PARK A N D CEMETERY 
317 
Refining the Two-Piece 
In any study of our best monuments and 
our progress in monumental design the im- 
portance of the common two-piece monu- 
ment should not be overlooked in our ad- 
miration of the newer, more original and 
more imposing forms of monumental art. 
The two-piece ^monument of commerce 
comprises the major portion of our monu- 
mental output, and the general appearance 
of our cemeteries is to a certain extent 
made or marred by the general average of 
design in this class of monumental work. 
For this reason Park and Cemetery has 
always emphasized the importance of im- 
proving our common stock forms and has 
tried to call repeated attention to some of 
the principles of design that make for prog- 
ress in these smaller monuments. 
There is in every collection of our best 
monuments gratifying evidence that the 
two-piece “job” is gradually being refined 
into some resemblance to a real monument. 
It is being executed in more graceful 
contours, and decoration is being more 
appropriately designed and better placed. 
There is still frequent disregard of some 
fundamental details of design, about which 
we have repeatedly sermonized in these 
pages. 
Bases are still too thick in proportion 
to the die. We are gradually coming to a 
realization that the die is the monument 
and the base merely a support for it. There 
is need for more die and less base, although 
it is very gratifying to note that the rock 
base and the cheap base of different finish 
and cheaper material is losing ground. 
Let us think on the base that is not more 
than 1-Q«.thick. Why need a base for a 
small monument be any thicker ? 
The big raised ice-wagon letters also 
still persist in many otherwdse well de- 
signed small monuments. We need to re- 
member that the family name is not an 
advertisement, and we need to call the at- 
tention of the purchaser to the more ap- 
propriate and tasteful character of the 
neat incised letter about four inches high. 
A big, hulking family name breaks up the 
surface of the die, spoils its contour, ana 
in most cases jars with the decorations. 
This is especially true of a polished die, 
where the rich and unbroken effect of the 
polished surface is an important part ot 
the decorative effect. A heavy hammered 
panel with big raised letters in a polished 
die obliterates too much of the die. Deli- 
cate incised letters, appropriately balanced 
with the decorations, are essential to good 
effects in this type. 
The family name is nearly always placed 
exactly in the center of the die. This is 
also a bad practice. It should be either 
above or below the center, in accordance 
w’ith the arrangement and character of 
whatever decoration appears on the stone. 
Let us retire the billboard lettering and 
the chesty, overgrown base from our 
smaller monuments. 
The two-piece monument illustrated 
here will be recognized as a refinement in 
every respect over the old rock-and- 
margined “jobs” that surged over the 
J Ob ” 
cemeteries in our output of several years 
ago. 
In the Dowling monument the designer 
has utilized the panel on both sides 
for inscription letters. The result is very- 
effective because the skilful distribution of 
lettering and ormanents has turned an un- 
desirable expedient into a very decorative 
effect. Exclusive of the family name and 
ornaments, some one hundred and seventy- 
five letters were to be inscribed on the com- 
paratively small surface of the raised panel. 
The pleasing solution was reached by con- 
fining the size of the family-name letter 
to a height of but two and one-half inches ; 
giving emphasis and importance to this 
feature by the introduction of two very 
simple but highly' effective cross ornaments. 
These rich and beautiful ornaments are 
formed by simple incised lines. The cross- 
arms terminate in a sort of trefoil which 
gives to the cross a resemblance to the 
heraldic cross Botonee ; and these arms are 
joined by a simple circle. As decorative 
details they are a decidedly refreshing de- 
parture from the crude, meaningless carv- 
ing which so often defaces many other- 
wise beautiful tablets. After thus skilfully 
treating the family name (which many 
would have shifted to the wash of the base 
and thus ruined the effect), the designer 
has allowed ample space for the two in- 
scriptions of the parents, the children be- 
ing appropriately placed on the reverse side. 
Because of the very fine texture of the 
granite used, the designer was enabled to 
use a very, very fine letter for the senti- 
ment. The remarkable legibility of this let- 
tering is a tribute both to the material and 
the exquisite work of the letterer. It is in- 
teresting to note that this verse or senti- 
ment is the same as that inscribed on the 
memorial to Mark Twain's wife. 
The admirable effectiveness of the fine 
pointed surface as a feature in itself and 
as a means of emphasizing the hammered 
panel, is here clearly shown. One again 
feels compelled to pay tribute both to the 
material that thus so well responds to that 
treatment and to the skill of the workers 
who produced it. The Dowling is a decid- 
edly successful piece of designing and the 
artist has had the support of workmen who 
thoroughly understood and appreciated the 
idea back of the composition. The fre- 
quency with which such beautiful, chaste 
and inexpensive types are appearing in the 
modern cemetery is the best indication 
that a complete revolution has definitely 
begun in the design of moderate priced 
memorials. The Dowling was designed by 
W. F. Cook Granite Company of Spring- 
field and executed for them by the Vic- 
toria White Granite Co. of Keene, New 
Hampshire. The material is Victoria White 
and the dimensions are : Die, 3-6 x 1-0 x 
2-6; base, 4-4 x 1-10 x 1-10. 
WORK CP W. F. COOK GRANITE CO., SPRINGFIELD, JIASS. 
