such as were distinguished, in life, for their piety, genius, literature, science, offices of honour and trust, feats of heroism in the cause of their country, and usefulness to the world. My attention has also been directed to such other American inscriptions, as have been made upon monuments, pieces of plate, medals, and swords." Hardcover. 5 volumes. 3.5"x5.5", 283 + 288 + 288 + 288 + 288 pages. Engraved frontispieces.

Arlington Cemetery -Prospectus for Stockholders. Rural Homestead Company: 1882. A very interesting prospectus for investors in the Rural Homestead Company, "Auxiliary to the Arlington Cemetery Association, Hudson County, New Jersey", which was the "owner of certain lands" which were placed at the disposal of the Arlington Cemetery to sell cemetery plots on, with half the proceeds to go for maintenance and improvement of the land, the other half to the Homestead Company and its stockholders. The booklet outlines the advantageous placement of the cemetery (close to Jersey City, New York, etc.), the lack of available space for cemeteries in the area, and other facts that seemed to make this a "can't lose" proposition. Apparently whoever was given this booklet decided otherwise, as the order form in the back for stock is unused. The cover of the booklet is marked "for private distribution", and the booklet includes a colored map. A very interesting and unusual cemetery-related "investment" prospectus. Softcover. 5"x6.5", 6 pages plus a colored map and an order form.

Aloi, Roberto. Arte Funeraria d'Oggi. Architettura Monumentale, Crematori, Cimiteri, Edicole. Milan; Ulrico Hoepli:1959. A pictorial survey of 20th century mausoleums, cemeteries, memorial monuments, and other in situ memorial art, mostly in Italy, but also including German work and several examples from England, Japan, the U.S., etc. There are hundreds of illustrations of a wide variety of the best 20th century memorial design, including gravestones, monuments, cemeteries, memorial chapels, tombs and crypts and statuary. There are quite a few examples which memorialize victims of WWII. For anyone who thinks of 20th century memorial design as somewhat sterile and uninteresting (this would include myself until I opened this book) this study is a true Revelation. A lovely and provocative pictorial survey. 9"x11", 245 pages, hundreds of b&w and several color illustrations.

Andrews, Sidney. Hila: The Story of Life in Love. Washington; 1869. A manuscript note on the endpaper explains- "there were only 30 copies of this book printed & they were all for private distribution". A Victorian memorial volume recounting the 8-year courtship and 2-year marriage of Sidney Andrews and Hila Breese, published by Sidney Andrews in a very limited edition after her death. The writing and publishing of this type of memorial volume was an almost exclusively Victorian hobby and many of them, including this one, are overtly religious in tone. 4.5"x7", 133 pages, marbled endpapers and marbled boards with a gilt-decorated leather spine.

Andrews, William (ed.). Curious Church Gleanings. Hull; William Andrews & Co. and London; Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co.: 1896. A series of essays about various aspects of old churches including dedications, porches, lights in a medieval church, crosses, misericordes, gilds, pews, chantries, hagioscopes, shrines, "Burials in Woollen", "Hearse: How a Word has Changed its Meaning", "Heart Burials of English Persons", "Boy Bishops", and more. Hardcover. 6"x9", 280 pages, b/w frontispiece and several text illustrations.

Andrews, William. Curious Epitaphs collected from the graveyards of Great Britain and Ireland, with Biographical, Genealogical, and Historical Notes. London; Hamilton, Adams and Company: 1883. The author, one of those tireless English Victorian antiquaries, collected these epitaphs himself. Also of great interest in this work is a bibliography of epitaph literature. As the author notes, it is incomplete, but as he also notes, it may well have been the first such bibliography compiled. This bibliography was dropped from the 2nd (1899) edition. Hardcover. 5"x7.5", 182 pages, frontispiece.

Andrews, William. Curious Epitaphs... London; William Andrews and Company: 1899. 2nd Edition. Edition limited to 500 copies. This work was first published in 1883. The author, one of those tireless English Victorian antiquaries, collected these epitaphs himself. This edition was completely reworked, with much new material and a number of illustrations (but, alas!, he dropped the bibliography!). Hardcover. 6"x9", 241 pages, b/w and line illustrations.

[anon] & Johnson, Samuel. A Collection of Epitaphs and Monumental Inscriptions, Historical, Biographical, Literary, and Miscellaneous. To which is prefixed An Essay on Epitaphs by Dr. Johnson. London; Lackington, Allen & Co.: 1806. "The compiler of this work having, for a long series of years, derived considerable amusement from visiting the 'silent mansions of the dead' and transcribing therefrom such inscriptions as he deemed most worthy of preservation, it induced to offer the produce of his industry to the public... the editor has preferred the melange to that of a classification of subjects...". This volume also includes the text of Dr. Johnson's Essay on Epitaphs, which is always interesting and instructive reading. Hardcover. 2 volumes (3 vols). Large Paper copies. 6"x9.5", xvi + 272; 288 pages.

