The Mausoleum Enters the Twenty First Century

When I first began photographing mausoleums for my book Going Out in Style: The Architecture of Eternity in 1997, my primary focus was documenting historic mausoleums, mostly from the late nineteenth century. After all, my background was in photographing historic architecture (mostly Victorian and Arts and Crafts homes). Mausoleums were simply another type of historic residential architecture.

Almost every architectural or design style eventually makes it into the cemetery. When Napoleon invaded Egypt with both soldiers and artists, it triggered a phenomenon that became known as Egyptian Revival architecture thanks mostly to a French book of drawings by Napoleon’s artists, Description de l’Égypte, published in 1809. Egyptian Revival was, of course, the perfect architectural style for cemeteries and mausoleums since almost all Egyptian architecture had something to do with death and the afterlife.

The same can be said for Gothic Revival churches, Greek temples, and Art Deco theaters. All of those styles eventually made it into the cemetery in the form of mausoleums and other monuments.

Most of those architectural gems I was photographing were, understandably, in the older areas of cemeteries. However, I occasionally ventured into newer parts of cemeteries and noticed some adventurously designed new mausoleums. These mausoleums did not take their design cues from classic styles, but rather were innovative designs that echoed sleek modern architecture. As a photographic artist I tend to gravitate to one-of-a-kind designs that reflect the personal taste of the architect, or, better put, a collaboration between the architect and the owner.

Clearly, the space age mausoleums I was viewing stood out from the other mausoleums. They were personal statements. Design, of course, is a matter of taste, but modern manufacturing techniques certainly open up a panoply of options for modern mausoleums. To turn an oft-said homily on its head, you only have one chance to make a last impression, and what better place to ensure a measure of immortality than in a cemetery.

The birth of modern architecture is a bit difficult to plumb, but the last few decades has certainly seen the rise of a number of incredible buildings worldwide. That effervescent architecture has now made its way to the cemetery and mausoleums in particular.  Architects love to design mausoleums, since they don’t usually have to worry about utilitarian things like electrical and plumbing and kitchens and bathrooms. Mausoleums are about as close as one can come to being sculpture while still serving the function of a building.

[Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page] Google+