Monumental Metal: White Bronze Grave-markers in the Mid-West
Anyone who has spend time in a cemetery has seen a metal grave-marker. These markers are not only unique in appearance, but they offer a unique access into the lives of our ancestors. This presentation will look at various examples of white bronze monuments in the Mid-West and the different records that are associated with the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut; a company that held a virtual monopoly during the height of the white bronze craze from the 1880s to the turn of the last century.
Learning Objectives
1. Participants will learn about the history of white bronze and why these monuments seem to last forever.
2. Participants will learn about the records associated with the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut and it's Mid-West subsidiaries in order to gain a unique look at the lives of their ancestors.
3. Participants will learn how these markers helped to shape the late-Victorian cemetery in the Mid-West using examples from Illinois and Iowa.
Learning Objectives
1. Participants will learn about the history of white bronze and why these monuments seem to last forever.
2. Participants will learn about the records associated with the Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut and it's Mid-West subsidiaries in order to gain a unique look at the lives of their ancestors.
3. Participants will learn how these markers helped to shape the late-Victorian cemetery in the Mid-West using examples from Illinois and Iowa.