For me this all started a few years ago in Austin. While visiting there, I was in search of unique cemetery statuary to photograph, so my friend Charlotte and I were touring all the cemeteries in Austin. In Oakwood cemetery, a large non-denominational public cemetery, we found a huge number of graves decorated for the holidays. It’s a phenomenon that I’ve never really understood, but each holiday season, wherever I happen to be, I look for Christmas decorations in the local cemetery. I’ve never found decorations as elaborate as those in Oakwood, but I continue to look and photograph whatever I find.

This year, I was in DC for Christmas for the first time in a long time. I went out for a few hours each on Christmas Eve and Christmas day and found lots of cool stuff. I hit Glenwood, Rock Creek Cemetery, Fort Lincoln, Mt. Olivet, Lincoln Memorial, and Cedar Hill.

Click to enlarge (pops in a new window.)

all text and images © Kerri Sheehan, 2005