Immigration of Images: Headstone Iconography in Ireland and Milwaukee (1840 to 1970)

Abstract

ABSTRACTIMMIGRATION OF IMAGES: HEADSTONE ICONOGRAPHY IN IRELAND AND MILWAUKEE (1840 TO 1970) by Bailey Parker The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2025Under the Supervision of Professor Dr. Haas Symbols have always been important to humans and are a focus of identity in many cultures. They are also very important when it comes to death, including on headstones, which are often elaborately decorated and can be viewed as a durable record of a person’s life. Burial monuments may include inscriptions recording the deceased’s name and age as well as sculptured designs, artwork, and iconography that can denote religious beliefs, social class, occupation, and other aspects of identity. By analyzing these symbols and their cultural, economic and religious importance, we can better understand the people that came before us. This study makes use of headstone iconography recorded in a pilot study carried out in 2019 in the Republic of Ireland of 170 headstones from the 18th to 20th centuries and compares their religious symbolism to headstones in cemeteries in Milwaukee dating from the 19th to 20th centuries. The main research questions addressed by this project are:1) What is the iconography present on Milwaukee Irish headstones during the period from 1840 to 1970? 2) How does the iconography change between 1840 and 1970? 3) How does the Milwaukee Irish iconography compare to the iconography present on Irish headstones from 1840 to 1970? 4) How does the Milwaukee Irish iconography indicate what can be stated about changes in the cultural identity of Irish diaspora populations? The goal of this research was to determine whether the Irish immigrants held on to traditions from Ireland and whether their cultural identity continued to reflect aspects of Irish Catholic culture. The approach used here can be applied to other cultural groups who have immigrated to the United States and could be compared across time periods and regions. Studies such as this help expand our knowledge of the culture of diaspora communities in America. Keywords: Irish immigration, Milwaukee, iconographic mortuary analysis, historic cemeteries, comparative religion, visual analysis