Category: Death
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The Everyday Heroes of Postman’s Park
Postman’s Park holds a series of beautiful memorials to Londoners who lost their lives committing heroic acts.
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The Weird World of Mummy Parties
In the 19th century, ‘Mummy Mania’ spread through the western world like a colonial Tamagotchi.
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The Petrol Station Pet Cemetery
Probably the last place one would expect to find a pretty little pet cemetery is a garage forecourt, but such a site existed in Kent…
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The Rocky Horror Coffin Clock
It’s astounding. Time is fleeting. Madness takes its toll…
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The Bloody Ceilings of Kyoto, Japan
In Japan’s Kyoto prefecture, five serene temples which harbour bloody secrets within their walls can be found.
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Going Out in Style! Ghana’s Fantasy Coffins
Fantasy, figurative or proverbial coffins (abebuu adekai), are unusual, transient memorials, being elaborate representations of the deceased’s interests, dreams and achievements.
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“I decided to hide Charlie Chaplin’s body and solve my problems…”
On 12th December 1978, Roman Wardas, a 24-year old Polish refugee took to the stand in Switzerland, accused of stealing Chaplin’s body.
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Corpse Candles
Originating in Wales in the 18th and 19th centuries, corpse candles are an omen of death.
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Telling the Bees!
Following a death, the list of duties seem endless. From booking the undertaker to choosing the coffin, plot or crematorium, the list of necessities seems…
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The Hanging Coffins and Burial Caves of Lumiang
The practise of Hanging Coffins is arguably the most famous funerary ritual of the Kankanaey people of Sagada.
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A Very 90s Death: The Tamagotchi Cemetery
In 1996, Japanese toy designers Aki Maita and Yokoi Akihiro debuted the first ever Tamagotchi.
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The Grave of Clasped Hands: Love Conquering Death
It’s a twee little statement that love can conquer death, but one that rings romantically true in the adjoining graves of a Dutch Colonel and…
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Thomas Lynn Bradford – Dying for Eternity
Professor Thomas Lynn Bradford died on February 5th, 1921. Afterwards, the world waited for his message.
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The Stowmarket Guncotton Explosion of 1871
The Stowmarket Guncotton Explosion occurred on a Friday afternoon, on 11thAugust 1871. The explosion killed 28 and injured a further 70.
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The Funeral of Fireman Wale
Fire Constable Arthur Wale lost his life aged 46 in the Derham Boot Factory fire of 1906…
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Collection Feature: Funeral Fans
Cardboard fans, whether folding or attached to a handle, were a particularly popular means of advertisement from the 1920s-60s.
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Cleethorpes Cemetery: Seafarers and Odd Fellows
Sitting in 31 acres, just off Beacon Avenue, Cleethorpes Cemetery opened in 1877 and is one of four cemeteries serving the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area.
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A Sensation in Quebec!
‘A Quebec Woman Creates a Sensation, Riding Through St. John Street in a Hearse, Reclining on the Coffin-Bed, and Smoking a Pipe…’
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Love in the Time of COVID-19
As we adapt to our new, restricted lifestyles, we find ourselves altering the way we connect with our wider community.
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Collection Feature: Rev. Timothy Carey
This week, with the help of some wonderful WWI archive websites, I hope to share a little of the life of the Reverend Timothy Carey.
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Ice, Ice, Body: Introducing Ice Caskets
In the age before embalming and refrigerated storage, keeping bodies preserved and cool was a serious issue for undertakers and families alike.
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Death Cheese: A Short History
In life, three things are for certain: Birth, Death and Cheese. The greatest of these is cheese.
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Bornstedt Cemetery, Potsdam
‘What dies in Sanssouci will be buried in Bornstedt.’
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Hudds, Huds and Hudes: Graveside Shelters of Yesteryear
Shelters may seem to have been a rather excessive addition to the world of ecclesiastical furniture, after all; what’s a little rain between a vicar…
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A Day at Southampton Old Cemetery
Southampton Old Cemetery is a historical site, a nature reserve, a place for tours and relaxation. Its also a place to dodge dog poo by…
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More Adventures in Highgate East!
Between pianos, dogs, and enormous mausoleums, cemeteries such as Highgate hold thousands of stories and works of art around every corner.
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Jay’s Mourning Warehouse
Due to the superstition of not holding mourning clothing in the household for longer than necessary, when a death occurred, you needed to act fast…
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Whitby Jet: What, Why and When?
With Halloween knocking on our door and Whitby goth events calling our name, many of our minds turn to jet, indulgent dark jewellery and the…
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Timothy Clark Smith: The Grave With a Window
Instead of considering glass coffins and mausoleums, physician Timothy Clark Smith had rather more practical ideas…
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Poppyland – Churchyard Treats in the Heart of Norfolk
When travelling through the Norfolk countryside, if you were to stop at every church you passed, you’d be forced to invest in property and inform…
Burials & Beyond 