Angels and Accordions at Green-Wood Cemetery

Please click to enlarge to see details

The angels in the mosaic above are just a few of the many beautiful statues found in Green-Wood Cemetery, located at 500 25th Street in Brooklyn, New York. Founded in 1838, as one of America's first rural cemeteries, Green-Wood Cemetery soon developed an international reputation for its magnificent beauty and became a fashionable place to be buried. Its 478 acres of hills, valleys, glacial ponds and paths contain the largest outdoor collection of 19th and 20th century statuary and mausoleums. Many famous Americans are buried here, and among its 500,00 permanent residents are Louis Comfort Tiffany, Boss Tweed, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Ward Beecher, and Horace Greeley. In 2006 Green-Wood was designated a National Historic Landmark.

This is one of my favorite residents, the Indian Princess "Do Hum Me" (1824–1843) She tragically died only five weeks after her marriage. If you click on and enlarge the mosaic above you can read the inscriptions on her grave stone and see the bas relief plaque depiction of her grieving husband by artist Robert Launitz.

My husband and I have been volunteers at Green-Wood Cemetery for many years assisting with the Civil War Veteran Project, in which approximately 3,300 Civil War veterans buried in Green-Wood have been identified. We are still in the process of finding more veterans in the cemetery records and on the grounds. The above stones are new ones ordered from the Veteran's Administration to replace the worn ones in the background of the two Prentiss brothers. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, one brother fought for the north, and one for the south, and both were mortally wounded in the 1865 siege of Petersburg, Virginia. They reconciled on the battle field in an emotional scene, and died within months of each other. A third brother who lived in Brooklyn had them buried side by side at Green-Wood.

Please click on to enlarge to see details

Last weekend, as part of the "Open House New York" event, Green-Wood Cemetery hosted "Angels and Accordions," a beautiful musical and dance performance choreographed by Martha Bowers of Dance Theatre Etcetera, features a cast of 30 dancers, original music by Guy Klucevsek and Bob Goldberg, played live by a band of accordionists, and included a visual installation inside the Catacombs designed by photographer Alexander Heilner. It was truly a beautiful performance as the dancers portrayed both mouners and angels and then went on to pose in the cemetery as watchful living angels.

I am linking this postt to Mary of The Little Red House Mosaic Monday blog event. Please visit Mary's blog today to see links to other blogs participating today with their beautiful and interesting mosaics.