Four monuments in two cemeteries in two different cities. Each bears a version of the Masonic ‘all-seeing eye.’ But what eyes!
Figure 1. Masonic monument with Doric column. Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. Photo: author. Figure 2. Broadbent monument with Ionic column. Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. Photo: author. Figure 3. Kidder monument. Glenwood Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Photo: author. Figure 4. Johnson monument. Glenwood Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Photo: author.
The two Green Mount monuments feature a column on a plinth. One sees broken columns frequently, but not this type. In order to distinguish themselves, the second monument buyer chose a different type of column—the monuments are right near one another. I couldn’t read the surname on the column in figure 1, which is, however, better carved.
Then, in Glenwood Cemetery, I spotted—both by accident—two monuments with all-seeing eyes way up the side of an obelisk. The Kidder monument (figure 3) is the better carved, though somewhat stylized. The Johnson monument, however was worth the drive through D.C. traffic, because it is a TERRIBLE DISEMBODIED MONSTROUS ORGANICALLY-REAL-LOOKING EYE!
Figure 5. Eye from figure 1. Photo: author. Figure 6. Eye from figure 2. Photo: author. Figure 7. Eye from figure 3. Photo: author. Figure 8. Eye from figure 4. Photo: author. AGH!
Happy Halloween!