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| © 2011 Linda Gayle Parker, All Rights Reserved |
I have always loved old stone and statuary, so I am very much drawn to the beautiful statues and peaceful atmosphere in cemeteries, and love to explore and photograph these. Lakeview Cemetery, on Capitol Hill, is the oldest known cemetery in Seattle. It was established in 1872, and many of our city's founding fathers and mothers are buried there, along with their children.
One often does see graves of very young children from that early time period in this cemetery, and it always gives me a pang to view these. I feel this most deeply when I see flowers or brightly colored pinwheels at the graves of the more recently deceased. I feel lonely for these children of an earlier time, who do not have anyone who remembers them. I have been moved to leave candy, and quarters for candy or bubble gum, on some of these children's grave markers or at the feet of the statues that watch over their graves. I shouldn't be surprised if I am followed home sometime, by one of these children's ghosts.
There are beautiful views to the east and west from this cemetery. I have heard it said, that the dead always have the best view. This is probably because so many cemeteries do seem to be situated on top of a hill. If you stand in the right spot, you have a perfect view of the Space Needle, to the west, framed by surrounding Evergreen trees. The view to the east offers a vista over Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.
I have photographed this cemetery on different occasions, at different times of day. The atmosphere is always peaceful and alluring, while the statues and grave markers take on new and subtle characteristics in the changing light. Sometimes, the lettering on the graves seems mostly faded, by time, and it is very difficult, if not impossible to read them. Then, one returns on another day, at another time, and magically finds that one is able to read the names and dates, on the same graves, without effort, as if it were intended.
On the day when I took the photographs shown here, it was in the late afternoon, in January.
All Photos © 2011 Linda Gayle Parker, All Rights Reserved
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| View to Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountain Range... |
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| This statue is near the cemetery entrance, and always seems a figure of welcome and reflection... |
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| Time and weathering do their work... |
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| This statue stands over the grave of a nine year old girl from late 1800's - early 1900's. |
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| She is so lovely. I never get tired of looking at her from this angle... |
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| Another peaceful look at this well-weathered statue... |
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| This statue stands over the grave of a four year old girl from the same time period, late 1800's to early 1900's. She, in particular, has captured my heart. I would like, perhaps this summer, to see if I can get permission from the cemetery to clean up this statue. It bothers me that she is so disfigured by the amount of mold, moss, etc, which has built up... |
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| I call this statue The Smiling Lady. She has something of a Mona Lisa smile... |
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| Curling, curving, unpredictable life. |
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