Below is a map of the cemetery; essentially, the area where I collected all of my data on this project. For a better concept of where specific graves are, check out this unofficial site.
Memorials: on graves, next to graves, and trash.
The images above capture well the placement of self-memorials: leaving one's mark in a space. There are, of course, many different ways to commemorate yourself, whether or not you're doing it on purpose. Almost all of the images are from assorted places throughout the cemetery, some with the dead more famous than other places. The complete descriptions of these images are below:
Top-Left: This is an interesting image, in the sense that a lot of places I went to for research had fake flowers laid across the grave. Here, there's a set of dying flowers covered by what appeared to be some sort of metal block to avoid them blowing off the top of the grave. There seemed to be a bigger proportion of fake flowers on graves rather than real flowers. The Philadelphia Gazette said "Nothing can be more gratifying to some of the best feelings of human nature, than that amiable, yet almost absolete (sic) custom of adorning with flowers the graves of those we loved".* There are a lot of graves, particularly graves that are "less famous" than graves such as Abelard and Heloise's graves, where the flowers are on top of the graves; adorning them.
Top-Middle: This is a set of fake flowers in front of a grave, between it and the fence preventing people from entering the grave. There's a huge difference between putting fake flowers and real flowers onto a grave, which depends entirely on social constructs. When leaving real flowers, it is common to believe that the act of leaving real flowers exemplifies the quality of the visit, and the quality of the relationship the person had with the dead. When leaving fake flowers, it's a symbol of eternity, that no matter the weather or time, the flowers will not wilt. Having these in front is most likely to try and not to deter from the name on top of the grave, since this bouquet of flowers is quite large. It's also a symbol of respect for those who have died not to obscure the name, especially with fake flowers that will not wilt. It's clear that whoever left these here were very knowledgeable on the location of where to put the set, and came to the cemetery ready to leave a part of themselves to their loved one, but didn't find the need to have it be displayed by placing it on the top of the grave, like the top-left picture.
Top-Right: There seems to be a water bottle (I didn't take any closer inspection for fear of contracting disease) next to this grave, which brings us to the next point of people accidentally leaving physical traces of themselves in places of death. Like I mentioned during my article about the project, sites of death and memorial (for instance, cemeteries) usually have unspoken rules about silence and respect, but sometimes, on accident, people will leave parts of themselves behind. I imagine that this was left by a tourist trying to take a photo of the grave and then forgetting they put it down.
Bottom-Left: This is probably some sort of trash, but it was found at the edge of a grave filled with some sort of liquid-y substance. Most likely, it was left there by someone who was planning on spending some kind of time near this grave, because a lot of the liquid is gone. Another reason why I believe this is because this particular memory was left by someone who went specifically to stay at this grave was because this grave was behind a fence, with no obvious unique decorations that would make the grave famous by any degree. I did not know the deceased in the grave, so I cannot know whether or not they were a famous person (due to a lack of other mementos, it is unlikely). However, accidental or not, this "giver" gave a bit of themselves when they left this trash, memorializing themselves for me to find later.
Bottom-Middle: This is the first of two pictures taken at Heloise and Abelard's grave, depicting a bouquet of roses attached to the side of an iron-wrought fence which surrounds the entire grave. The significance of this picture is the effort fans who are conscious of their memory-making are going to in order to make this memory, and give tribute to the two lovers. As far as I could tell, there was no sort of gate or mechanism to enter the grave site, and so leaving anything on top of the graves or in proximity to them was nearly impossible unless something was tossed. The effort it took to adhere a bouquet of flowers to the rail and have them stay like that means that the "giver" had to have come with the intention to leave something there; not only just to leave it in the vicinity, but specifically at that spot. This means that the "giver" most likely had been to the site before, and therefore knew to bring some sort of twine in order to adhere the bouquet to the fence.
Top-Left: This is an interesting image, in the sense that a lot of places I went to for research had fake flowers laid across the grave. Here, there's a set of dying flowers covered by what appeared to be some sort of metal block to avoid them blowing off the top of the grave. There seemed to be a bigger proportion of fake flowers on graves rather than real flowers. The Philadelphia Gazette said "Nothing can be more gratifying to some of the best feelings of human nature, than that amiable, yet almost absolete (sic) custom of adorning with flowers the graves of those we loved".* There are a lot of graves, particularly graves that are "less famous" than graves such as Abelard and Heloise's graves, where the flowers are on top of the graves; adorning them.
Top-Middle: This is a set of fake flowers in front of a grave, between it and the fence preventing people from entering the grave. There's a huge difference between putting fake flowers and real flowers onto a grave, which depends entirely on social constructs. When leaving real flowers, it is common to believe that the act of leaving real flowers exemplifies the quality of the visit, and the quality of the relationship the person had with the dead. When leaving fake flowers, it's a symbol of eternity, that no matter the weather or time, the flowers will not wilt. Having these in front is most likely to try and not to deter from the name on top of the grave, since this bouquet of flowers is quite large. It's also a symbol of respect for those who have died not to obscure the name, especially with fake flowers that will not wilt. It's clear that whoever left these here were very knowledgeable on the location of where to put the set, and came to the cemetery ready to leave a part of themselves to their loved one, but didn't find the need to have it be displayed by placing it on the top of the grave, like the top-left picture.
Top-Right: There seems to be a water bottle (I didn't take any closer inspection for fear of contracting disease) next to this grave, which brings us to the next point of people accidentally leaving physical traces of themselves in places of death. Like I mentioned during my article about the project, sites of death and memorial (for instance, cemeteries) usually have unspoken rules about silence and respect, but sometimes, on accident, people will leave parts of themselves behind. I imagine that this was left by a tourist trying to take a photo of the grave and then forgetting they put it down.
Bottom-Left: This is probably some sort of trash, but it was found at the edge of a grave filled with some sort of liquid-y substance. Most likely, it was left there by someone who was planning on spending some kind of time near this grave, because a lot of the liquid is gone. Another reason why I believe this is because this particular memory was left by someone who went specifically to stay at this grave was because this grave was behind a fence, with no obvious unique decorations that would make the grave famous by any degree. I did not know the deceased in the grave, so I cannot know whether or not they were a famous person (due to a lack of other mementos, it is unlikely). However, accidental or not, this "giver" gave a bit of themselves when they left this trash, memorializing themselves for me to find later.
Bottom-Middle: This is the first of two pictures taken at Heloise and Abelard's grave, depicting a bouquet of roses attached to the side of an iron-wrought fence which surrounds the entire grave. The significance of this picture is the effort fans who are conscious of their memory-making are going to in order to make this memory, and give tribute to the two lovers. As far as I could tell, there was no sort of gate or mechanism to enter the grave site, and so leaving anything on top of the graves or in proximity to them was nearly impossible unless something was tossed. The effort it took to adhere a bouquet of flowers to the rail and have them stay like that means that the "giver" had to have come with the intention to leave something there; not only just to leave it in the vicinity, but specifically at that spot. This means that the "giver" most likely had been to the site before, and therefore knew to bring some sort of twine in order to adhere the bouquet to the fence.