The Soldiers Monument

In honor of Lincoln's birthday and Throwback Thursday, a view of the Civil War monument that faces the Soldiers Lot on the North Ridge.  The photo, taken around 1900, shows the granite plinth surrounded by urns of foliage, and iron markers such as the Grand Army of the Republic.  The plaques on the monument were cast from captured Confederates by Congressman (and former Albany mayor) Eli Perry. 

The front of the monument features an oval bronze medallion of President Lincoln.  The laurel wreath surrounding the President's likeness is visible in this photo, but was unfortunately stolen in the 1990s.  The medallion itself is signed "Pickett 1873" and seems to have an interesting history.

Cemetery Avenue

A Throwback Thursday showing Cemetery Avenue ca. 1900.  This is, of course, the road that runs from the main gate on Route 32 (Broadway) in Menands to St. Agnes Roman Catholic Cemetery and the Rural Cemetery's main offices.  A few years after this photo was taken, the wooden fence lining the road was replace with the iron one which still stands.  The lovely elm trees which shade the road in this photo are long gone, though; they were probably victims of the Dutch Elm Disease epidemic that destroyed many trees in the 1900s.

The Snowy Eagle

With all the snow we've had, this photo of the eagle-topped Edward Frisby headstone (with the Dalton cinerarium in the background) could have been taken this afternoon.  It is, however, a wintery Throwback Thursday since it was taken around 1993. 

The Hamilton Cross In Black & White

I occasionally post "Throwback Thursday" photos at a Facebook page and website I manage so I decided to look through some of the photos I took at the Rural Cemetery in the early to mid-1990s. 

At the time, I think I was more interested in just taking cool photos that actually documenting the Cemetery, though I was already percolating the idea of writing a book on the subject.

The photo about is the ornate Hamilton family monument by Marcus T. Reynolds.