The Artistes Memorial in Streatham Park Cemetery
Introduction
The photograph on this page of The Artistes Memorial in Streatham Park Cemetery by Marathon as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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The Artistes Memorial in Streatham Park Cemetery
Image: © Marathon Taken: 1 Mar 2017
Streatham Park Cemetery opened as the Great Southern Cemetery in 1909. Up to the Second World War Streatham Park Cemetery accounted for one fifth of all burials in South London. It is a strange mixture with colourful gardens of remembrance near the entrance in Rowan Road, large mausolea not far from the entrance, and a 'street' of even larger mausolea, many to Italians, beyond the war memorial. A more complete history is given at http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=MER056 This is the Artistes Memorial near the centre of the cemetery. The wording at the top says “ERECTED IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE OF THE FOLLOWING ARTISTES OF THE VARIETY PROFESSION”. The dates are from 1920 to 1944 and are a roll call of artists buried here in mainly unmarked graves. None of the names are familiar to modern eyes. The one name that would be recognised but is not on the list is the legendary comic actor Will Hay who died in 1949 and whose grave is nearby - see http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5349569.
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Image Location
Latitude
51.407146
Longitude
-0.145683