08.18.13
John Foster | Accidental Mysteries

Folk Funeraria of the South

As a Southerner, I was happy to find this blog about grave markers in the South. I have often photographed gravestones in my home state of North Carolina, and pay special attention to the typography, style of carving, and variety of stone. Skill level and style of carving obviously varies from region to region, and this individuality is very evident in the photographs here.

Folk Funeraria is a collection of photographs taken by folklorist Sarah Bryan, who writes that she spends a great deal of time driving the backroads of the region, often stopping to visit cemeteries. Bryan says her blog is not a systematic documentation, but simply an aesthetic appreciation of how Southerners memorialized their loved ones.

Sarah Bryan is a UNC-trained folklorist (MA, 2003), and has worked in the field of folklife documentation for more than a decade. Sarah specializes in the cultural heritage of the American South, where she has conducted documentary work for and with a variety of organizations including the North Carolina Folklife Institute, North Carolina Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission, and Levine Museum of the New South.

All images © Sarah Bryan


Folk Funeraria of the South
Family graveyard on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Laurel Springs (Alleghany County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Bethel United Methodist Church near Cheraw (Chesterfield County), South Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Bethel United Methodist Church near Cheraw (Chesterfield County), South Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Bethel United Methodist Church near Cheraw (Chesterfield County), South Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Bethel United Methodist Church near Cheraw (Chesterfield County), South Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Bethel United Methodist Church near Cheraw (Chesterfield County), South Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Old Burying Ground, Beaufort (Carteret County), North Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Center Methodist Church, Montgomery County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Andrews Free Will Baptist Church, Trenton (Jones County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Andrews Free Will Baptist Church, Trenton (Jones County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Andrews Free Will Baptist Church, Trenton (Jones County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
New Hope Cemetery, Orange County, NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Old Smithville Cemetery, Southport (Brunswick County), North Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
St. James Episcopal Church, Wilmington (New Hanover County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Deep Creek Friends’ Meeting, Yadkin County, North Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Deep Creek Friends’ Meeting, Yadkin County, North Carolina

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zion Lutheran Church, near Speedwell, Wythe County, Virginia

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zion Lutheran Church, near Speedwell, Wythe County, Virginia

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zion Lutheran Church, near Speedwell, Wythe County, Virginia

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zion Lutheran Church, near Speedwell, Wythe County, Virginia

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zoar Cemetery, Uwharrie National Forest (Montgomery County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zoar Cemetery, Uwharrie National Forest (Montgomery County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Zoar Cemetery, Uwharrie National Forest (Montgomery County), NC

Folk Funeraria of the South
Mount Zion AME Zion Church, near Mount Gilead, Montgomery County, North Carolina


Posted in: Accidental Mysteries, Arts + Culture, History



Comments [1]

Great cemetery photos. I catalogued a country church cemetery in southwest Georgia a few winters ago and will share a few of the intersting photos. Also, just completed "Tampa's Historic Cemeteries" (Tampa, Florida) book this year. Great way to preserve our history.
sbenderpc
08.26.13
05:09


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