After being dragged through most of Highland Cemetery in order to find William McCullough's grave, DD's poor husband was suffering from an understandable cemetery-fatigue, or maybe just a touch of the quinsy. DD maintained her calm, compassionate nature as DDH politely inquired as to her photographic technique.DDH: "You're taking pictures of dog butts."
DD: (loftily) "I am NOT taking pictures of 'dog butts'." (Takes another picture of a dog butt).
DDH: (smugly now) "You're taking pictures of dog butts."
DD: "Sweetie. What I'm doing here is a little...technical, but let me see if I can explain it in layman's terms."
DDH: "Technical dog butts."
DD: "SWEETIE. If you'll LOOK, you'll see that what I'm doing here is making a skillful juxtaposition of those waves in the dog's tail right there with that little scrolly-thing over there. It's a balanced contrast of line and curves--each element complements the other to produce a composition of breathtaking--"
DDH: "Breathtaking d--DD: "SWEETIE. Look at those ripples there. Don't they match that scroll thing?"
DDH: "Well...they're...sort of similar."
DD: "All right then. I have been vindicated in my artistic quest." (Wisely) "The true artiste must be free to pursue their own unique, courageous angle on life."
(DD immediately moves around to the front angle, so as to avoid any further commentary).
Oh my - I was laughing the whole time I read this.
ReplyDeleteDid you find William's grave?
ReplyDeleteNice that your husband went with you. Sounds like you had a great time!
I think we were both a little loopy after squinting at every single grave in the large section 29 in the back. The dog itself is a beautiful piece of sculpture, next to the Starkweather monument and apparently the real grave of a Starkweather dog--I believe the only pet grave in Highland, though I'd be glad to be corrected on that, should Mr. Mann stroll through this post (ahem).
ReplyDeleteK.P.: Yes, we did! William L., son of the elder William and inheritor of his big foundry at Water Street and Michigan Ave., is buried next to his wife Lora and near his son Caleb, who tragically died before his father.
ReplyDeleteI'll post this find soon...and I'm also working on adding it to an eventual small clickable image-map of Highland so that people can see who is buried where and design their own tour.
I'm glad you found it and I can't wait to hear more! Any chance of finding a photo of him?
ReplyDeleteI did pore through the McCullough file in the "family" section of the Archives but found no photo.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Archives has many beautiful old photo albums that are still being indexed, and the family's foundry business was one of the recognized industries in town...so I imagine there's a somewhat better chance than the average that there are McCullough family member photos somewhere out there.
I've seen two other dog sculptures at Highland Cemetery -- on in the Deubel plot, btw. Copy...er..cat. The other is a little doggie monument which holds memorial flowers -- just near the Deubel plot, but not sure in which direction.
ReplyDeleteDear Dusty Diary,
ReplyDeleteI am sorry, but it is my sad duty to inform you that no pets are to be found in Highland Cemetery. The figure of the Dog Watch was placed by the grave of John Starkweather in 1895, about the time the Civil War Memorial was dedicated.
Watch was John Starkweather's favorit dog, so Mary Ann had the figure made at the time the memorial was done. The figure was made by the same company as the memorial.
One last thing, Watch is set so as to keep an eye on what is going on at the Chapel. So when at the Chapel, behave yourself, as you are being Watched by Watch.
Dearest James,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information that NO pets are in Highland Cemetery. I was wrong.
Am I also wrong in detecting the slightest bit of glee in your correction of my mistake, Mr. History? Bah, facts are facts--thanks for the update.
What's going on at the Chapel is gradual decay. The inside is falling apart. Are there any plans to do some preservation work to spiff it up a bit?
Reminds me of the Starkweather house over on Huron River Drive, which was stripped of its historical accoutrements without any city oversight, to my bafflement. Luckily it's now in private hands.
That funny. Man i Know what cemetery fatiuge feel's like in South Lyon's own cemetery, but man i been to Highland cemetery for my family is here. Man you must have been pooped.
ReplyDeletejuxtaposition means?
ReplyDelete"Juxtaposition" means a combination of things that have some degree of difference from each other.
ReplyDeleteFor example, you might say, "I painted the wall with a combination of white and cream," as opposed to "I love the juxtaposition of that bright red against the steel panels."