Anthony, Henry B. Memorial Addresses, on Several Occasions; Delivered in the Senate by Henry B. Anthony, A Senator from Rhode Island. Providence; Sidney S. Rider:1875. An interesting collection -you don't usually see memorial addresses grouped by the person who made them. Includes his orations in honor of Stephen Douglas, John Thompson, William Fessenden, Nathaniel Greene, Roger Williams, Charles Sumner, and others. 6.5"x10", 52 pages, plus 5 steel-plate engravings and an engraved title page with a vignette of the Capitol building.

Aries, Philippe. The Hour of Our Death. New York; Alfred A. Knopf: 1981. "A landmark history of Western Man's changing attitudes toward death -and thus his perceptions of life itself -over the last one thousand years." A very important overview of changing mourning and funeral customs. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 651 pages, several b/w illustrations, dj.

Aries, Philippe. Western Attitudes toward Death from the Middle Ages to the Present. Baltimore; Johns Hopkins University Press:1974. 2nd printing. A series of four essays exploring the changes in popular attitudes towards Death. Aries "shows that Western attitudes changed from a simple and naive acceptance of death as destiny, to less acceptance of death with more individualized and sometimes erotic conceptions of death, to outright rejection of death as part of society." 6"x8.5", 111 pages, b&w plates, dj.

Arnold, James N. Inscriptions on the Grave-Stones in the Old Churchyard of St. Paul's Narragansett, North Kingston, Rhode Island, with a Record of the Inscriptions in the Graveyard of the Old Church at Wickford. Boston; Privately Printed at the Merrymount Press: 1909. This compilation was undertaken when it was noted that the 18th and early 19th century gravestones were becoming weather-worn and might soon be obliterated. Softcover. 5.5"x8.5", 36 pages.

Authentic Obituaries of Sabbath School Children. Boston; Massachusetts Sabbath School Union:1832. A charming little early Victorian primer supplying the obituaries of three Sabbath School children, ages 5, 10 and 13. Very much a period piece... Hardcover. 4"x5.5", 36 pages.

Ayer, James B. James Ayer. In Memoriam. Boston. Privately printed:1892. James Ayer, 1815-1891, was a Boston physician. The interesting thing about this book is that it provides a glimpse of family life and the recording of it in the 19th century, including a pair of portraits of his parents, painted by Brewster in 1825, photographs of the family homestead in Newfield, Maine, the meeting house in Newfield, and a family daguerreotype from 1851. An interesting chronicle of early New England life. 7.5"x10", 58 pages plus 7 b&w plates.

Babbitt, George F. Norman Prince. A Volunteer Who Died for the Cause He Loved. Boston; Houghton Mifflin Company:1917. An American combat flyer for the French in the First World War, Prince was a founding member of the Escadrille Americaine (later the Lafayette Flying Squadron) and a much-decorated ace, credited with shooting down 5 German aircraft. He was killed in a landing accident in 1916 while returning from a mission. 6"x9", 76 pages, 13 gravure plates.

Badische Heimat. Zeitschrift fur Volksfunde, landliche Wohlfahrtspflege, Heimat und Dentmalschutz. Karlsruhe; G. Braunsche Hofbuchdruckerie und Verlag:1915. An entire issue of this magazine devoted to an extremely interesting survey of period gravestone and monument designs by German designers, including both realized stones and markers and drawings of proposed monuments. The vast majority of the pieces are, of course, monuments and stones for fallen soldiers. It was only the second year of the War, and noble monuments for fallen soldiers were still in fashion, not yet having been swept aside by the tremendous losses still to come. A touching, chilling and poignant piece. 7.5"x10", 41 pages, b&w illustrations and 1 tipped-in color plate; softcover.

Badone, Ellen. The Appointed Hour. Death, Worldview and Social Change in Brittany. Los Angeles; University of California Press:1989. The French region of Brittany has long been known for the devotion its inhabitants feel for the dead and for the "centrality of death" in local culture -making it the perfect focus of this book. 6"x9", 366 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Baker, C. Alice & Emma L. Coleman. Epitaphs in the Old Burying-Ground at Deerfield, Mass. Deerfield; Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association: 1924. A valuable record of the oldest stones in this historic Masssachusetts frontier village. Hardcover. 7"x9.5", i + 49 pages, plus 4 b/w plates.

Baker, T. The Laws relating to Burials in England and Wales...with Notes, Forms, and Practical Instructions. London; W. Maxwell: 1855. Up to about 1850 the state of burial law in England was virtually nonexistent -quite literally, anything went, with resulting problems which can be only too well imagined. Starting in 1850 a succession of Burial Acts and Revisions were enacted that attempted to bring the chaos into order and safeguard the health of the public and the dignity of the dead. Baker, a barrister of the Inner Temple specializing in Burial Acts, has here set forth the news laws in their entirety, with all the revisions properly inserted. Topics covered include the closure of old burial grounds; the appointment of Burial Boards; proceedings of Burial Boards; the provision of new burial grounds; the rights of parties regarding fees; registration of burials; rating and protection of new burial grounds; reception and conveyance of the dead; burial of poor persons; and regulation by the Secretary of State. This is followed by the texts of the Acts, and that is followed by a section of forms for various purposes. A comprehensive and fascinating look at Victorian Burial Law reform. Uncommon. Hardcover. 4.5"x7.5", v + 173 pages.

