Sunday, June 10, 2012

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN'S PHOTOS OF SOUTHWEST CEMETERY CHERUBS WITH WINGS

Durango, Colorado Cemetery grave cherub

Laurie Beth Zuckerman shares some of her favorite cherub photographs from Hispanic cemeteries around the Southwest. The image is an infant's head with upturned angel wings. A popular Catholic image, the term cherub was also mentioned multiple times in the Hebrew Bible. These cherubs are made of metal or plaster casts that are applied to the gravestone and then heavily painted, and even repainted. I have found this image in Texas, Arizona, and Southern Colorado. I don't seem to have any of them from New Mexico, strangely.

Recuerda Mi Corazon is the blog to visit to share in all of these "Postcards from Paradise."

Alpine, Texas cemetery grave cherub

Alamosa, Colorado cemetery cherub

Alamosa, Colorado cemetery cherub

Nogales, Arizona cemetery grave angel.
The letters  GR stand for "Gracias reciber" in Spanish
or in English "Thanks-receiving."


4 comments:

  1. oh i am so swept away by each cherub!
    the patina and crackling of the cements and plasters have only endeared them to me more. today may they all stand guard, and a million more, to the land surrounding you, to the firefighters and animals, to the very air.

    to answer your question on my sacred heart post, yes they are all my photographs. all the sepia ones were taken at an old family business in san miguel where generations later they still employ the same tools and templates. they fashioned the sacred hearts adorning mary.

    i take all my groups there to marvel at this tradition of iron and silver making.

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  2. unusual, strange and haunting.....and very lovely grouping..

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  3. A wonderful collection you have gathered. I always smile when I see the GR as they are my husbands initials and we always photograph those:)

    x...x

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