This week’s edition of Tombstone Tuesday covers those tombstones that aren’t stone — they’re metal. Specifically, we’re going to discuss zinc or “white bronze” markers.
Zinc markers have a characteristic blue/gray color and feature raised lettering. If you’re in doubt as to whether a marker is zinc, tap on it. If it sounds hollow, it’s zinc.
These markers were made by only one company — the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Monumental Bronze had subsidiaries/distributors in Detroit, Chicago, and Des Moines and their work can be found across the United States. However, their years of production were very short — 1875 to 1912.
Customers could chose a variety of motifs (such as the anchor shown above). Panels on the sides of the marker could bear words or motifs (and sometimes both). Customization, such as the inscription, was cast in separate plates that would be screwed into a standard base.
The monument itself is hollow. Although the markers remain extremely legible, they are not immune from damage, such as being hit by lawnmowers or a fault in a seam causing the obelisk to fall. Such is the case of the marker shown below.
Zinc markers did not come in only obelisk form. Other shapes and styles included chest-like monuments, books, lambs, and even praying children.
Resources:
There are several good articles about zinc monuments on the Internet. Two of them are:
- “Metal Monuments of Greenwood Cemetery” by Mark Culver at http://www.uni.edu/connors/metalmon.htm
- “What are White Bronze Monuments?” at http://www.zincmarkers.com
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There are two tall zinc markers and 3 small ones in Fairview Cemetery in New Albany, Indiana. You can view them
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/in/county/floyd/cemetery/fairview/fairview_cemetery.html
The surnames are HAINS and DEVOL
Thanks for posting that! I especially liked B. F. Devol’s marker with the Odd Fellows links and Willie’s marker with the broken rosebud.
There are numerous excellent examples of these monuments in the old cemetery in Wapokoneta. One of them is my Great Grandfather’s, Michael Geis, who died in 1876 of illness contracted in the Civil War. Unfortunately, one of the plaques on the 12′ high monument has been removed, the one for the Grand Army of the Republic. Also sad is that the town was so insensitive as to have built a waste treatment plant on the site! Great historic planning there.
there is one of these in texas . a lovely marker its on my blog. thank you for writing this
http://cemeteryflowers.blogspot.com
here,s my blog.. sorry..
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Great article and very helpful! I’ve been trying to find these zinc markers but wasn’t sure how to look at the sea of markers in a graveyard and figure out – at a glance – which were zinc and which were not.
I’ve read that Sears sold these zinc markers through their tombstone catalogs. As with so many products, Sears contracted with OTHER companies to manufacture their products.
Do you know if the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut provided tombstones for Sears and Roebuck?
I’d love to know.
Rose Thornton
author, “The Houses That Sears Built”