The Egyptian Avenue
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51°34' 03" N, 0°8' 56" W51.567387 -0.148787
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The cemetery in its original form (the older,
Western part) was opened in 1839, part of an
initiative to provide seven large, modern
cemeteries (known as the "Magnificent
Seven") in a ring round the outside of
London. The inner-city cemeteries, mostly the
graveyards attached to individual churches,
had long been unable to cope with the number
of burials and were seen as a hazard to
health and an undignified way to treat the
dead. The initial design was by architect and
entrepreneur Stephen Geary. He designed
King's Cross, but is best known as the
original architect for Highgate Cemetery,
where he designed the Egyptian Revival and
Gothic revival catacombs, among other works.
He published Designs for Tombs and Cenotaphs
(1840) in which he was credited with the
founding of other cemeteries in the London
area. He is also supposed to have designed
the first gin-palace in London
Highgate, like the others, soon became a
fashionable place for burials and was much
admired and visited. The Victorian attitude
to death and its presentation led to the
creation of a wealth of Gothic tombs and
buildings. It occupies a spectacular
south-facing hillside site slightly downhill
from the top of the hill of Highgate itself,
next to Waterlow Park, both of which were
part of the former Dartmouth Park which
covered the area.
The cemetery's grounds are full of
old-growth trees, shrubbery and wildflowers
that are a haven for birds and small animals
like foxes. The Egyptian Avenue and the
Circle of Lebanon (topped by a huge Cedar of
Lebanon) feature tombs, vaults and winding
paths dug into hillsides.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highgate_Cemetery
Posted 13 months ago.
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Something kept drawing me back to this pic,
Richard. Finally realized it's the light at
the end which beckons...come see what's on
the other side. Very interesting capture,
and the history as usual makes it even more
so. Liked it the moment I saw it.
Posted 13 months ago.
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Yes, with black and white I tend to be drawn
to sharp contrasts of light and dark. Thanks.
Posted 13 months ago.
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