beauty for ashes

i went on a really interesting photography field trip today. i'm a member of a women's photography group and a few of us went to oakwood cemetery in austin this morning.

according to about.com oakwood cemetery is the oldest cemetery in austin. here's some interesting history from wikipedia...

The cemetery dates from the mid-1850s. It may have begun even earlier, as legend states that its first tenants were victims of a Comanche attack whose bodies were laid to rest on the same hill.

The cemetery was renamed Oakwood in 1907 per city ordinance. It spreads over 40 acres, including an annex across Comal Street to the east, and includes sections historically dedicated to the city's black, Latino, and Jewish populations. Paupers were historically buried in unmarked graves on the cemetery's south side. Graves without permanent markers were subject to reburial after a given period of time.

The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985; its annex was added on October 30, 2003. Despite its protected status, the cemetery has been subject to crime, vandalism and decay for decades.

the detail and artistry of the gravestones and monuments was so beautiful. words can't describe. luckily i took a few pictures.
















the rest are here.