This sixth edition of the classic guide covers 154 cemeteries in Greater London, over 50 more than in the original edition. Each cemetery description includes a selection of notable persons buried or commemorated there, adding up to over 2,000 names, indexed alphabetically for ease of reference, with a separate index of artists, architects and sculptors. By the 1830s London's churches and chapels were unable to accommodate any new burials and were coming under criticism from writers including Dickens on grounds of decency and sanitation. The first dedicated garden cemetery was Kensal Green in 1832, although the 1819 Rosary Cemetery in Norwich is generally considered the first public cemetery, and private cemeteries for specialised burials such as Jewish or Huguenot were also in existence. The cheapest plot at Kensal Green was 30 shillings, with a large mausoleum costing £1000. In the 20th century, the increasing popularity of cremation changed the architecture and layout of cemeteries, with cremations exceeding burials for the first time in 1965. Vandalism and neglect are ongoing problems into the present, but at the same time cemetery tourism, visiting the graves of notable people, has increased. Over 250 photos within the text illustrate some notable monuments and architecture. The introduction includes a section on grave symbols, featuring an angel at East Sheen, clasped hands at Fulham Palace Road, and a tree being cut down by the Hand of God at Abney Park. Some illustrated monuments are dignified expressions of grief and others are quirky or extraordinary, for instance a large stone tent housing the remains of the explorer Richard Burton at Mortlake, or the pointing finger on top of an obelisk on a tomb in Abney Park, indicating the upward destination of the deceased. The iconic Highgate Cemetery is adorned by some extraordinary architecture, for instance the monumental Egyptian Avenue and the low-level catacombs, though the authors consider that the standard of monuments is disappointing and easily outclassed by those at Kensal Green, where Mary Gibson's Corinthian Temple with its Baroque angels is a well-known focus of interest. A fascinating social and architectural history. 450pp, paperback, over 250 archive photos.
Additional product information
