Many think of cemeteries as forbidden places. They are actually quiet, peaceful places and outdoor art museums full of history. Not only is the history of the individuals buried there, but also of the surrounding community.
On Sunday, November 7 at 3pm via zoom, for “Cemetery Journeys: Understanding Local Cemeteries and Gravestones, with Cheryl Jackson and co-sponsored by the Pennington Public Library, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and The Hopewell Museum. Registration is required at www.penningtonLibrary.org/CemeteryJourneys
Jackson will discuss how her passion grew from taking photos of cemeteries to researching, reading and sometimes writing about the places she visits. While not a professional on the subject by any means, Jackson will show how a simple hobby turned into something of an obsession
She will also explain some of the things she has learned along her cemetery journeys including the subject of cemeteries and art / symbolism and will show various gravestone examples along with their meanings, both local and outside of the community.
Jackson will touch on the local cemeteries here in Hopewell Township, and dig a little deeper into some of them, and share some examples of some local colonial stone carver masters and of local stone cutting companies.
Cheryl Jackson has been a Titusville resident for most of her life. She is a studio manager and graphic designer by profession, but her true love has always been photography. In 2012, Jackson started photographing what some would deem unusual subject matter – cemeteries, vintage dolls and abandoned places. She was really drawn to cemetery photography though, trying to get a different/unique shot. When she was young, she would run around trying to find the oldest stone.
She quickly started doing research on the cemeteries she visited, reading up on the art and symbolism, the type of stones and even the carvers. She was also featured in the October 2015 Weird NJ with her doll photography.
Visit Jackson’s website at www.cheryljacksonoddphotog.com or her instagram page @cjoddphotog. For a MercerMe story about Cheryl Jackson, check out this link.
