Since 1871

Oak Hill Cemetery was Birmingham's first city cemetery.  Most of the city's pioneers are buried here. The record of burials is still intact since that time and is a fascinating read. If you are lucky enough to run into the cemetery's director, Stuart Oates, you might get to thumb through it.

Union Hill Cemetery

Established in 1870, Union Hill is a small cemetery located in Homewood.  It is well kept by loving relatives and friends. 

Angel

Oak Hill Cemetery is Birmingham's oldest city resting place, since 1873.  I never tire of having a walk around and photographing it.

Verdigris

These beautiful doors grace this mausoleum in Birmingham's oldest cemetery, historic Oak Hill.

America Mourns

Knesseth Isreal - Beth-El Cemetery

Leaving Stones

Last week I visited Knesseth Isreal-Beth-El Cemetery,  one of two Jewish cemeteries in Enon Ridge, north Birmingham.  It is a Jewish tradition when visiting a grave, to leave a stone or pebble to show honor for the deceased by the visitor.

Knesseth Isreal-Beth-El Cemetery

320 11 Court North

A special thank you to my photography cohort in crime, Michael Anderson, for taking me here and other fascinating places around Birmingham, I've not been.

Forest Hill

Forest Hill Cemetery near the Birmingham airport, was established in 1883.

Perched

Oak Hill Cemetery

1120 North 19th Street

Birmingham AL

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Remembering... Greenwood Cemetery

Memorial Day

Greenwood Cemetery , Birmingham 

Taphophiles Doing What They Do

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking some Cincinnati friends around Birmingham.  Mary Gilbert, a docent at Spring Grove Cemetery  and Phil Nuxhall, Spring Grove's historian couldn't wait to get to Oak Hill Cemetery and meet director Stuart Oates. Well,  I followed them around for a while then I just wandered off and shot photos while they had a grand ole time.  This is what they looked like for most of the morning!

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Face It

Oak Hill Cemetery

Spring makes even a cemetery seem a happier place!

The Interment Ledger - Oak Hill Cemetery

I've posted numerous photos from Birmingham's first public cemetery, Oak Hill.  Located just across from the BJCC to the north, this cemetery is a like reading the who's who of Birmingham's founding fathers.  Director Stuart Oates gives a marvelous tour and always begins it in the tiny chapel that now houses his office.  The Interment Ledger is always of great interest.  The record of each and every person buried here is recorded in beautiful handwriting of days gone by.  He always points out the cause of death column.  Fever, bronchitis, pneumonia and of course the deadly cholera epidemic  ( 1872) that devastated this city are often mentioned.

I often take my photography students here as many of the monuments are still quite beautiful, and we of course,  look forward to Stuart's commentary.

The Rose

Several of my photography students joined me at Birmingham's Oak Hill Cemetery recently.  We found this rose that had been left on the gate of a mausoleum.  You didn't think I could pass that up did you?

Springtime at Oak Hill

I recently returned to Birmingham's Oak Hill Cemetery with my granddaughter's Brownie Troop. One of the dads, Stuart Oates, is the curator and gave us a wonderful walking tour of the grounds. Deeded in 1873, it was the first city cemetery and the resting place for many of Birmingham's founding fathers and their families. Today a cherub that I thought quite beautiful. It was a glorious spring day and the wildflowers covered the lawn as seen in the photo below.