Synopses & Reviews
An old graveyard, writes Ruth Little, is a cultural encyclopediaan invaluable source of insight and information about the families, traditions, and cultural connections that shape a community. But although graveyards and gravemarkers have long been recognized as vital elements of the material culture of New England, they have not received the same attention in the South.
Sticks and Stones is the first book to consider the full spectrum of gravemarkers, both plain and fancy, in a southeastern state.
From gravehouses to cedar boards to seashell mounds to tomb-tables to pierced soapstones to homemade concrete headstones, an incredibly rich collection of gravemarker types populates North Carolina's graveyards. Exploring the cultural, economic, and material differences that gave rise to such variation, Little traces three major parallel developments: a tradition of headstones crafted of native materials by country artisans; a series of marble monuments created by metropolitan stonecutters; and a largely twentieth-century legacy of wood and concrete markers made within the African American community.
With more than 230 illustrations, including 120 stunning photographs by Tim Buchman, Sticks and Stones offers an illuminating look at an important facet of North Carolina's cultural heritage.
Review
Little offers a method to exploreeven celebratethat diversity yet provide a coherent a narrative of change.Journal of Southern History
Review
[B]ooks like
Sticks and Stones are treasures that should be in every library.
Vernacular Architecture Newsletter
Review
[S]uch a work of love, and it is, at the same time, very valuable to the understanding of traditional culture.
Terry G. Jordan, author of Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy
Review
Ruth Little illuminates the history as well as the artistry of gravemarkers in North Carolina.
Catherine W. Bishir, author of North Carolina Architecture
Review
This excellent study is highly recommended for decorative arts, folklore, American studies, and history collections.
Choice
Synopsis
An illustrated history of North Carolina gravemarkers produced by early 18th- to mid-20th century immigrants. With 230 illustrations, provides insight on families, traditions, and cultural connections that shape North Carolina's past.
Synopsis
Little offers a method to exploreeven celebratethat diversity yet provide a coherent a narrative of change.
Journal of Southern History [B]ooks like
Sticks and Stones are treasures that should be in every library.
Vernacular Architecture Newsletter This excellent study is highly recommended for decorative arts, folklore, American studies, and history collections.
Choice [S]uch a work of love, and it is, at the same time, very valuable to the understanding of traditional culture.
Terry G. Jordan, author of Texas Graveyards: A Cultural Legacy Ruth Little illuminates the history as well as the artistry of gravemarkers in North Carolina.
Catherine W. Bishir, author of North Carolina Architecture
About the Author
During twenty-five years documenting architectural history for the State Historic Preservation Office and as a private consultant, M. Ruth Little, an art historian, has worked to record, understand, and preserve the material culture of North Carolina. Tim Buchman is an architectural photographer whose work also appeared in the award-winning North Carolina Architecture.
Table of Contents
Contents
Preface
Sponsors of the Photography
Chapter 1. Cultural Clues in Old Graveyards
Chapter 2. Lost Sticks and Imported Stones: Coastal Plain Graveyards and Markers
Chapter 3. Fieldstones and Fancy Stones: Piedmont and Mountain Graveyards and Markers
Chapter 4. Backcountry Stonecutters
Chapter 5. Marble Yards and Marble Cutters
Chapter 6. The Living Vernacular: Twentieth-Century Traditional White and African American Markers
Conclusion. Remember as You Pass Me By
Appendix A. Stonecutters and Gravemarker Artisans Represented in North Carolina Cemeteries
Appendix B. Marble Cutters and Stonecutters in North Carolina, 1850-1896
Glossary
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index