Philip and I went to the Slow Club for brunch today, and then slowly made our way to the San Francisco Columbarium on Loraine Court. The Columbarium, a perforated Victorian genie bottle housing cremated remains, built in 1897, is all that remains of the 167 acre Odd Fellows Cemetary near present day Geary and Stanyan Streets. The graves were moved to Colma, supposedly, in the late 20’s and early 30’s to make make way for the city’s westward expansion, and the many faux Mediterranean micro-villas and French mini-chateaux that would house the Richmond district’s mid-century pioneers. Reflecting the city’s limits of expandability, the Columbarium is almost filled to capacity, with windowsills and bookcases and every nook and corner being converted into usable niches. There are several styles of formal funerary design that give way to a very inventive and creative contemporary lexicon of niche design that incorporates photos of the deceased as well as trinkets that were of some significance to the dearly departed or their survivors. It’s the Afterlife’s Playland-At-The-Beach.
 |
 |