Ball, James M., MD. The Sack-'em Up Men. An account of the rise and fall of the modern resurrectionists. Edinburgh; Oliver and Boyd: 1928. A complete survey of the history of body-snatching, chiefly for sale to doctors and anatomists, from ancient times through the 19th century. The vast bulk of the text deals with 17th-19th century doctors and their suppliers, but the Greeks and Romans and Medieval "practitioners" are also treated. The text treats famous grave robbers and their clients, burial practices, and related topics. 6"x9.5", 216 pages, b&w illustrations in the text, plus 61 b&w plates.

Barba, Preston A. Pennsylvania-German Tombstones. A Study in Folk Art. Pennsylvania-German Folklore Society Yearbook: Volume 18. 1953/4. An enchanting study of these often intricately-carved 18th and 19th century tombstones, described by Barba and drawn by his wife. The illustrations are very finely drawn and resemble soft-ground etchings or lithographs, or maybe chalk drawings. The author describes and discusses the decorative elements of each example. 6.5"x9.5", 232 pages, line illustrations.

Barber, Paul. Vampires, Burial and Death. Folklore and Reality. New Haven; Yale University Press:1988. An intriguing study of the folkloric vampire (instead of the literary/cinematic ideal) as they were "actually" encountered in 17th and 18th century Europe. Barber examines how the vampire myth shaped burial and mourning practices, treatment of corpses before burial, vampire and death-related rituals, etc. 6"x9", 236 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Bartoli, Pietro Santi. Le Antiche Lucerne Sepolcrali Figurate Raccolte dalle Cauesotterranaa, e Grotte di Roma. Nelle quali si contengono molte erudite Memorie. Disegnate, ed intagliate nelle loro forme Da Pietro Santi Bartoli divise in tre parti con l'osservationi di Gio. Pietro Bellori. Roma; Nella Stamparia di Gio: Francesco Buagni:1691. The first edition of this distinguished study of the ancient sepulchral lamps discovered in the tombs and caves of Rome. The plates were designed and engraved by Bartoli, with explanatory notes by Gio Pietro Bellori. Subsequent editions were published in Berlin in 1702 and Rome in 1704, but the first edition contains 12 plates not found in the later editions (Solon). 9"x13", 4 + 16 + 15 + 12 pages, plus 37 + 46 + 33 engraved plates.

Baskin, Leonard. Figures of Dead Men by Leonard Baskin. University of Massachusetts Press:1968. A photographic survey of a series of figures of dead men the artist produced in the 1950s. With a Preface by Archibald Macleish. 7"x10", 73 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Beable, W.H. Epitaphs. Graveyard Humour & Eulogy. New York; Thomas Y. Crowell: 1925.  3rd Printing. A modern collection based in part upon older books, and in part upon original research. Hardcover. 5.25"x7.5", 246 pages.

Beach, E. Merrill. They Face the Rising Sun. A Comprehensive Story with Genealogical Material and Complete Charting of Unity Burial Ground -Oldest Cemetery in Trumbull, Connecticut 1730-1971. Chester; Pequot Press:1971. With many photographs of interesting period gravestones. 6"x9", 60 pages, b&w illustrations.

Bendann, E. Death Customs. An Analytical Study of Burial Rites. New York; Alfred A. Knopf:1930. From the "History of Civilization" series. A wide-ranging study into many cultures, eras and questions. This appears to be very thorough. 6.5"x9.5", 304 pages.

Benes, Peter (ed.). Puritan Gravestone Art. The Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife Proceedings 1976 [and] Puritan Gravestone Art II. The Dublin Seminar for New England Folklife Proceedings 1978. Boston University: 1980, 2nd printing & 1978. An important collection of historical material. 2 volumes, 6"x9", 142 + 158 pages, b&w illustrations, softcovers.

Benes, Peter. The Masks of Orthodoxy. Folk Gravestone Carving in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1689-1805. Amherst; University of Massachusetts Press:1977. "A pioneer effort... [drawing on] data provided by approximately 4000 stone markers found in over 100 colonial burial sites in southeastern and central New England, and offers an explanation of the curious facial distortions, markings, and caricatures which have baffled students of early New England iconography for almost a century." 8.5"x10", 273 pages, b&w and line illustrations, dj.

Benes, Peter. Additional Light on Wooden Grave Markers. [contained in] Essex Institute Historical Collections, January, 1975. An examination of historical evidence for the use of wooden grave markers in New England prior to 1670, and what they might have looked like. Softcover. 6"x9", article- pp.53-64; entire issue length- 78 pages; article with 9 line illustrations.

Benkard, Ernst. Undying Faces. A Collection of Death Masks. With a note by George Kolbe, translated from the German by Margaret M. Green. London; published by Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press:1929. Originally published in Germany in 1926 as "Das Ewige Antlitz. Eine sammlung von Totenmasken mit einem geleitwort von Georg Kolbe", this is a translation of the 2nd German edition. One of very few books on the subject of death masks, this one illustrating a fine German collection of faces from the 14th-20th centuries. The collection is, understandably, heavily German in subject matter, but there are enough American, English and French notables present to keep the browser "footed" in reality. In fact, however, the faces of those (doubtless famous) Germans I had never heard of were among the most interesting in many ways. The photography, while usually very sympathetic to the subject matter, is often quite striking and sometimes seems to be using shades and shadows to make editorial comment... A very interesting book which also includes a history of the evolution of death masks. Also of interest as a Hogarth Press book. 7"x10", 118 pages plus 6 b&w illustrations and 112 b&w plates.

