Enclosure Removal Photographs, 1909-1991 | The Green-Wood Cemetery

This series is comprised of snapshots of lot enclosures, ordered by lot number. These are mostly taken with Polaroid cameras, but negatives are included in some earlier pictures. Although the collection contains photographs from as early as 1909 and as late as 1991, the majority come from 1930-1969.

The photographs functioned as concrete records of maintenance work required on the enclosures. Most include handwritten notes on the back, detailing the lot information, and the weather damage, vandalism, or other aesthetic problems with the pictured enclosure. In most cases, the photographs illustrate the lots before the enclosures were removed, but there are occasional before-and-after shots. Though they are snapshots, many of the photographs are striking illustrations of the cemetery as it once appeared. The original compiler has often noted on the envelopes when they contain photographs of particular interest.

The photographs originated in the Grave Enclosure Files, and more information may be found on enclosure removals in this series.