Sunday 31 May 2009

A Little Girl at the Graveside

Another of the finds in the albums just rediscovered. There is a certain poignancy in this photograph of a young girl at the graveside of - I presume - an elder brother? It is quite unusual to find such a personal photograph like this. The grave is of Frederick Charles Brown who died on August 31, 1919 aged 22 years. Would he have died as a result of the Influenza epidemic that took the lives of millions of people during 1918-1919, I wonder?

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12 comments:

  1. Beth Niquette31 May 2009 at 20:09

    That would make sense. I just finished a novel called "Christy" which describes a typhoid epidemic that hit the mountain people who's children she came to teach.

    Wow...I would not want to see such a thing happen again. Dad lost his youngest sister to an epidemic like that.

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  2. Aleks31 May 2009 at 20:59

    beautiful photo

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  3. LR Photography1 June 2009 at 01:04

    Sad moment, great picture.

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  4. Owen1 June 2009 at 03:06

    The stone says "In loving memory of Frederick Charles Brown, Who Fell Asleep"

    Perhaps while asleep he was sleep-walking, and went right out an upstairs window in the night ? Or fell down a well ? Or down the stairs ? Sleep-walking is a dangerous business.

    Flu is possible, or maybe he succumbed to complications from wounds received in the Great War ? Many people did in 1919. It was a dangerous time to be a young man.

    What a treasure trove you have ! Does the card say where the graveyard was ?

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  5. Silke Powers1 June 2009 at 03:08

    Wow, I can't believe all the great photos you have! Wonderful. This one is amazing! :) Silke

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  6. Owen1 June 2009 at 04:04

    PS To justly reward you for all these wonderful posts, there is an award waiting for your good self over at my place... oh yes, and your free ticket to the Paris Dog Cemetery is not forgotten either... :-D

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  7. Catherine1 June 2009 at 05:07

    a great series of grave art... the novel I was thinking of is called "If nobody speaks of remarkable things by Jon Mcgregor" hope you enjoy it if you get hold of a copy

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  8. Batteson.Ind1 June 2009 at 10:04

    Really touching picture, we don't realise how lucky we are to live in such relatively 'safe' times.

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  9. Friko1 June 2009 at 14:40

    Finally found you, Laurie. Thanks for joining my Blog, perhaps you'll even put me in your blog list some day?
    Wonderful photos and a very interesting subject. I shall visit frequently.

    Here's a present, on account, from "The Churchyard Handbook":
    The object of an epitaph is to identify the resting place of the mortal remains of a dead person.It should therefore record only such information as is reasonably necessary for that purpose.

    Hampstead Cemetary 1930

    THORPE'S
    CORPSE

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  10. Anonymous3 June 2009 at 15:34

    Laurie that is a wonderful photo you found. Very touching.

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  11. Lille Diane3 June 2009 at 16:41

    I think you are amazing. Please come by my "place" and pick up an award. No pressure to do anything with it... just know I love your creativity!

    :-)

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  12. Lone Grey Squirrel4 June 2009 at 16:27

    I am enjoying this series of photos of cemeteries. Great photos.

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