Historic Sweet Olive Cemetery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The historic Sweet Olive Cemetery is said to be the oldest African American burying ground in Baton Rouge. At South 22nd Street and Louisiana Avenue, it is just north of Government Street, north of the Garden District. In 1990, this was a rough neighborhood, and I did not wander too far from the car. Then, many of the stones were displaced and tree roots had damaged many graves. It deteriorated even worse over the following decades until Freshmen from the Louisiana State University Honors College initiated a cleanup effort. One of their sessions was in 2006, and they have probably come back several times since then.

Now (February 2014), the cemetery is still overgrown in some areas, but many of the stones have been re-erected and some of the mausoleums re-plastered (or at least white-washed). Much of the ground has been cleared. The neighborhood now seems reasonably safe.

There are interesting patterns, shapes, and shadows if you are a photographer. I met an art student from Louisiana State University whose project was to visit every week and record and sketch changes over time. She did not seem to have a problem coming alone every Sunday.

Some of the huge old trees (or remaining trunks) are pretty interesting. Do visit; it is one of Baton Rouge's more interesting historical sites.

The two 1990 color photographs were taken on Kodachrome film with an Olympus OM-1 camera. The black and white views were from a Fuji X-E1 camera, with RAW files processed in PhotoNinja software. For most, I used a 1949-vintage Leica 50 mm f/2.0 Summitar lens, which works very well in black and white. These older lenses have character.

First Cemetery, Athens, Greece

The First Cemetery of Athens (Greek: Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών) is an oasis of peace and calm in the noisy, frenetic city. It covers an area of about 500x500 m, a green space of pines, cypresses, and narrow walkways. Many heroes of the 1820s War of Independence are interred here, as are other notables of Greek society, prime ministers, poets, archaeologists, and prominent foreigners.  The tomb of Heinrich Schliemann, the discoverer of Troy, is here. Most of the interred were Greek Orthodox, but there is a Catholic church on the grounds, and separate areas are reserved for Protestants and Jews.


Located southeast of downtown in what is now a mixed residential and small-shop district, the cemetery is at the end of Anapafseos Street (Eternal Rest Street - what an appropriate name!). Your initial approach is a bit discouraging. Parking is always a chore, and the entrance area is a bit grubby and looks well-used. The severe marble colonnaded entrance is not very classical-looking.

Once inside it is more peaceful, and the wide marble plaza is lined with cypress trees. The temple you see on the left is Schliemann's tomb.


No one bothers you, and you can spend hours walking the shaded lanes between tombs and statues.




The statuary is beautiful and much is of white Pendelian marble (the same micro-crystalline marble used on the Parthenon). Notice the owl, an ancient symbol of the dead.


This is the famous "sleeping Girl," the Tomb of Sofia Afentaki, a work by the sculptor Yannoulis Chalepas from Tinos.  Tinos, an island in the Cyclades, has a famous carving school, and many of its graduates have worked around the world.


The lion has an almost Egyptian look.

Some prominent British diplomats who supported Greek independence are also here.



Space is at a premium, and many family tombs or monuments contain bones of multiple generations. Any day, but especially on holidays and Sundays, you will see family members cleaning the walks near their family tombs, disposing of dead flowers, and paying respects. First Cemetery is not on the normal tourist route, but well worthwhile.

All photographs taken with an Olympus E-330 digital camera with Olympus 14-54 mm lens, black and white processed in-camera.  Map drawn with ESRI ArcMap software.

The Mississippi Delta 7: Boyle

Let us move further north into the Mississippi Delta. Unfortunately, I did not have time to explore Cleveland, which is the county seat of Bolivar County and home of Delta State University. But just south of Cleveland on Hwy 61 is the town of Boyle. Most motorists probably rush on through, but two sites caught my eye.


First was this lonely cemetery on the east side of the highway just south of town. There was no church on the site. Notice the skilfully-carved tombstone for a Miss Annie Gade, died Jan. 4, 1883, aged 2 Yrs. 3 Mos. & 20 Days. We forget what a terrible toll childhood diseases took on our ancestors. Never let anyone tell you we should go back to an era of simpler medicine without modern diagnostic equipment, sterilization of instruments, and, especially, inoculations against common diseases.


Further north, a more cheerful scene: this is the Daspot store where you can buy sunglasses and ladies' fashions. The proprietor was very cheerful when I asked permission to photograph the models.  The customers seemed a bit perplexed.

A profile view if you prefer....

Photographs taken with a Panasonic G1 digital camera.