Graves and Greenery: London's Highgate Cemetery

1830s London was overrun with dead bodies. It was such a public health crisis that Parliament encouraged the creation of seven sprawling, privately-run cemeteries. Today, Highgate Cemetery (one of the “Magnificent Seven”) showcases the monumental differences between Victorian-era memorial practices and our relationship with death today.

Cemeteries, Photos, HistoryKathleen ThorntonSeptember 30, 2018death, cemeteries, london, highgate, graves, karl marx Comment

Does Your Camel Need Hand-Knit Pants to Parade Through 1890s Minneapolis?

Nothing about this grave tips you off as to why Mr. Jones was better known by his nickname “Fish,” that he kept his beloved lion at home, or that he operated a large, successful zoo by Minnehaha Falls.

History, Lakewood, Minnesota, CemeteriesKathleen ThorntonAugust 10, 2018Minnesota, HistoryComment

Who Influenced Hubert Humphrey?

Beginning long before his famous 1948 DNC speech about Civil Rights, Humphrey learned from tireless Twin Cities African American Civil Rights leaders who were willing to teach him about their experiences.