Gardens of Stone: The Cemeteries of New York from Colonial Times to the Present

They are found in tiny parcels of land squeezed among Manhattan buildings and in large rolling tracts of land in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. New York City's cemeteries carry on the ancient tradition of memorializing the dead with monuments, from plain gray markers to imposing crypts. Whatever their size, they tell the story of the city's evolution - it's triumphs, tragedies and setbacks - as it became a global capital. From the 17th century, when the Dutch created a cemetery near present-day Wall Street, New York City has been home to some of the nation's most intriguing and famous burial grounds, from the pocket-sized Jewish burial ground of Shearith Israel to the hundreds of acres making up the majesty of Green-Wood and Woodlawn Cemeteries. Gardens of Stone takes you on a walk through these memorial parks, guiding you through works of art cast in stone, from small solitary monuments to some of the country's most grand mausoleums.