JUMP TO PAGE   100  >  200  >  300  >  400  >  500  >  600
VINTAGRAPH • POSTERS • AMAZING • WE MUST HAVE MORE MEN

Arlington: 1924

Arlington: 1924

May 30, 1924. "Memorial Day, Arlington National Cemetery." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress.

On Shorpy:
Today's Top 5

Arlington Again

Sad to know so many that rest beneath the stones
with only a blanket of grass to warm their weary bones.

 

Arlington

It's her half-kneeling, half-seated position — is there a word for that? — that makes the picture. If she were simply standing at her boy's grave, with head bowed, the impact would not be as great as it is, in my opinion. Or even if she were in a classic kneeling position, as if in church, it still wouldn't be the same. I interpret her posture as one of a woman weary with grief, yet trying to maintain her dignity.

 

Decoration Day

Memorial Day got its start in the late 1800's as Decoration Day, a day to decorate the graves of the Union dead. Most Southern states have a separate Confederate Memorial Day, too. The original day set aside was May 30th, but Congress moved to the last Monday of May in the early 1970's.

 

Haunting

This is a picture that's going to stay with me for quite some time.

 

Leave a Comment

CAPTCHA
This question is to prevent automated spam submissions. If you were logged in as a registered user, you wouldn't have to bother with this silliness.
 
THE 100-YEAR-OLD PHOTO BLOG
Syndicate content  Shorpy.com | History in HD is a vintage photography blog featuring thousands of high-definition images from the 1850s to 1950s. The site is named after Shorpy Higginbotham, a teenage coal miner who lived 100 years ago. Contact us | Privacy policy | Site contents © 2009 shorpy.com