Benkard, Ernst. Das Ewige Antlitz. Eine sammlung von Totenmasken mit einem geleitwort von Georg Kolbe. Berlin;Frankfurter Verlags-Anstalt:1926. One of very few books on the subject of death masks, this one illustrating a fine German collection of faces from the 14th-20th centuries. The collection is, understandably, heavily German in subject matter, but there are enough American, English and French notables present to keep the browser "footed" in reality. In fact, however, the faces of those (doubtless famous) Germans I had never heard of were among the most interesting in many ways. The photography, while usually very sympathetic to the subject matter, is often quite striking and sometimes seems to be using shades and shadows to make editorial comment... A very interesting book. 7"x10", 77 pages plus vi b&w illustrations and 123 b&w plates, dj.

Benrimo, Dorothy, Rebecca S. James & E. Boyd. Caposantos. Fort Worth; Amon Carter Museum of Western Art:1966. Dorothy Benrimo began photographing camposantos,Spanish-American grave crosses, in northern New Mexico in 1939. These crosses were made in wood, iron and stone, with varying degrees of skill and artistry; many of them (especially the wooden ones) had weathered over the years in interesting ways. The dynamic force of the crosses combine with Benrimo's sympathetic and skillful photography to make this an arresting and moving book. Strange as it may seem to say, folk art never seems so alive as when it commemorates life and death. 10"x10", viii + 76 pages, 65 b&w plates.

Berg, Charles W. The Confessions of an Undertaker. Wichita; McCormick-Armstrong Press:1920. A critical look at the inside of the funeral business by a lifelong undertaker. His general outlook is summed up best by a few quotes from the last chapter- "Why is it...that we still persist in making such gruesome affairs of funerals? No sooner does some loved one pass from our vision to a better life than we immediately darken the house, bolt every shutter, draw every curtain, go around on tip-toe and speak in whispers, hang that abomination of all funerals, a strip of crepe paper, on the door, and fairly swathe ourselves in deepest black, until the house becomes verily a place to flee from? Nor is there anything quite so barbarous as the present custom...of 'viewing the remains' by a motley collection of persons, many of whom never knew the dead in life, or if they did, never thought enough of him to come and see him. Only second to this (is the) mental caliber of a community that bases the popularity of a man on the length of his 'funeral procession'." And so on... 5"x7.5", 114 pages.

Bidwell, Barnabas. An Oration on the Death of Roger Newton, Jun'r, A.M., A Tutor of Yale-College in New-Haven, Who died August 10th, 1789... New Haven; printed by Thomas and Samuel Green:1789. Newton was evidently a well-loved tutor, but what sets this otherwise uneventful funeral oration apart is the interesting tailpiece, depicting three death's heads arranged in a triangle. The use of three decorative elements in a triangle was a common tailpiece format, but the use of skull and crossbones is unusual and dramatic to say the least. 5"x8", 23 pages, title page with a heavy black funereal border, first page with an initial letter bordered by 24 black squares, and three skull and crossbones figures used as a tailpiece.

Bigelow, Jacob. A History of the Cemetery of Mount Auburn. Boston & Cambridge; James Munroe and Company: 1860. Jacob Bigelow was one of the founders of Mount Auburn and the President of the Corporation. This book affords an unparalleled insider's view of the founding and early history of Mount Auburn, from the preliminary discussions held at Bigelow's behest in 1825 to the negotiations leading to the founding of the cemetery, the selection of the land, laying out of the lots, erection of the fences, statuary and buildings, and a history, generally, of the first 35 years of this historic garden cemetery. In addition, Bigelow describes the then-current grounds and monuments, and includes 4 lovely and striking lithographed plates by Prang & Mayer of Boston, illustrating the Tower, two views of the Chapel, and Consecration Dell. Hardcover. 4.75"x7", xii + 263 pages, 2 folding maps and 4 lithographed plates.

