CHEEKY MONUMENTS: PHOTO-ENGRAVED HEADSTONES AND IMAGE MODERATION IN CEMETERIES

Abstract

For centuries headstone carving was in the hands of select groups: priestly castes, stonemason guilds, and cemetery operators. Today, stone markets are globalised; religiosity, and accompanying rituals, have waned in many countries; and cheap, on-demand laser engraving allows for the easy transfer of photographic images to polished stone surfaces. With these changes have come new challenges for those tasked with moderating the visual environment of the cemetery. This paper explores controversial headstone imagery by combining insights into the ‘deathcare’ industry taken from anthropological fieldwork with a media analysis of several headstone controversies in the US, UK, and Australia. It looks at the actions taken by cemetery personnel to remove or amend images considered inappropriate and reflects on the changing roles of those tasked with moderating headstone content and their interactions with tradespeople, who execute designs, and the clients, who purchase headstones for loved ones. Lastly, this paper analyses how headstone moderation relates to broader conversations on censorship and offence; including ‘cheeky’ content that walks the line between permissible and impermissible in the cemetery setting.