{"id":90785,"date":"2023-04-19T10:13:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T14:13:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=90785"},"modified":"2023-06-15T14:08:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-15T18:08:18","slug":"genealogy-tip-white-bronze-markers-at-cemeteries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/genealogy-tip-white-bronze-markers-at-cemeteries.html","title":{"rendered":"Genealogy Tip: White Bronze Markers at Cemeteries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about an unusual grave marker you may find in your cemetery research: white bronze. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Genealogists love cemeteries. Whether it\u2019s an ancestor\u2019s burial or a unique marker, we love to explore and analyze the gravestones we find. While the majority of markers we encounter are made of some sort of stone, usually granite or marble, grave markers can be made of other materials including metal. One of the more unusual late 19th<\/sup> and early 20th<\/sup> century ones are white bronze markers.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: white bronze grave marker in Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

White Bronze Markers<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, what is white bronze? The term \u201cwhite bronze\u201d is really a misnomer. White bronze is not really bronze, nor is it white. It is made of an alloy of copper, zinc, and tin (in grave markers it\u2019s mostly zinc). Aside from monuments, it has also been used for jewelry. (1)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Green-Mountain Freeman (Montpelier, Vermont), 2 May 1877, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s perfect for outdoor applications because it does not tarnish, it is resistant to corrosion, and it\u2019s largely nonporous. It wears better and is less expensive than marble markers.<\/p>\n

In a collection of historical newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, you can find testimonials to the durability of these markers.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Argus and Patriot (Montpelier, Vermont), 23 April 1879, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is another testimonial.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Kalamazoo Gazette (Kalamazoo, Michigan), 18 July 1884, page 5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, even though it has many benefits when used in cemeteries, white bronze is not indestructible. (2) It can be dented, panels can be removed, and they can buckle.<\/p>\n

Why the Name?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So why the name \u201cwhite bronze?\u201d It appears to be partially a marketing decision. An 1885 article in Scientific American<\/em> explained that the name \u201cwhite bronze\u201d was adopted to distinguish it from the \u201cdark or antique bronze, also from the cheap statues made of sheet metal.\u201d (3) The article also reported:<\/p>\n

The work is produced exclusively by the Monumental Bronze Company, Bridgeport, Conn., The Detroit Bronze Company, Detroit, Mich., The Western White Bronze Company, Des Moines, Ia., The American White Bronze Co., Chicago, Ill., and the St. Thomas White Bronze Monument Company, St. Thomas, Ont. (4)<\/p>\n

When you see a white bronze marker in a cemetery, it may initially appear to be made of stone. Some people have described the color as having a blueish tint. One giveaway that the marker is not made of stone is the seam along the side of the marker (in some cases) and the metal feel and noise when you gently knock on it (they can be damaged so you need to be gentle). If you look at the back of the marker, you should see the name of the manufacturer and location listed toward the bottom.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: white bronze grave marker in Evergreen Cemetery, Tucson, Arizona, showing the manufacturer\u2019s name on the back (American Bronze Co., Chicago, Ill.). Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Author Chris Haugh, in the \u201cStories in Stone\u201d blog, writes about the genesis of white bronze markers:<\/p>\n

\u201cThese standout funerary memorials were the brainchild of a man named Milo Amos Richardson (1820-1900) and business partner and brother-in-law, C. J. Willard. Mr. Richardson worked as a cemetery superintendent in Chautauqua County, New York, and had observed the need for a new and better material for cemetery monuments. He set out to develop a solution of creating a material for memorials that would repel moss, algae and lichen, invasive and unwelcome guests that take up residence on traditional gravestones, especially monuments in shady locations within cemeteries characterized by abundant tree cover or dampness.\u201d (6)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An 1878 White Bronze Monuments catalog explained:<\/p>\n

Though necessity is the mother of this invention, it is no less true that Milo A. Richardson is its lawful father, who for many years, having had charge of a cemetery where he carefully noted the disintegrating properties of stone \u2013 especially of marble, and that many granite monuments, though free from blemish when purchased, were soon badly stained by iron rust, a defect that cannot be detected until it is exposed to the weather; also, that moss and lichen were gradually but surely enveloping it, and obscuring the record \u2013 finally came to the conclusion that it was an imperative necessity that a more enduring, and if possible, a changeless material should be adopted, to perpetuate the memory of departed friends. (7)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The End of an Era<\/strong><\/p>\n

Markers that are resistant to damage seem like an obvious improvement over other markers. White bronze was not only used for grave markers, it was also used for other types of statuary \u2013 such as this example of a soldier\u2019s monument.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: from \u201cWhite Bronze Monuments and Statuary: Medallions, Portrait Busts, &c. for Cemeteries, Public and Private Grounds\u201d by Paxson, Comfort and Company, Philadelphia, 1878. Credit: Columbia University Libraries; Internet Archive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Producing a marker that is more durable makes sense but not everyone embraced the idea of white bronze. Interestingly, Scientific American<\/em> commented on this in the conclusion of their 1885 article on the industry by writing:<\/p>\n

We are living in the age of telegraphs, telephones, electricity for lights and motive power, and many other useful improvements regularly chronicled in these pages, all of which have a value in their peculiar uses, and so with the subject of our sketch on [the] front page. (8)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The era of the white bronze marker ended with World War I because of the need for zinc for the war effort. White bronze markers were produced from 1874 to 1914 (panels added to existing markers may be found after 1914). Their presence in cemeteries is a reminder of the effort made to ensure that those who had departed would have a lasting monument to their lives.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> white bronze graver marker, Arapahoe Cemetery, Nebraska. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.<\/p>\n

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