Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest The American Experience
The Village: Guardians of the Forever Home

I was photographing cemetery gravestones and found a children's section. I saw this image of Mary, Joseph and angels and felt the presence of people designing and tending to the area where a loved one(s) are buried. Though not unique to America, it is part of our American experience to honor the dead and attempt to keep their memories alive. This gravestone was placed during an era when many parents lost their infants to early death.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: South Portland, Maine, United States of America
Copyright: © susan partridge