A headstone is a monument, a tribute, and a testament to the life and memory of the person who is no longer here but remembered. On its surface, it can seem a relatively simple but functional object needed for family, friends, cemetery caretakers, and historical information. But for some, their headstones are not only that, but they have become historical works of unique art that have drawn the hearts, sympathy, minds, and imagination of thousands worldwide.
Today, we are highlighting some of the world's historic and unique headstones.
The Tomb of Jules Verne
Situated within Amiens, France, La Madeleine Cemetery is a grave that marks the 19th-Century writer Jules Verne. Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. He collaborated with the publisher Peirre-Jules Hetzel, which led to the creation of Voyages Extraordinaires, a series of bestselling adventure novels that include stories you may be familiar with. Jules wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days.
It is fitting that the man many consider the father of science fiction has one of the most historically dark yet beautiful and otherworldly headstones. Two years after Jules passed, a sculpture called Vers l'Immortalité et l'Eternelle Jeunesse (Towards Immortality and Eternal Youth) was erected atop his marker. Sculpture Albert Roze, using the actual death mask of the writer, chiseled and carved a depiction of Jules pushing out of the earth, breaking his tombstone while wrapped in his shroud to reach toward the heavens eternally.
Jules and his tombstone became so engraved within the imagination of thousands that the effigy became part of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, first published in 1926. Years after the drawing appeared, it was incorporated into the magazines' masthead.
The McMillin Memorial Mausoleum, or Afterglow Vista in Friday Harbor, WA
A massive burial structure that looks as if it was taken directly from the height of Roman beauty and architecture, the McMillin Memorial Mausoleum, or Afterglow Vista, is the final resting place of John S. McMillin, his immediate family and personal secretary. John McMillin was the founder of Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company. John considered his secretary a vital part of the company's success and treated her like family.
He was also an essential figure in the local community, as his company became the largest producer of lime on the West Coast. Because of his company's success, it became the dominant force in the economy of San Juan Island.
The massive structure, housing six members of his family, combines neoclassical elements with heavy masonic symbolism. Surrounding the open-air rotunda and columns are six carved chairs, each displaying the names of the individuals buried under the chairs and surrounding a limestone table. Every column corresponds to a chair, and broken columns, too. The broken columns are to represent the unfinished work left behind after death.
The gorgeous yet solemn memorial has become a unique and beautiful place to visit as it is located in a deeply wooded area that visitors can traverse along magnificent nature trails.
Rudolf Nureyev's Grave, within the Russian Cemetery at Sainte Geneviève des boi, France
Rudulf, known during his lifetime as 'Lord of the Dance,' was a Russian dancer and one of the 20th Century's best-known figures in ballet. He was the famous dance partner of British ballerina Dame Margo Fonteyn and is regarded as perhaps one of the most gifted dancers in living memory.
In his later years, he dedicated himself to being a director and chief choreographer of the Paris Opera Ballet but passed due to heart complications in 1993.
One of Rudolf's passions was collecting rare and beautiful tapestries and rugs, with particular passion and love for kilim rugs. Ezio Frigerio, who often designed Nureyev's choreography sets, designed a kilim rug draping across Rudulf's grave like covering a casket. Its brilliant colors, thousands of mosaic tiles, and delicate folds make the stone recreation look amazingly life-like, and its dazzling array of patterns draws crowds and ballet enthusiasts to this day.
There is so much to be found worldwide when it comes to historic and unique graves and headstones. Each monument becomes a story, a moment, and a legacy that continues long after they have passed. There is so much to be learned and found within our cemeteries, and we encourage you to learn and read their legacies.