Sunday, February 24, 2013

Location, Location, Location

Last week I got to tag along on a location scout at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena. I took pictures in places you will not likely ever go, except maybe once.

There are other cemeteries in the San Gabriel Valley, and there are funeral homes and mortuaries in Pasadena. But Mountain View is the Dena's only (current) burial ground. Unless I'm mistaken (which happens oh so rarely), there's no place to legally bury a human body in Pasadena.

Sandy Gillis wrote a brief and interesting article about local cemeteries for Hometown Pasadena.

I've got more pictures to share with you this week after Zen Monday. It was a fantastic tour. Many thanks to cemetery owner Jay Brown.

15 comments:

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Churches, cemeteries make for great photos!. I like our one and only cemetery- lush,rolling green lawns, well kept, of course... huge trees and old ancient tombstones... its just a shame that they don't allow the 'visitors' whose loved ones are there to decorate their area of where their loved one is... it was tastefully done in the past.. now just posted warning signs...

Dina said...

I look forward to your next photos. One can never get too much of cemetery pictures.

Petrea Burchard said...

Mountain View has 60 acres, but I didn't photograph gravestones. We toured the buildings. They are varied and fascinating.

Bellis said...

The people buried in that cemetery have so much Pasadena and Altadena history attached, you could do a month's worth of daily blogs telling us about them. It's a bit too orderly though - I hope one day some of the neatly mown grass areas will be replaced by native wildflowers. (The poppies! the clarkias! the penstemons!)

Bellis said...

Oh, I see, you toured the buildings, not the grounds. I've only been into the one in your photo for the funeral of a dear friend. Looking forward to learning about the others.

Petrea Burchard said...

I do want to get back up there and take pictures on the grounds, Bellis. I agree that it's orderly but there are some lovely stones. Mr. Brown asks that we not photograph the names.

Petrea Burchard said...

I should say, he asks that we not post photos of the names of the dead on the web, for commercial purposes. I don't get paid for my blog, but I often use it for publicity so there's a fine line.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I wrote my MFA thesis on Forrest Lawn "Happiest Place in Death"

dive said...

Beautiful photo, Petrea. I'm bemused by the fact that there is no place to legally bury a human body in Pasadena, but then the legalities of death are odd over here, too. I've been told by my solicitor that I cannot legally bequeath my body to alternative comedy (my preferred route), nor can I leave it for wild animals. Looks like I'm bound for the teaching hospital in the hope that some medical students might have some fun.

Susan Campisi said...

That's a lovely, somber photo. Mountain View is a popular film location spot. I see production trucks there all the time. How fun that you got to tag along on a location scout.

Petrea Burchard said...

PA, I'm surprised you didn't call it "Happiest Place In Earth."

Why wait 'til you're dead to have fun with medical students, Dive?

Susan, it's true, they're very welcoming to film crews, and have several special set-ups just for filming. A fantastic location for all sorts of reasons.

LONDONLULU said...

The photo is gorgeous, so stark. But I had no idea there is no place to bury a human body legally there! How fascinating.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

thats even better

Ms M said...

Dare I say it's a "haunting" photo? But it's an accurate description, to me at least. Shades of Mark Rothko....
http://www.rothkochapel.org/

Petrea Burchard said...

Lulu, I'm going to have to die somewhere else, I guess.

I like it either way, PA.

Ms. M, I wouldn't have thought it. But the symmetry, maybe.