Tombstone, Catherine Holland

Accession Number
1983/1.295.10

Title
Tombstone, Catherine Holland

Artist(s)
George A. Tice

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
1965; printed 1971

Medium & Support
gelatin silver print on paper

Dimensions
14 1/8 in x 11 in (35.88 cm x 27.94 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);4 1/2 in x 4 7/16 in (11.43 cm x 11.27 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of the Marvin Felheim Collection

Subject matter
One of twelve photographs that comprise George Tice's "Bodie" portfolio, which documents the abandoned gold town of Bodie, California, this print features the gravestone of a woman named Catherine Holland. The inscription on the headstone offers insights into the personal identity of a former resident: Mrs. Holland died in 1889 at the age of 46, and she is described as a native of Ireland. Positioning her grave marker prominently in the foreground of the image with the dramatic landscape in the background offers a meditation on the fragility of human life while dramatizing the degradation of this once-thriving mining community.

Physical Description
A photograph of a gravestone with a sweeping landscape in the distance.

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
cemeteries
clouds
farmhouse
farmyards
field
ghost towns
gold towns
grave markers
hills
landscapes (environments)
modern and contemporary art
tombstone

4 Related Resources

Death and Dying
(Part of 8 Learning Collections)
Grief and Mourning Rituals
(Part of 5 Learning Collections)
California
(Part of 2 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

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