Page 7 - Demo

IntroductionThere was a time in America when people decorated the graves of loved ones with beautiful statues. This Age roughly coincided with the period between two major milestones in our country%u2019s history%u2014the Civil War and the Great Depression. During these half-dozen decades, a stone-carving industry flourished, both in this country and abroad. And the quality of the statuary created was exceptional. There were angels, in all sizes, as well as statues of adults and children which were sometimes stylized, sometimes perfect likenesses. These monuments could be pricey, with the larger ones costing as much as a modest house. But, if you could afford it, statues were fashionable. Until recently, I had no idea just how much of this sculpture existed in cemeteries. Then, as I was photographing Southern Indiana for my book, Lingering Spirit, I began visiting more and more Hoosier graveyards%u2014and I started discovering so much extraordinary statuary, and I was so impressed, that I knew it needed to be seen and appreciated by more than the occasional cemetery visitor. I%u2019d already come across books filled with photos of sculpture from the world%u2019s most famous cemeteries, but I was finding scores of equally enchanting stone carvings here in the Midwest%u2014as well as unexpected castings, superbly crafted in bronze and zinc. The more I looked at these statues, the more I began to sense that they had a significance beyond being elaborate decorations. They were something very special a survivor could do, something more than a marker, a remembrance, or a memorial. In fact, I got the impression that they existed to watch over, or accompany, the departed souls, as attendants, as protectors%u2014as guardians.At first, I planned to photograph in cemeteries throughout the entire State of Indiana but, once I got started, I realized how many memorable statues there were. While they only resided in a minority of cemeteries, there seemed to be far too many for a single book. So I decided to concentrate on half the state, and U.S Highway 40 (the old National Road) seemed like a perfect dividing line. So, Guardians of the Soul covers all of Indiana south of that historic highway, an area that includes all, or part, of 48 out of Indiana%u2019s 92 counties. Because I live in Bloomington, this is my own backyard.Greenwood CemeteryPerry Co. (448-11)