Tombstone tourist
Encyclopedia
Tombstone tourist describes an individual who travels to visit cemeteries for the enjoyment of looking at old and unusual stones or to find the graves of famous people. The term has been most notably used by author and biographer Scott Stanton as the title of his 2003 book and his former website http://www.amazon.com/dp/0965996697 on the lives and gravesites of famous musicians. Tombstone tourists are usually more interested in the historical aspects of cemeteries or the historical relevance of its denizens.
During the 19th century, garden cemeteries http://www.timetravel-britain.com/05/April/cemeteries.shtml began to appear that encouraged a visitor to stay and visit in the cemetery. Famous among these is the Pere Lachaise cemetery
http://www.pere-lachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=en in Paris, France, which continues to invite tourists to visit and see elaborate memorials not only to the world famous, but to lesser known individuals.
Cemetery records have also been a way of verifying genealogical data. Making gravestone rubbings http://www.alsirat.com/silence/rubbings.html was in practice for centuries as a way of providing this documentation and appreciating the carvings on the tombstones. Among genealogists, scouring cemeteries looking for the graves of dead ancestors is a common and long standing practice with individuals often relying on limited and outdated information to find burial sites.
. There are also many websites and books devoted to people's personal explorations into cemeteries, particularly ones that contain the remains of famous individuals. There are also tour companies that organize and plan tours to famous cemeteries.
The hunting of graves has become digital with the use of GPS systems to locate the area where a graveyard containing a grave is reputed to be. Many cemetery transcribers and ancestor hunters have been using this equipment in the pursuit of their goals. Find A Grave in particular includes GPS coordinates whenever possible.
History
For centuries, people have made pilgrimages to the burial sites of religious icons and leaders. In fact, such was common during medieval times when people went to gravesites or to shrines to venerate saints. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORpilgrimage.htm In China, the ancient tradition of Ancestor Worshiphttp://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/ancestor_worship.html also involved a veneration of dead relatives with visitations to shrines and gravesites.During the 19th century, garden cemeteries http://www.timetravel-britain.com/05/April/cemeteries.shtml began to appear that encouraged a visitor to stay and visit in the cemetery. Famous among these is the Pere Lachaise cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
http://www.pere-lachaise.com/perelachaise.php?lang=en in Paris, France, which continues to invite tourists to visit and see elaborate memorials not only to the world famous, but to lesser known individuals.
Cemetery records have also been a way of verifying genealogical data. Making gravestone rubbings http://www.alsirat.com/silence/rubbings.html was in practice for centuries as a way of providing this documentation and appreciating the carvings on the tombstones. Among genealogists, scouring cemeteries looking for the graves of dead ancestors is a common and long standing practice with individuals often relying on limited and outdated information to find burial sites.
Today
The appreciation of cemeteries has evolved along with science and technology. The Internet allows enthusiasts to visit cemeteries (and in some cases the gravesites of their own ancestors) on websites such as Find A GraveFind A Grave
Find a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...
. There are also many websites and books devoted to people's personal explorations into cemeteries, particularly ones that contain the remains of famous individuals. There are also tour companies that organize and plan tours to famous cemeteries.
The hunting of graves has become digital with the use of GPS systems to locate the area where a graveyard containing a grave is reputed to be. Many cemetery transcribers and ancestor hunters have been using this equipment in the pursuit of their goals. Find A Grave in particular includes GPS coordinates whenever possible.
Further reading
- Christensen, George A. (1983) Here Lies the Supreme Court: Gravesites of the Justices, Yearbook. Supreme Court Historical SocietySupreme Court Historical SocietyThe Supreme Court Historical Society is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and communicating the history of the U.S. Supreme Court.-History:...
. - Christensen, George A., Here Lies the Supreme Court: Revisited, Journal of Supreme Court History, Volume 33 Issue 1, Pages 17 – 41 (19 Feb 2008), University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
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