1974 Press Photo Marble Tombs and Brick Vaults at St. Louis Number 1 Cemetery

St. Louis Number 1 - Neglect and decay. Crumbling brick vaults and gleaming marble tombs resembling Greek temples, myriads of stone angels and delicate, finely-wrought iron crosses, row after row of wall vaults known as "ovens" and elaborate iron gates and enclosures rusting and broken and leaning in all directions - all part of New Orleans' unique and significant "Cities of the Dead." Termed by one writer a "unique art form," the city's above-ground cemeteries have fascinated and inspired visitors since the early 19th Century. Today, they are considered some of the city's most valuable and important possessions as well as strange, intriguing and always-fascinating guides to the city's rich history and its particular style of living.

Photo is dated 1974.

Photo measures 10 x 8.25 inches.