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| Cave Petroglyphs |
Art
has always been a part of our society; a part of what makes us human, and stone
carvers are the oldest artists in the world. Their petroglyphs and carvings can
be found on cave walls and stones around the globe.
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| Venus of Berekhat Ram |
What
is thought to be the oldest carved stone is known as the Venus of Berekhat Ram. Shaped like a female figure, this prehistoric stone is at least 230,000
years old and may have been carved by Homo erectus.
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| Carborundum |
Early
stone carvings were made using a harder stone to “carve” on a softer stone.
The Ancient Greeks developed a technique where granules of carborundum (Silicon carbide - SiC) were formed into an abrasive
file, which could then be used to scrape forms or designs on stone.
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| Indiana Limestone Quarry |
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| Chisel Carving Tools |
With
the development of iron, carving tools were created and tempered so that stone
could be shaped and cut without damaging the tools or destroying the stone. Gravestones could be crafted from
granite, limestone, marble, slate, even metal.
The
halcyon days of gravestone carving in the U.S. began during the 19th
century and continued into the 1920s. It was during this period that gravestone
sculptors chiseled, rasped and carved with such proficiency that “cemetery
stone carver” became a well-respected profession in America. Carving grave markers gave these men a way to
express their artistic talents, and earn a living. Many
monument and gravestone sculptors were proud of their designs, and signed their works.
The
size of the mausoleums, grave sculpture, or stone mattered in the cemetery because it indicated
a person’s wealth and status in that community. But well carved cemetery markers
were not just for the rich – some of the most poignant examples were carved by
local craftsmen as can be seen in the abundance of tree stones, statues and
monuments carved around the country.
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| Indiana Stone Carvers |
Stone
carvers arrived in the U.S. and gravitated to certain areas of the country where quarries and work were
plentiful – mainly in New England – in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Numerous stone carvers from Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany
and Italy made their way to the U.S.
during the 1800s, intent to settle here and carve stories in stone.
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| Limestone Quarry |
Another destination for stone carvers was in Lawrence County, Indiana, and the town of
Bedford, located in the heart of limestone country; the “Limestone
Capital of the World.”
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| A Favorite Hat |
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| A Stone Carver's Table on the Day He Died |
The work of numerous stone carvers
can be seen at Green Hill Cemetery in Bedford. Hundreds of carvings, statues,
sculptures and engravings exist in minute detail, thanks to the limestone’s
ability to weather well.
Many of those stone carvers are now
buried here near the Stone Cutters Monument, erected by the Bedford Stone
Cutters Association in 1894.
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| Bedford Stone Carvers Monument |
The monument shows a
late 19th century stonecutter, holding a mallet in his hand.
Clasped hands are shown on the front of the monument, beneath it’s gabled roof. The
other three sides bear the carved images of a hand with a mallet, a sexton and
square, and a grouping of stonecutting tools.
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| Water Jet |
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| Oxy-acetylene Torch |
Today,
“carving” on gravestones is done using water erosion and diamond saw cutting
techniques, lasers, oxy-acetylene torches or jet heat torches.
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| Karin Sprague Stone Carvers |
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| John Stevens Shop |
Although
a monument or marker cut with laser and die does a satisfactory job, a hand-carved stone has a more intimate feel, and offers a very personal way to remember a
loved one. Hand carved stones give us a way to bridge the past and
future - as stone carvers cut and shape each individual grave marker, one
small chip at a time …
~
Joy
Fascinating.
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