[Bigelow, Jacob] An Account of the Sphinx at Mount Auburn. Boston; Little, Brown and Company: 1872. This short text describes the famous Sphinx statue at Mount Auburn Cemetery and explains the symbolism behind it- "A monumental statue, imitated from the Sphinx of Antiquity, and designed to commemorate the Great War of American conservation, has this week been placed on its pedestal, in front of the Chapel of Mount Auburn Cemetery. It is cut from a single block of Hallowell granite, fifteen feet long, by about eight feet in height, the face alone measuring three feet in length. It is a donation to the Proprietors of the Cemetery from their late President, Dr. Jacob Bigelow, and executed under his direction by Martin Milmore, the distinguished sculptor of this city." Dr. Bigelow, one of the founders of the cemetery, had conceived the idea for the Sphinx statue during the Civil War, and after the war, when he finally embarked upon the project, he kept the development of the model, the quarrying of the granite and sculpting of the finished piece secret from all but a few close friends until it was completed. He paid for the entire project from his own pocket, and also had this small book printed, with 2 albumen prints illustrating a front and side view of the Sphinx. As his friend George Ellis remembered, "Those of his friends to whom he gave copies will always cherish a dainty little volume, anonymous though it may be, in which, with photographs of a front and side view of the Sphinx, is found a letterpress description and remarks" ('Memoir of Jacob Bigelow'; Cambridge, 1880). By the time the monument was completed Bigelow, who was in his 80s, was blind, and Ellis describes the scene at its unveiling- "Before the monument had been planted on its site, Dr. Bigelow had been wholly deprived of the power of vision. But he wished, as he said 'to see it by feeling'. Those who honored him and revered him will always associate the eloquent stone with the scene of his visit to it, when, with others' help, he was raised and aided slowly, inch by inch, to pass his hands over all its members and features". There seems little I can add to that. A scarce book- OCLC locates 7 copies. Hardcover. 5"x7", 14 pages, plus 2 tipped-in albumen plates.

Bihalji-Merin, Oto & Alojz Benac. Bogomil Sculpture. Beograd: 1962. Two essays on the Medieval tombstones of Bosnia and Herzegovina by two experts on the subject, followed by a dramatic pictorial survey. Beautifully photographed. 9.5"x12.5", xxxiv pages plus 80 b&w plates.

Blair, Robert. The Grave: A Poem. London; T. Nelson and Sons:1868. A Victorian edition of a 17th century poem with new illustrations, including several by Tenniel. There is also a new introduction by Rev. F.W. Farrar. 5.25"x7.5", 77 pages, b&w illustrations.

Blake, William. Blake's Grave -A Prophetic Book. Being William Blake's illustrations for Robert Blair's 'The Grave', arranged as Blake directed, with a commentary by S. Foster Damon. Providence; Brown University Press:1963. The illustrations to the 1805 edition of Blair's earlier poem "The Grave", published with commentary on the plates from a later collected edition of Blake and without Blair's poem (small loss). As Damon points out in his excellent essay, Blake's plates have little to do with Blair's poem, and at times even expressed contrary views. 11.5"x14", 42 pages, 14 b&w plates.

Bliss, Harry A. Memorial Art, Ancient and Modern. Illustrations and Descriptions of the World's Most Notable Examples of Cemetery Memorials. Buffalo; Harry A. Bliss:1912. Bliss was a photographer of monuments, and shares an astounding array of all types, sizes, ages and styles with his readers. A nice pictorial survey. 8.5"x12", 240 pages, profusely illustrated in b&w.

Blore, Edward. The Monumental Remains of Noble and Eminent Persons, comprising The Sepulchral Antiquities of Great Britain, engraved from drawings by Edward Blore, F.S.A., with Historical and Biographical Illustrations. London; Harding, Lepard, and Co.:1826. A tipped-in bookseller's catalog entry notes: "Originally issued in parts in 1825, these are unsold sheets and plates provided with general titlepage. This 'elegant' work did not receive general support, and is consequently quite uncommon." It is an elegant work, with nicely engraved plates. 8"x11", 30 engraved plates with letterpress text, each section separately paginated ([iv] + 232 + [8 blank]).

Boase, T.S.R. Death in the Middle Ages. Mortality, Judgement and Remembrance. New York; McGraw Hill:1972. A well illustrated survey with sculptures, paintings, architecture, tapestry, etc. 6"x8.5", 144 pages, b&w and color illustrations.

Booker, Rev. Luke. Tributes to the Dead: consisting of more than two hundred Epitaphs, many of them original compositions, suitable for persons of all ages and circumstances. London; J. Hatchard and Son: 1830. The Reverend Luke Booker, like many of his brethren, was unimpressed by the state of epitaph writing in the 19th century. He was so unimpressed by the general tenor of most epitaphs, "which excite emotions certainly quite the reverse of seriousness", that "to prevent their occurrence in my own parish, I requested the different stone-masons always to let me see the form of inscription brought to them, before they transferred such form to its abiding station on stone... A consequence ensued which I did not anticipate, namely, the task of providing epitaphs...". That is what is perhaps most interesting about this book -many of the epitaphs were actually composed by a single person- the author. An uncommon work -OCLC lists just two copies. Hardcover. 4.5"x7..75", xviii + 98 pages + 1 leaf of advertisements for the publisher's other books; decorated boards, with a decorative vignette of a willow covered urn on both the cover and title page.

Booth, Rev. John. Metrical Epitaphs, Ancient and Modern. London & Eton; Bickers and Son: 1868. The author, an instructor at Cambridge, divided his learned work into three sections: Greek authors, Latin authors, and English and other authors, listed chronologically. The Rev. Booth also wrote a book on ancient and modern epigrams. Hardcover. 5"x6.75", xxiv + 215 pages.

