ART :: BELLEFONTAINE CEMETERY, A PHOTO ESSAY

Two years ago on my birthday, my lovely wife and daughter treated me to a perfect day. At the center of the day’s activities was a “photo safari” amongst the peaceful, yet deliciously creepy Victorian gothic splendor that is St. Louis’ legendary Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Bellefontaine was created in 1849 and has hosted 87,000 burials as of 2012. It is an exquisite example of the grand Victorian tradition of the “arboretum cemetery” or “rural cemetery.” It is also a wonderful illustration of the Victorian fascination with death and the dead. Truly gorgeous tableaus abound and there is no shortage of beautifully morbid imagery rendered in the silent, stately stone of the headstones, monuments and crypts throughout the rolling grounds.

I can’t say enough how WORTH IT a visit is.

As I was designing this blog, I mined the results of my photos to create the background for these pages. Looking at the photos again, I thought they would be cool to share here. Below, I have included just a few examples. Visit this link to see all of my photos from the day ::

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SEE THE FULL PHOTO ESSAY >

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Please, visit Bellefontaine Cemetery for yourself. It is a true gem for those who love their beauty tinged with a touch of historic gothic horror.

Address :: 4947 W Florissant Ave, St Louis, MO 63115
Phone :: (314) 381-0750
Hours :: Every Day 8:00AM to 4:00PM

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Author: David Edward Johnson

A bit about me :: My name is David Johnson. I'm a senior creative with over 20 years of experience. I am currently serving as the Director of User Experience and Product Design at Inmar. Previously, I have served as the Global Digital Creative Director for Whole Foods Market, several agencies at the VP level and co-owned my own agency in New York for seven years. I love genre film, a full range of music, art, kung fu, TM, design, good food and a great joke. I'm based in Austin, Texas and addicted to BBQ. View all posts by David Edward Johnson