There’s certainly a lot of space at Kensico Cemetery.
Taken with a Fujifilm X-E3 and Sigma 18-50 f2.8
Kensico Cemetery – Landscape
Kensico Cemetery – Overview
“Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city. Initially 250 acres (1.0 km2), it was expanded to 600 acres (2.4 km2) in 1905 but reduced to 461 acres (1.87 km2) in 1912, when a portion was sold to the neighboring Gate of Heaven Cemetery. The cemetery has a special section for members of the Actors’ Fund of America and the National Vaudeville Association, some of whom died in abject poverty. The cemetery contains four Commonwealth war graves, of three Canadian Army soldiers of World War I and a repatriated American Royal Air Force airman of World War II. As of December 2021, eight Major League Baseball players are buried here, including Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Lou Gehrig. Many entertainment figures of the early twentieth century, including Russian-born Sergei Rachmaninoff, were buried here.” (Adapted from Wikipedia, which also provides a long list of the well-known people buried there).
Apart from my fascination with cemeteries it was this latter was what brought me to the ceremony. I wanted to find the final resting places of Sergei Rachmaninoff (because I like his music) as well as a that of Danny Kaye (UNICEF‘s first Goodwill Ambassador. I worked for UNICEF for about 38 years). I failed on both counts. After walking around for about three hours, following the map I couldn’t find either of them. By this time, I was hungry, tired and my feet hurt. I sat down for a couple of minutes and took a look at the Find a Grave website, which has GPS Co-ordinates for graves. From this I discovered that there was no way that could ever have found these graves using the map, because the map is just wrong: the graves are not in the locations marked by the map. Now I know where they are I guess I’ll have to go back again.
While it’s a pleasant enough cemetery with its open landscapes, attractive mausoleums, nice statuary etc. it’s not one of my favorites. I tend to prefer older cemeteries, where the old, crumbling gravestones are packed tightly together.
Taken with a Fujifilm X-E3 and Sigma 18-50 f2.8
Gran and Grandad
A cousin in the UK recently sent me this picture. She’s into genealogy and has been building a family tree for us. She informed me that this is my grandmother (Mary Emily Poole) and grandfather (George Dale). As you’ve probably guessed it was taken on their Wedding Day.
I knew my grandmother, but my grandfather passed away sometime before I born. I think this is the only picture I have of him. I vaguely remember another one, but I haven’t see it for years. I remember my grandmother as a rather ferocious, elderly women. It’s easy to forget that she was once young. I understood that he was quite a bit older than she was, but in the picture, this doesn’t seem to be case. Maybe he looked younger than his actual age.
This is the part where I usually mention what camera was used. Of course in this case I haven’t got a clue.
A pair of giant skeletons
During a recent walk I came across these gigantic skeletons.They’re truly huge, at least twice the height of a normal human being. I would not have been surprised if this was around Hallowe’en, but the picture was taken in May!! I guess they’re so big that it’s hard (maybe impossible) to take them down every year. So there they stand all year round.
Taken with Sony RX100 M3
In New York City – Empire State Building
Walking back along 34th street we caught some views of The Empire State Building. What else is there to say about this iconic building?
When I first arrived in NY in the 1970s it had just been surpassed as the world’s tallest building (a position it had held for almost 40years), by the World Trade Center, tragically destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Now, 50 years later it’s the 54th tallest building in the world, but it will always have a special place in my heart. Incredibly, the current world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is more than twice its height.
Despite all of the above it’s not my favorite NY City building, which continues to be the Chrysler Building.
Taken with a Fuji X-E3 and Fuji XC 16-50mm f3.5-5.6 OSS II