Bossuet, J.B. Oraison Funebre du Grand Conde. Paris; Damascene Morgand et Charles Fatout:1879. Edition limited to 300 copies. An elegant edition of the famous funeral oration for Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Conde, first pronounced at Notre Dame on March 10, 1687. 11"x14", 52 pages, 4 full-page engraved plates and several text decorations.

Bowden, John. The Epitaph-Writer; consisting of upwards of six hundred Original Epitaphs, moral, admonitory, humorous, and satirical; Numbered, classed, and arranged, on a New Plan; Chiefly designed for those who write or engrave Inscriptions on Tombstones. Chester; Printed by J. Fletcher: 1791. A very interesting early instructional work. The author begins with an essay on epitaph writing before getting to the main sections which are divided into three parts- General Epitaphs; Epitaphs on various Characters and Relations; Humorous and Satirical Epitaphs. There are some interesting examples here- epitaphs for a Penitent Prostitute, a Profane Chimney Sweep, a Smoking Tippler, a Hairdresser, a Cuckold, and so on and on... Hardcover. 4.25"x7", xxii + 160 + viii pages.

Bowman, LeRoy. The American Funeral. A Study in Guilt, Extravagance and Sublimity. Washington; Public Affairs Press:1959. An enquiring study of how modern funerals are bought, sold and conducted, and what changes can be made to improve the system. 6"x9", 181 pages, dj.

Box, Charles. Elegies and Epitaphs: A Comprehensive Review of the Origin, Design, and Character of Monumental Inscriptions and of other Necrological Literature, whether in the form of elegiac verse or less ambitious prose... Gloucester; H. Osborne: 1892. "To which are appended fully 300 epitaphs or mottoes, classified to suit the exigencies of different times of life; also, dissertations upon ancient and modern cemeteries and disused burial-grounds, &c., elegies and epitaphs of celebrated persons, Latin and musical epitaphs, &c." A posthumously published collection which was meant to educate and inspire Victorian readers to sit up straight and mend their ways. Box found "amusing" books on epitaphs in poor taste, and decries the current state of funereal and epitaphic art a "disgrace". Although Box's attitude often has a distinct whiff of the 'higher-than-thou' about it, he also offers a wealth of interesting detail in the chapters about the history and current state of cemeteries, epitaphs and elegies. His attitude also makes his observations all the more interesting and pointed. All in all, an entertaining and informative piece of Victorian historicism and bluster. Uncommon. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", x + 299 pages.

Braham, Allan. Funeral Decorations in Early Eighteenth Century Rome. London; Victoria & Albert Museum:1975. A well illustrated survey of drawings and prints depicting 18th century funeral designs in Rome. 8.25"x8", 30 pages, b&w illustrations, softcover.

Brandreth, Gyles. Famous Last Words & Tombstone Humor. New York; Sterling Publishing Company: 1989. 1st Edition. A clever evening's reading. Excerpted from the book "The Last Word". Softcover. 5.5"x8.5", 128 pages.

Brend, William A. An Inquiry into the Statistics of Deaths from Violence and Unnatural Causes in the United Kingdom... London; Charles Griffin and Company: 1915. "...with special reference to deaths from starvation, overlying of infants, burning, administration of anaesthetics, and poisoning. Being a Thesis approved for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in State Medicine (and University Medal) at the University of London". Brend was the author of several later books, including studies of group psychology, sexuality, and toxicology. Hardcover. 5.5"x9", 80 pages.

Brewer, J. Norris. Histrionic Topography: or, the Birth-Places, Residences, and Funeral Monuments of the most Distinguished Actors. London; J. Cole: 1818. The illustrations include portraits, houses, and plates showing Garrick's, Shakespeare's and Barton Booth's memorial monuments in Westminster Abbey, and Mrs. Clive's monument at Twickenham. Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", iv + 37 pages plus engraved frontispiece of Shakespeare, an engraved decorative title page, and 14 full-page engraved plates.

Bridgman, C.F. Manuscript Catalog- "Monumenta C.F. Bridgman (late C. Parsons) Statuarie and Monumental Mason -Lewes". Lewes; nd (ca.1890-1900). A beautiful and interesting manuscript pattern book of gravestones and gravestone carving designs, offered by C.F. Bridgman. The designs are executed in pen and muted watercolors in earth tones, and include an elaborate title page followed by six pages of meticulously drawn gravestone designs, about 15 per page (80 in all); these pages are followed by five pages of emblems and decorative initials which were presumably carved in the stones, two per page, followed by two pages which have single large emblems (one intertwined initials, the other a wheat sheaf with sickles). A beautiful manuscript pattern book. Hardcover. 15.5"x11", blank endpaper plus a manuscript title page, plus 13 manuscript pages of pen and watercolor drawings; the last blank endpaper has three real photos of gravestones inset in corner mounting cuts; bound in old boards with the monogram "C.F. Bridgman" on the cover.

Bridgman, Thomas. Memorials of the Dead in Boston; containing exact transcripts of Inscriptions on the Sepulchral Monuments in the King's Chapel Burial Ground, in the City of Boston. Boston; Benjamin B. Mussey &Co.: 1853. King's Chapel Burial Ground was the first ground set apart for burial of the dead in the city of Boston, the first recorded burial taking place there in 1630. Here are buried members of some of the oldest Boston families. Bridgman supplies an interesting transcription of early American gravestone inscriptions; two years earlier he wrote a similar book on Boston's Copp's Hill Burial Ground. Hardcover. 5"x8", 339 + 17 pages, frontispiece, several family coats of arms illustrated in the text; gilt pictorial covers.

