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"Great public cemeteries" of the Fatal Design exhibit, part 1

Update 02/13/09: Unfortunately, there will not be a part 2 to this post. Lesson learned: do not label a post "part 1" unless you have real information, i.e. notes, for "part 2."

Image: Nantucket Cemetery, Charles Sumner Greene Collection, Environmental Design Archives

The Environmental Design Library at UC Berkeley is a wonderful resource for designers and laypeople alike. The library's current exhibit, Fatal Design, chronicles the cemetery landscape, or "monumental landscapes, playgrounds for the picturesque, where the growing middle classes both buried their dead and took refuge from the rapidly industrializing cities." The curators are Andrew Shanken, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture and Waverly Lowell, Curator, Environmental Design Archives and the exhibit ends on January 16, 2009. I've had glimpses of the exhibit and in part 2, I will offer images and observations.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Interesting exhibit. I used to love to hang out in cemeteries, but maybe now that I'm older, it makes me think too much of my own mortality. We live quite close to one and my daughter has a lot of questions about what goes on there. They are super un-eco-friendly, just a big grass field with sprinklers going year-round, often while it's raining, not many trees, totally uninteresting hedge and chain-link surround. If I were the burying type, I'd hope for at least a few interesting plants to keep my bones company! I am curious about the eco-pod casket options, if that's greener than cremation. Hm, heavy topic, sorry!
February 16, 2009

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