Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Springthorpe Memorial


This memorial to Annie Springthorpe is a Greek-temple-like tomb located at the Kew Cemetery.  It was erected in 1901 by Dr John Springthorpe for his wife Annie, who died in childbirth four years earlier.  The sarcophagus is surrounded by black marble columns supporting a rose-red stained glass domed ceiling.  It took four years to construct and was described by the Bulletin as "Melbourne's Taj Mahal".  Almost every surface of the floor is inscribed with poetry and verse.  Nowhere is Annie's name.  For other images of Springthorpe Memorial click here.
Contributed to Taphophile Tragics.

13 comments:

  1. wow this is seriously ornate. The composition of your image is beautiful, and really suggests the intimacy of the scene, more so that the shots of the whole building and glass ceiling.

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  2. The Kew Cemetery is fantastic, isn't it? I had an interesting visit there a couple of years ago involving a thunderstorm, broken shoes, a flat mobile phone battery, no wristwatch and the fear of getting locked in for the night. But I got some good shots.

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    1. Yes it is a fascinating place. Kept my eye on closing time though.

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  3. Joe this is just gorgeous. Very nicely done.

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  4. Artistic tastes change but the sorrow expressed is universal. And superbly captured by your composition.

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  5. Nice composition, I like the image you made here, can't say the same about the tomb I'm afraid rather too ornate.

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  6. I like the idea of the rose red stained glass domed ceiling. It is just the rest that does appeal to my simpler tastes.
    And what a shame that Annie is never recognized by name.

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  7. That's incredibly elaborate.

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  8. unbelievable its so elaborate and 4 yrs to build, wow!!

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  9. I wonder how the child who lost his/her mother felt about this?!

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  10. Blimey! I followed the link. What an ornate grave marker. And ten thousand pounds. That red ceiling would glow in a most wierd way for mine. But I love the diorama, and the verse covering all. But not the fact that she was not named. After having died in child-birth, it is the final male suzereignty.

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  11. PS I quite liked the image of Annie on her wedding day, no matter what other commenters said. So there ...

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  12. those angels are huge! are they life-size? it seems so.
    just wondering, am i supposed to know who that person is? (i can be rather ignorant.. :)), because i dont!

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