Having said all that, it's interesting to reflect that I still feel uncomfortable taking a camera into a cemetery, although in many respects, this should not be considered weird as after all a camera is simply capturing representations of life and frozen time. Gravestones and memorials are serving the same function. They capture a moment and reflect it back at the visitor to the graveyard. Yes, I lived, loved and died and this is where I have chosen to be placed for the rest of eternity.
The first thing, I observed upon walking into the Camberwell Old Cemetery was how peaceful it was. There was also bright sunshine illuminating all of the details of the Cemetery. As is the case with most cemeteries, it's effectively a gated community. The opening times reflecting when you can visit this place of rest and your relatives, both close and distant.
Opening times (Seasonal variations).
The opening times are by their nature seasonal and related to the expected time of the sunset. The period from April to September is of course expected to remain lighter than the Autumn and Winter months. I believe that there is probably an attendant on site who opens the gates and closes them at night as there is a small property, which appears to be occupied, just inside the main gate.
The fences that surround the Camberwell Old Cemetery are decorated by the rather beautiful and ornate shapes that majestically perch on top of the fences. Having said that, if you look carefully at the shapes, one of them resembles a cross gentleman or lady with his/her hands on their hips, staring down at the potential visitor. You can almost imagine him/her shaking their head as though we have committed a sin, simply by looking up.
Cross individual like a bouncer at a nightclub on the left.
The Camberwell Old Cemetery, which is actually in Forest Hill Road, so thus suggesting how geographical boundaries have changed over the years (in no sense is Forest Hill Road, anywhere near Camberwell, which is a thirty minute walk away) is a mass of green space and trees. It's like a park with less benches. Whether you wish to or not, the landscape draws you further inward, forcing you to embrace your thoughts. It's not a place for reflecting upon what to have for lunch or what to buy on your shopping trip in the afternoon. It's about reflecting on what matters. Feelings, memories and being at one with nature. Religion crops up too with increasing regularity, whether or not you wish to follow those lines of theological enquiry or not. It does not matter, whether the people interred in this cemetery are directly related to you or not because ultimately, their fate is the same as your future fate and their lives were similar to yours.
Huge trees and Celtic crosses add to the peace and majesty.
As is the case with many cemeteries, the Camberwell Old Cemetery contains a rich tapestry of symbolism. Graves are individualised, marked by accessories, little knick-knacks that reveal something of the person who lies beneath stone and soil. Whilst taking photographs, I observed a Buddha and a rather quirky 'Cheeky Monkey' ornament. The latter perhaps being an indication of the fun loving character of the buried party and the Buddha being an icon of superstition or belief. The archaic suggestion that rubbing the Buddha's belly will bring good fortune.
Buddha on grave.
Cheeky monkey.
No discussion of a graveyard or cemetery can be completed without looking at the religious iconography and also the more elaborate resting places of families. Below, you will see striking images of the Crucifixion of Christ and angelic figures watching over the deceased.
Jesus Christ. A plea for clemency?
Is it just me who sees hooded female figures as symbolic of Mary?
As is always the case when you enter a graveyard, the saddest burial sites are those associated with children. Lives cut short, prior to experiencing all that life has to offer. Simple reproductions of childhood toys, those things that provided comfort in the darkness such as teddy bears. Now destined to guard the child for the rest of eternity. The lamplight and angel symbolically lighting the way through the darkness and watching over the sedate form beneath the ground.
Symbols of protection surround a child's grave.
Just before leaving the Camberwell Old Cemetery, I observed the most elaborate burial site, I think I have ever seen. It was clearly a family grave and something about the grave struck me.
A family plot.
The family plot with its mixture of religious symbolism, stone books etched with the names of family members and the closed gate at the back suggesting how close, we always are to death. It is literally only a short way away, despite our constant attempts to disavow our own mortality.
To finish this blog, I wish to post two photographs showing a poem I noticed that had been stuck to a tree and an image of a Magpie. When taking photographs in graveyards and cemeteries, it is odd how important it feels to capture something living, whether that be birds, animals or fauna. I think this may have something to do with the acute realisation that the past and present exist in the same temporal plane, whether we choose to acknowledge that fact or not.
So without further hesitation, the last two photographs and a silent salutation to those who have passed away...
The Magpie silently contemplating.
A poem offering condolence and support to the living.
Barry Watt - 22nd June 2013
Afterword
For further information about the history of the Camberwell Old Cemetery, please see the following link:
