Going Out in Style: The Architecture of Eternity (Hardcover)

by Douglas Keister (Author), Xavier Cronin (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Depicts the endless variety of mausoleum styles in cemeteries across the United States...the book features dozens of full-color photographs portraying the majesty and mystique of the private mausoleum -- International Cemetery and Funeral Management, November, 1997

Keister salutes...America's mausoleums, uncovering cemetery architecture across the country -- Publishers Weekly, October 6, 1997

Product Description
From a nationally renowned photographer and author team, Going Out in Style: The Architecture of Eternity provides an engagingand at times surprisinglook at America's forgotten architecture: the mausoleum.

Elegant, full-color photographs display the grandeur of the mausoleum, documenting the work of some of America's most noted architects and in some cases the only remaining examples of a particular architect's work. Additionally, photographs of the interiors of some mausoleums show rarely seen Tiffany stained-glass windows.

Going Out in Style takes readers into beautiful and historic cemeteries in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many others. Intriguing captions, which accompany each photograph, reveal the story behind the structure, including:

A description of the architectural style The life of the person or family whose monument is depicted Anecdotes and background information Location.

From Classical to Egyptian Revival, mausoleums assume many different architectural forms and represent a time capsule to a specific period of our history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 150 pages
• Publisher: Checkmark Books (December 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816036497
• ISBN-13: 978-0816036493
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,111,089 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine compilation of color photos of American tombs, August 22, 1999

By A Customer

GOING OUT IN STYLE

August `99

You may think that books about cemeteries couldn't possibly be of interest. Not so! The great American cemeteries such as Wood Lawn and Green-Wood in New York, Laurel Hill in Philadelphia, Mountain View in Oakland and Mt. Auburn in Cambridge, nearly all now sadly neglected, are fascinating, fantastic places filled with palace-like tombs, many of which were designed by famous architects and decorated by famous artists, as well as a feast of oddities, some funny, some ridiculous, some touching, some merely lugubrious. While such places may now seem quaint, ironically, they reflect a more realistic acknowledgment of the inevitability of death than is the case today. GOING OUT IN STYLE presents nearly 170 color photographs of tombs, mausoleums, grave stones, columbaria, stained glass, chapels and stone angels and other statuary found in cemeteries across the United States. There is an informative introduction and the captions provide adequate information about the Dear Departed. Some other worthy illustrated books about cemeteries include SILENT CITIES: THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN CEMETERY (Jackson/Vergara-Princeton Architectural Press, l989. All color), WOODLAWN REMEMBERS: CEMETERY OF AMERICAN HISTORY (Bergman/North Country Books, 1988. Color and B&W)the small-format SAVING GRACES (Robinson/Norton), a stunning collection of B&W photographs of the exotic and often downright erotic marble ladies who adorn European graves and BEAUTIFUL DEATH(Robinson/Penguin Studio),a volume of artful color photographs of tombs and graves in European cemeteries

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS AND INTERESTING SYNOPSES, June 20, 2000

By A Customer

I bought this book...sight unseen because of the reader reviewsand the description of the book. It is indeed a beautifullyphotographed book and is filled with fascinating (not just interesting) synopses of people who "went out in style". I was hoping for more pictures of cemetery statuary (as pictured on the cover of the book), but when I started reading about the masoleums, etc. I was enthralled. (The book "Saving Graces" is totally cemetery (female) statuary, but almost all from European cemeteries.) This is a new interest for me and is quite beautiful and interesting! Not at all morbid. One interesting note: all photos taken in the cemeteries photographed for this book have NO living people in them. I wonder how the photographer managed that? Or was it requested beforehand? END

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK!, February 4, 2001

By A Customer

This is the greatest book for people who are interested in cemeteries and sepulchral monuments. It specializes in mausoleums, mostly small family ones, but shows you what the larger ones are like, also. Doug Keister actually takes you inside a few mausoleums to see what they look like inside. The book also tells you a lot about the architecture of the tombs, so you can visit your local cemeteries and be more knowledgeable . The photos are outstandingly clear and crisp even in book form. If you get a chance to see Keister's travelling exhibit, you will be even more astounded at the large photos. I wish Mr. Keister would write more books, with Mr. Cronin's photos, about this subject. The statuary is just gorgeous, and so emotional. The information is so interesting.It is just a "must have" for anyone interested in these subjects.