Bridgman, Thomas. Epitaphs from Copp's Hill Burial Ground, Boston. Boston; James Munroe and Company: 1851. Copp's Hill Burial Ground was the second cemetery laid out in Boston, after King's Chapel Cemetery. Many early Boston notables are buried there, including the Mathers, Increase and Cotton. Bridgman supplies an interesting transcription of early American gravestone inscriptions; two years later he wrote a similar book on Boston's King's Chapel Burial Ground. Bridgman provides a short history of the development of Copp's Hill, including a rather detailed description of the illicit "re-use" of old graves and stones, before providing a visually interesting transcription of the grave and tomb epitaphs and inscriptions, illustrated with several woodcuts of coats of arms and monuments. The list of the book's patrons includes Daniel Webster, Francis Parkman, Edward Everett, and many other prominent antebellum Bostonians. Hardcover. 5"x8", xxiii + 252 + 8 pages, frontispiece, several family coats of arms illustrated in the text.

Bridgman, Thomas. Inscriptions on the Grave Stones in the Grave Yards of Northampton, and of other towns in the valley of the Connecticut, as Springfield, Amherst, Hadley, Hatfield, Deerfield, &c. with Brief Annals of Northampton... Northampton; Hopkins, Bridgman & Co.: 1850. The famous chronicler of Boston graveyards turns his sites to the westward provinces of the state. "The object of the Compiler in the work he has undertaken is to preserve in a durable form some most interesting but rapidly perishing memorials of our Puritan ancestors". Hardcover. 5"x7.5", 227 pages, plus 2 engraved portraits.

Briscoe, John Potter. Gleanings from God's Acre: being A Collection of Epitaphs. Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson, & Ferrier: 1883. The author was Librarian at the Nottingham Library and author of several antiquarian collections. In addition to the collection of epitaphs there is a reprinting of Dr. Johnson's Essay on Epitaphs. Hardcover. 5"x6.25", 160 pages, line illustrations. Publisher's dark blue cloth, with an elaborate gilt vignette of an old churchyard decorating the cover.

[Broadside] Prepare for Death. Deerfield: 1855. "Died in Deerfield, N.H., January 11th, 1855, Edwin Van Buren Chase, aged 13 years, 7 months and 9 days." The text describes the glowing character of the youth and offers good advice regarding the constant imminence of Death and Judgment. 7.5"x10", single sheet; printed with an elaborate decorative border.

[Broadside] An Elegy on the Death of Mr. Harfield Lyndsey, Aged 26 Years. [Enfield, Massachusetts; John Howe: ca. 1837]. A very handsome broadside elegy, featuring a woodcut border of stylized leaves, with a coffin in the upper left corner. The main elegy is added to by "An Acrostic" by "Samuel Dunn, Aet. 91 years 7 months". Samuel Dunn [1746-1843] wrote a number of funereal acrostics and poems, and was known as something of a "poet of the death-bed". The broadside is attributed to the printer John Howe of Enfield, Massachusetts. Enfield is one of the towns which was submerged by the Quabbin Reservoir in the 20th century. Broadside. 8.5"x9"

Brooks, Mary E. & Harry W. Flieg. God's Acre. Old Middle Street Burying Ground, 1745-1905, in Goshen, Connecticut. Privately printed at the Mattatuck Press:nd, but probably ca. 1930s. An elegantly realised photographic study, with good shots of the cemetery from various views and angles, as well as transcriptions of some of the epitaphs. Some interesting early stones are pictured, although their state of reservation was not (at least at the time) altogether excellent. 8.5"x11", 38 pages, 16 b&w illustrations.

Brown, Francis H. Lexington Epitaphs. A Copy of Epitaphs in the Old Bury # 417121729 Lexington, Massachusetts. Lexington; Lexington Historical Society: 1905. Epitaphs from the Old Bury-Ground at the Unitarian Church and the Robbins Cemetery in East Village. The earliest is 1638. Hardcover. 7"x9", 169 pages, map.

Brown, Frederick. Pere Lachaise. Elysium as Real Estate. New York; Viking Press: 1973. "The Cemetery of Pere-Lachaise is an extraordinary corner of Paris where, for more than a century and a half, the French have buried the rich, the famous, the notorious, and their loved ones. With its shaded walks and well-laid avenues, bosky dells and imposing heights...and emphatically public spaces and architecture, Pere-Lachaise is not so much a graveyard as a city of the dead -a monument to everything in French bourgeois civilization that has wished to perpetuate itself in stone...". Hardcover. 8"x9.5", 62 pages of text plus 110 pages, many b/w plates, dj.

