Ms. Jennifer A Melcher

Pensacola’s historic cemeteries present a unique assemblage of vernacular markers created during the 1910s through the 1920s.Unlike many vernacular markers which often appear to be single instances done by family or friends, these markers were made by a community artisan as they include duplicate examples of the same style of marker over a series of years. These markers represent a distinctive choice by the deceased’s family, as there are commercially available markers in these cemeteries from the same period. This poster presents a detailed look at these markers and their stylistic variations and attempts to trace the commonality in their creation by investigating the identity of the deceased and their community.