Conversations about Conferences: Association for Gravestone Studies 2019
In June, I packed up the FPAN car and drove up to Boiling Springs, NC for the 2019 Association for Gravestone Studies conference with Adrienne and Sal, two friends and fellow taphophiles working with the Friends of Bosque Bello Cemetery. We laughed, we cried (only over bad preservation stories, of course), we saw a lot of amazing grave markers, and made a lot of new friends! When I got back, I sat down with Robbie to decompress on the experience.
Robbie: What did you expect in attending the 2019 Association for Gravestone Studies Conference?
Emily Jane: I expected a lot of nerding out over cemeteries! Based on my experience at the last conference, I was expecting to hang out with and learn from a lot of taphophiles from very diverse backgrounds: archaeologists, historians, artists, folklorists, conservationists, genealogists, and more.
R: What did you hope to get out of it?
Em Jay: I hoped to learn more about cemetery conservation and research. I was especially interested in learning more about other chapters' events to help make our Florida Chapter a little more active. I am also always excited to hear about how people engage communities in cemeteries.
R: What did you actually learn?
Em Jay: I learned that I have a lot more to learn. Just about every one I spoke with at the conference had so much to share about their own experiences, work and research on historic cemeteries! I realized I've really only started to scratch the surface with some of the work we do. One of the big things I was blown away by was the detailed research on specific stone carvers and workshops.
R: What was the hardest part of attending the conference?
Em Jay: This is by far one of the most intensely scheduled conferences I've been to. Breakfast starts by 7:30am every day and late night sessions sometimes didn't end until after 11pm. Half of the days are spent walking through cemeteries and the other in rooms listening to fascinating sessions and papers. It's a lot of information to take in - and a lot of long, but very enjoyable days.
R: What will you bring back to share with the public?
Em Jay: I came back with a list of ideas for public programs, working through my connections not only with FPAN but also the Florida Chapter of AGS and the Friends of Bosque Bello group in Fernandina Beach. Ideas in the hopper may include, but are not limited to: a cemetery book club, a Florida cemetery bingo game, more Florida AGS meetings in new and exciting locations, and more cleaning and conservation events. Stay tuned for all the fun!
R: What sessions and activities did you take part in?
Em Jay: We toured a good number of local cemeteries: Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville, Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Steele Creek and Elmwood Cemeteries in Charlotte, Sunset Cemetery in Shelby, and Boiling Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Boiling Springs.
I co-hosted a session on creating cemetery master plans (along with Adrienne and Sal) as well as attended the annual conservation workshop and lots of evening lectures on a variety of cemetery topics.
R: Do you have plans for next year's conference?
Em Jay: I hope to share some of our work with recording cemeteries using traditional (paper mapping, assessment and recording forms, etc) and digital technologies (GIS mapping, laser scanning, etc). The conference will be in Austin, TX, so I'm also excited to take in the local flavor of burial practices and monuments.
Words and images by Emily Jane Murray, FPAN Staff.
Robbie: What did you expect in attending the 2019 Association for Gravestone Studies Conference?
Emily Jane: I expected a lot of nerding out over cemeteries! Based on my experience at the last conference, I was expecting to hang out with and learn from a lot of taphophiles from very diverse backgrounds: archaeologists, historians, artists, folklorists, conservationists, genealogists, and more.
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| When we saw the bumper stickers, we knew we'd found out people! |
R: What did you hope to get out of it?
Em Jay: I hoped to learn more about cemetery conservation and research. I was especially interested in learning more about other chapters' events to help make our Florida Chapter a little more active. I am also always excited to hear about how people engage communities in cemeteries.
R: What did you actually learn?
Em Jay: I learned that I have a lot more to learn. Just about every one I spoke with at the conference had so much to share about their own experiences, work and research on historic cemeteries! I realized I've really only started to scratch the surface with some of the work we do. One of the big things I was blown away by was the detailed research on specific stone carvers and workshops.
 |
| I also learned a lot about the subtle art of bouncing light with a mirror to get that perfect photograph of inscriptions. |
R: What was the hardest part of attending the conference?
Em Jay: This is by far one of the most intensely scheduled conferences I've been to. Breakfast starts by 7:30am every day and late night sessions sometimes didn't end until after 11pm. Half of the days are spent walking through cemeteries and the other in rooms listening to fascinating sessions and papers. It's a lot of information to take in - and a lot of long, but very enjoyable days.
R: What will you bring back to share with the public?
Em Jay: I came back with a list of ideas for public programs, working through my connections not only with FPAN but also the Florida Chapter of AGS and the Friends of Bosque Bello group in Fernandina Beach. Ideas in the hopper may include, but are not limited to: a cemetery book club, a Florida cemetery bingo game, more Florida AGS meetings in new and exciting locations, and more cleaning and conservation events. Stay tuned for all the fun!
R: What sessions and activities did you take part in?
Em Jay: We toured a good number of local cemeteries: Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville, Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, Steele Creek and Elmwood Cemeteries in Charlotte, Sunset Cemetery in Shelby, and Boiling Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Boiling Springs.
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| The records from Riverside Cemetery in Asheville live in a safe in the small caretaker's cottage on property. The cottage burned in the early 1900s, but luckily the safe kept the records -- well, safe! |
I co-hosted a session on creating cemetery master plans (along with Adrienne and Sal) as well as attended the annual conservation workshop and lots of evening lectures on a variety of cemetery topics.
 |
| Pre-Cemetery Master Plans session selfie! |
R: Do you have plans for next year's conference?
Em Jay: I hope to share some of our work with recording cemeteries using traditional (paper mapping, assessment and recording forms, etc) and digital technologies (GIS mapping, laser scanning, etc). The conference will be in Austin, TX, so I'm also excited to take in the local flavor of burial practices and monuments.
 |
| Texas cemeteries - I'm coming at ya! |
Words and images by Emily Jane Murray, FPAN Staff.