The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-24
HIGH ART IN T0MBST0NES.
4 GREAr INDUSTRY TUdT TnO MEN
EOthDED ~ INV iORh.


Trade Grows t!ravestonr Fashions Bards
of the Draveyard-Tomb 10 Eeypi.
The hard times have fallen upon no
branch Of industry with more crushing force
tia II upon the makers OF and dealers In tomb
stones. The trade w tombstoncs, although
among the Youngest is one Of the best est, b.
li-hed industries of this country. AS distinct
aud wel-marked business 1t has existed ONLY
about forty Va rs but during that period II has
Obt tined high mercantile standing, and has
developed the public t1ste for monuments and
headstones to sIch a degree that Il /. acknowl-
edged that American gravcylrds are among the
finest IN the world. hardly excepting those OF
Italy aud France. where the purest classical
Tyres Of art prevail In grayestones. Ihe de-
mand Tor tombs ones here sometimes exceeds
the supply Just now, however. this nOurishing
trade Is PARTIAL, stagnant.
A sketch Of the growth Of tombstone making
as branch Of trade in this country viii help the
reader to understand the present del resson In
the business. About ISIS John Ffnzee, who was
the architect Of the Custom House, and Robert
T.. Launitx formed partnership ns marble
workers, and opened studio" at broadway
and Sprins street IN this CITY. Both were men
Of an original east of mind, aud both had
thought a good deal on tho subject ot tomb
stones. Launltz was foreigner, the nephew OF
the German sculptor Of the same name, and he
had studied at Rome under the famous Thor
wadsen. here the beautiful forms into which
monumental marbles were moulded made a
deep impression his mind. There. too he
imbihed = ca,-i ~ taste, winch was stocked bN
the shhpelc,s SCULPTURE ~ the rude stonecutters'
81 ths that we're used to marx graves In America.
fiaLee was sei-ula . mn. lilo nad been
builder. bat he Possessed an artists tastes aud,
like his friend l. ,unitz. he Thought that better
st,le OF tomostOnes ought to be- Introduced into
this country.
ART IN ToNBsroNEs.
Accordingly these two men made a chlnce in
the production II tuubstouc-. 'lecting good
marbles. thew introduced the Grcci,h or classic
al STYLE in both the form nd adjournment ~ their
works. rney made to."bs oncs inform 10 ar
u-tc pflnciil"-. giving them regular proportions
ana chaste anu tasteful ornaments. his was
an exucrinent, and HaI 10 to failure. Like all
lcale. IN Inventions on taste, Ltunit7 ana Fra
q were In advance II their axe. but, fortu
nateh, the people wanted better tonbstones,
IL amounted 10 u reform In tombstone making,
and IL spread an over the niuh, but especially
IN the Cltics. The effect wa, wonderful. Gene
teiies changed their character. In place II duli.
snapeiess SLAMS aud rough blocks stuck into the
gre una AZ the heads Ot suhken graves Ike land
marks In farm corners, white. shining ones,
md spires ni polished mtrblc rose over the r-st-
ing places of the dead. trinity churchyard ami
otuer old buryins ground are fun OF the crude
lv-caived heddstones that preceded The tomb
stone reformation.
Leaunltz's omUstone became fam Gus End even
fashionable. lie executed some II the finest
monuments ia the country. including the L
monument al savannah. he WIS ctleu lhe
father of Anefic IN monumental art Better
tombstohe7 called Tor DETER cemeteries und
th' IA iurchir EI1chcr skli VS. uhltru WIN
tue tombstone makers new born art to maze
ktaNs Yards attractive.
GROWTH OF THE TRADE.
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