Monday at the Mausoleum: Holy Cross Cemetery

Located just off California State Route 94, Holy Cross Cemetery & Mausoleum had its first burial in 1919. It is the only Catholic Diocesan Cemetery currently serving San Diego County (sounds like it should have a drive-thru window, huh?). Visible from most incoming flights to San Diego, it is very well-maintained and feels safe. Unlike a neighboring cemetery (that shall remain nameless here), the mausoleums are accessible during the day without having to ask an attendant to unlock the doors. You also won’t find a plethora of buckets filled with water from leaks as a result of deferred maintenance.



The Mausoleum was added in 1939, and where a number of my relatives (from the Italian side!) are interred.



Walking through the grounds of a cemetery is like a combined tour of both art and history. I enjoy seeing the statuary and markers (some more than others) and attempting to fill in the blanks of those buried below. The saddest markers of those of the children, knowing that their parents must have been overcome with grief at such early loss.



I didn’t see too many family tombs, but the styling of this one was outstanding.



The inside of the mausoleum is tastefully done, with beautiful statues, art, and stained glass throughout.









Some of the people I recognized buried here included Willam Gargan:



Known to me because he played Shirley Temple’s father in “Miss Annie Rooney” (1942), pictured at center:



The previously mentioned actress Charlotte Henry, from “Alice in Wonderland” (1933) and “Babes in Toyland” (1934):



Andrew Cunanan, who went on a killing spree across the country in 1997 (ending in Miami Beach with the death of Gianni Versace), is also interred here. He was born in National City, not that far from Holy Cross Cemetery.



Still to find are silent screen actress Anita Page and actor Johnny Downs. Looks like a return visit is on the to-do list.

See more photos at my main website.

The Jefferson Hotel

This historic Beaux Arts hotel was the vision of Lewis Ginter, a cultured Richmond local who made good through imports and tobacco. He commissioned Carrere and Hastings, a renowned architectural firm from New York who also designed the Fifth Avenue Public Library and Henry Frick Museum. How about this lobby?!?



Oh that ceiling!



Legend has it that this staircase was the design inspiration for the one in the 1939 film "Gone with the Wind" in Scarlett O'Hara's Atlanta home. You might remember it from the scene where Rhett Butler sweeps her up in her red velvet robe for a night of drunken passion.



Plenty of cozy little nooks for relaxation and conversation:



Historic touches abound:



Opening in 1895, The Jefferson was elected in 1969 to the National Register of Historical Places. Of course you can't have a hotel named after a U.S. President without a statue of him:



Thirteen Presidents (so far) have stayed here, including Harrison, McKinley, Wilson, Coolidge, Taft, both Roosevelts, Truman, Reagan, both Bushes, Clinton, and Obama. Other notable guests include Charlie Chaplin, F. Scott Fitzgerland, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley. The hotel's restaurant is named Lemaire:





The food here was delish, especially the dessert!



What Daveland hotel post would be complete without a restroom shot? The ones here were especially photo-worthy!



I hope you enjoyed your tour of The Jefferson!



More Jefferson Hotel photos at my main website.

Carry Me Back to Virginia: Richmond, Pt. 1

I'm back! Yes, it's been awhile, but I have been traveling so that I can actually have something fresh to write about. As a tot, I was quite the history buff; my first trip to Virginia back in 1971 was heaven for me. 46 years later, I still find Virginia to be a beautiful place. My trip begins in Richmond, and today's brief post showcases a little gem of a building, known as the Confederate Memorial Chapel.



I am hoping that readers can enjoy the beauty of this quaint little structure and move past the name of it. It was erected in 1887 as a tribute to the more than 260,000 lives that were lost (Confederate alone) in the bloody civil war. Veterans at the nearby Robert E. Lee Camp Confederate Soldiers' Home worshipped here, as they were also the group that funded the construction of the chapel.

The inside of the chapel is well-maintained and definitely a peaceful place to worship.



Marlon J. Gimmick, Sr. designed the Gothic Revival chapel and Joseph F. Winfield was the builder. It was used regularly as a place of worship for veterans until the last resident veteran died in 1941.



Of course there was an abundance of stained glass:









And other interesting details for those that take the time to notice:





Next up: The Virginia Museum of Fine Art, which is located adjacent to this chapel.

More Richmond, Virginia photos at my main website.

Art at The Met, Pt. 1

For art lovers, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (aka "The Met") in New York City is a must-see. Besides an outstanding collection of art and culture, it is also a feast of architecture, both inside and outside.







How about the Charles Engelhard Court, located in The American Wing? Jaw-dropping.



Diana by Augustus Saint-Gardens:



Shall we get to the collections themselves? Yes! Plenty of Egyptian pieces (26,000 enough for you?) dating from 300,000 B.C.–A.D. 4th century.



This interior "outdoor" court is incredible. But at The Met, incredible is no surprise.



Wander inside and discover more untold treasures:



but beware the croc that guards the exterior!



If you're into stained glass, here’s Autumn Landscape, attributed to Agnes Northrop for Tiffany Studios?



Even the staircases are works of art:



You can view entire rooms from historic homes, such as this Frank Lloyd Wright room from Wayzata, Minnesota:





If Victorian is more your taste, you might prefer these rooms:





Come back for part 2!

More shots of The Met and its collections at my main website.