Why Paris cemeteries?

My objective here in Paris is to wander amidst the great, near great, obscure and anonymous resting places, hoping to glean a tiny bit of insight into the life, lives and character of the people who are now at rest (or maybe not), capturing my discoveries on digital film. And then to transfer those images to the Internet for all to share and appreciate this truly wonderful garden of imaginative sculpture, wit, humor and the beauty that defines human nature. (photo left: Verazzi family in division 44 of Pere Lachaise cemetery.)

While there are more than a dozen cemeteries in and around historic Paris my work in the next coming months will focus on the three most well-known: Pere Lachaise, Montparnasse and Montmartre. Of course, I also hope to get to the Catacombs, as well as a number of the less frequented places such as La Chapelle Expiatoire and St. Vincent. However, since I prefer cemeteries that are out-of-doors, the sculpture gardens wrapped in history in other words, I will forgo such burial sites inside churches such as St. Denis and St. Germain-des-Pres.

Paris isn’t alone in letting us glimpse such defining moments of human nature, nor is it by any means unique in the pathos, the drama and the revealing sculpture, which can be found in cemeteries around the world. But it happens to be where I am right now.

Wish you were here,

Steve