Graver Press

From slate to marble; gravestone carving traditions in Eastern Massachusetts, 1770-1870. (CD-ROM included)

In this study, Blachowicz considers the work of 55 gravestone carvers who worked between 1770 and 1870 in Plymouth, Kingston, Boston, Cape Cod, the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and other counties of eastern Massachusetts, where the trade first developed. He traces the lives of individual carvers, the relationships between them, their design and lettering styles, changes in tradition, and the evolution of the stonecutting trade. An accompanying CD-ROM contains about 750 images (a third are included in the book), lists of 8000+ gravestones, and has a catalog of 713 burial grounds where the work can be found. The book contains a general index and an index of gravestones. Blachowicz is professor of philosophy at Loyola University Chicago and was the 2003 recipient of the Forbes Award, given by the Association for Gravestone Studies "in recognition of exceptional service to the field." (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)