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08.18.13

John Foster | Accidental Mysteries

Folk Funeraria of the South

As a Southerner, I was happy to find this blog about grave markers in the South. I have often photographed gravestones in my home state of North Carolina, and pay special attention to the typography, style of carving, and variety of stone. Skill level and style of carving obviously varies from region to region, and this individuality is very evident in the photographs here.

Folk Funeraria is a collection of photographs taken by folklorist Sarah Bryan, who writes that she spends a great deal of time driving the backroads of the region, often stopping to visit cemeteries. Bryan says her blog is not a systematic documentation, but simply an aesthetic appreciation of how Southerners memorialized their loved ones.

Sarah Bryan is a UNC-trained folklorist (MA, 2003), and has worked in the field of folklife documentation for more than a decade. Sarah specializes in the cultural heritage of the American South, where she has conducted documentary work for and with a variety of organizations including the North Carolina Folklife Institute, North Carolina Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission, and Levine Museum of the New South.

All images © Sarah Bryan