Photo Monument 3/25/2010

Face to Face
by Gale Wall

I love headstones that tell you something about the person. Information I have found on headstones includes; place of birth, childrens names, scriptures, poems as epitaphs, military service, family tree information, sorieties and other organizations. I have even found some that list the cause of death. My favorite, however, is to find one with a picture. I love coming face to face with the person I am visiting.

Ceramic photos have been around since the mid-1800s. The quality has improved with time. There are many options available in the shape of a ceramic photo. I "Googled" a couple of phrases using the words ceramic, headstone & photo. What I found is today photos are made by taking a digital image and printing it on unbaked ceramic, using special machinery, and then it is fired in a kiln at a high temperature, baking the ink into the ceramic, to provide a product that will [hopefully] last a long time. Pricing I saw online ranged from less than $100 to several hundred dollars. There are a lot of companies that offer this item and I would suggest you check the details behind the product before purchasing one. I have plans to have one made for my Mama's headstone.

Another option is photo engraving or etching. I am seeing more and more of these in the cemeteries.

Here are a few ceramic photos from my cemetery walks:

Do you have a favorite headstone ceramic photo?

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Sources:

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"Ceramic Photos." Memorials.com. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.memorials.com/Ceramic-Pictures-information.php.

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Artisanmemorials.com. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.artisanmemorials.com/Headstone-pictures.html.

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Everlife Memorials. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.everlifememorials.com/v/tombstone-ceramic-pictures.htm.