Brown, James. The Epitaphs and Monumental Inscriptions in Greyfriars Churchyard, Edinburgh. Edinburgh; J. Moodie Miller: 1867. In the 1560s the garden of the Greyfriars Monastery was converted into a public burial ground, and in the 17th and 18th centuries most of Edinburgh's worthies were buried there. This fine study builds on the works of such earlier chroniclers as Robert Montieth, but there is a wealth of new material published here for the first time. Hardcover. 5.5"x7.5", lxxxiv + 360 pages; 21 tinted lithographic plates and a double-page plan of the grounds.

Brown, Raymond Lamont. A Book of Epitaphs. Newton Abbot; David & Charles: 1967. A collection gathered from around the world. There is an entire chapter devoted to Robert Burns -epitaphs by and of him! Hardcover. 5.5"x8", 126 pages, line illustrations by Ernest Petts.

Brown, Raymond Lamont. A New Book of Epitaphs. Newcastle upon Tyne; Frank Graham: 1973. A collection gathered from around the world. There is a chapter devoted to famous people who wrote their own epitaphs. famous people who wrote their own epitaphs. Hardcover. 5.5"x9", 116 pages, line illustrations.

Browne, Sir Thomas. Hydriotaphia. Urne-Buriall or, A Discourse of the Sepulchrall Urnes lately found in Norfolk. Boston; printed by The Riverside Press for Houghton Mifflin: 1907. Edition limited to 385 numbered copies. A reissue of the 1658 first edition, nicely printed and bound in the style of the period. A classic and extremely early book on cremation as practiced by the ancients. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 54 pages, decorated title page. Bound in antique-style red leather with elaborate gilt stamping.

Brydges, Sir Egerton (ed.). Select Funeral Memorials. Kent; Printed at the private press of Lee Priory by John Warwick: 1818. Edition probably limited to 100 copies. A collection of excerpts from funeral and memorial sermons, collected by Brydges (1762-1837), an antiquarian, author and editor who ran the private press at Lee Priory. He notes "I have found that among heaps of Funeral Sermons there are intermixed many eloquent and beautiful memorials which ought to be rescued from oblivion...I have adopted therefore the plan...to preserve these relics, as they occur to me amidst the multifarious researches to which my wandering curiosity impels me". The collection begins with Sidney Godolphin's 17th century "An Epitaph Upon the Lady Rich", which eventually brings the editor to Sidney Godolphin's own death and memorial. He then moves through 5 other Memorial pieces, to end with an extended entry upon the death of Henry, Prince of Wales, in 1613, which includes Henry Chapman's epic "An Epicede, or Funeral Song: On the most disastrous Death of the High-born Prince of Men, Henry Prince of Wales". An interesting early 19th century selection of 17th century funeral and memorial verse and texts. The Lee Priory Press operated from 1813 to 1824, reprinting a number of texts of Antiquarian interest. An 1823 circular and list of the Press's titles states that each title was limited to 100 copies. It also states that a second part of our title was eventually published, although this first part is complete in itself. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", v + 70 pages, title page with an engraved vignette, plus several decorated initial letters, head and tailpieces.

Budge, E.A. Wallis. The Mummy. New York; Causeway Books:nd. A facsimile of the 1894, 2nd edition of this study of Egyptian funeral practices. 6.5"x9.5", 404 pages, line illustrations, dj.

Bunnen, Lucinda & Virginia Warren Smith. Scoring in Heaven. Gravestones and Cemetery Art of the American Sunbelt States. New York; Aperture Books: 1991. A wonderful pictorial survey of the odd, unusual and moving in gravestones and grave ornaments, selected from cemeteries in the American South and Southwest. Ranging from touching to outrageous, sentimental to humorous to campy, the large format and clear photographs bring these monuments to "life", as it were... A hugely enjoyable journey. Hardcover. 11.5"x12", 164 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Burgess, Frederick. English Churchyard Memorials. London; Lutterworth Press: 1963. A sweeping, scholarly survey of churchyard memorials in England, from ancient times to the 20th century. This includes types of monuments, the design of monuments, and even the manufacture and materials of monuments. Hardcover. 6"x9", 325 pages, 32 b/w plates, dj.

[Burke & Hare] Life and Times of Burke and Hare. no place, no date; probably Edinburgh, ca.1860. A popular, detailed, if somewhat lurid, telling of the story of the two infamous "grave-robbers" of 1828 Edinburgh who, in fact, never robbed a single grave, being in the habit of dispatching their victims before they were ready for a grave and then selling them directly to a local doctor for dissection at his medical school. A crudely printed book, and scarce- OCLC does not list any copies. Although it looks earlier, a footnote alludes to a sighting of Mrs. Hare in Paris in 1850, hence our estimate of 1860 or so as the publication date. Hardcover. 4.75"x7", 160 pages, several b/w illustrations in the text; poorly printed on thin paper.

Burns, Stanley B. Sleeping Beauty. Memorial Photography in America. Twelvetrees Press:1990. A fascinating survey of post-mortem photography from the 1840s through the 1920s. Of special interest is Dr. Burns' discussion of general practices, a guide to dating undated post-mortem photographs by era, and a detailed "Chronology of Death" in America. Highly Recommended. Hardcover. 9.5"x12", about 200 pages, 76 b&w and color illustrations, dj.

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