Podcast appearances and mentions of Laurel Hill Cemetery

Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia became a part of the rural cemetery movement shortly after it started, becoming the third garden cemetery in America to be founded. This was not long after Mount Hope Cemetery in Maine was dedicated and revealed that the movement was spreading along the East Coast. The cemetery was much needed as the growing city had already filled up most of its churchyards. Laurel Hill would become an example for future cemeteries and today is still beloved by the residents of Philly who flock to it to enjoy the beautiful headstones, monuments and mausoleums. Laurel Hill has an important place in the history of cemeteries in America.  Intro and Outro music "Stones and Bones" was written and produced by History Goes Bump and any use is strictly prohibited. Check us out at: https://historygoesbump.com Other music used in this episode: "Night in Venice" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Biographical Bytes from Bala #042, section 2 Frederick Brown was a very successful druggist and a founder of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. When his friend John Jay Smith invited him to be a founder at Laurel Hill Cemetery, he accepted the offer. 

Charles Brockden Brown was American's first successful novelist. his influence on Edgar Allen Poe was immeasurable. He has a cenotaph in the South section of Laurel Hill East. Charles' nephew Frederick Brown was a successful druggist because of his ginger root-based nostrums. He was also one of four co-founders of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Frederick's son Henry Armitt Brown was considered the best orator of his generation and often compared to Henry Clay and Daniel Webster.  Henry's daughter Anna Robeson Brown Burr was a highly successful author with more than two dozen books to her name, both fiction and nonfiction. Anna's daughter Dorothy Burr Thompson got her PhD from Bryn Mawr and was one of the best-known archeologists in the country. Pamela Burr, younger by 5 years, wrote a play which featured her Bryn Mawr classmate Katharine Hepburn. Frederick and Henry are buried at Laurel Hill East, while Anna, Dorothy, and Pamela are at Laurel Hill West.   

Kathryn Ott Lovell, President & CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, discussed the import economic role tourism and the Visitor Center play for the region.  With so many major conventions and sporting events, and with its close proximity to Washington, D.C. and New York, Philadelphia is a major national and international tourist destination.  She discussed how her staff work with travelers at four stations across the city to make their visit memorable whether they are looking for dining, museums, history, sports, outdoor recreation or family entertainments.  They work with regional sites and institutions to make their stations the easiest way to learn about leisure time in Philadelphia.  Kathryn is thrilled to announce that they will be celebrating Rocky this December with the first ever Rocky Fest and Rocky Day December 3.  Working with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Philadelphia Film Society, Mural Arts Philadelphia, Monument Lab, the Kennel Club of Philadelphia, Laurel Hill Cemetery, the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Zoo Phlash bus tours will take guests to famous Rocky film locations beginning November 30 – December 8.  Other events include Real Life Rockys Mural Unveiling on December 4, Southpaws Yappy Hour at the Docks December 5,  a Rocky Date Night at Penn Ice Rink December 6, Rocky Movie Marathons December 6 – 8 and another Rocky Date Night at The Zoo December 7.  The new Rocky gift shop can be found at the base of the ‘Rocky Steps' at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We finished with a discussion of their plans for 2026 – which also happens to be the 50th anniversary of Rocky's release – and what the city can expect with World Cup Soccer, the MLB All Star Game and more during the holiday week. For more information about Rocky celebrations go to PHLVisitorCenter.com/RockyFest.

Charles Thomson was the Founding Father who served as secretary of the Continental Congress during its 15 years.  Along with John Hancock, his signature graced the first draft of the Declaration of Independence.  Thomson also designed the Great Seal of the United States.  After his initial burial at the family homestead Harriton in Bryn Mawr, his remains were transferred to Laurel Hill.    Thomas McKean served multiple roles in colonial days – president of Delaware, Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, President of the United States Congress, and Governor of Pennsylvania, among others.  Although his efforts in 1776 were what made the Declaration unanimous, he was the last man to sign that historic document.   Thomas Leiper was a successful tobacco importer who built the first railroad in Pennsylvania on his property at Nether Township.  As a founding member of the First City Troop, he fought with the Patriots at the Battles of Princeton, Trenton, Germantown, and Brandywine.  His personal wealth helped to subsidize the siege of Yorktown.  He and Thomas Jefferson exchanged hundreds of letters.  All three of these men died before Laurel Hill opened in 1836, but they were all friends of Thomas Jefferson who eventually ended up at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  I did the research on Thomson & McKean, while the script for Thomas Leiper was written by fellow tour guide Peter Howell.  

We are back with another spooky season episode, this time, we go to nearby (to us) Weston, Missouri where we learn about the charming little town's history, we discuss a few haunted locations as well as a few of the more famous 'residents' of the town's Laurel Hill Cemetery.  We discuss the town's beginnings and it;s modern spookiness, the most delightful place to have a cup of hot cocoa or hot apple cider while discussing things that go bump in the night with friends.  We visit a rustic home and the spirits the family has encountered, a local business that is still frequented by a few long dead spirits and a local hotel that houses a few spooky spirits as well as some guests in this second spooky season 2024 episode of the Family Plot Podcast.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/family-plot--4670465/support.

ABC #064- Part 1  The Olympics are here.  If you missed it the first time, here's an opportunity to learn about some Olympiads interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  Lawson “Robbie” Robertson won medals in the Intercalated Games of 1906 in Athens and went on to become head coach of the University of Pennsylvania track and field team.  He took them back to the Olympics several more times. You will learn about these four athletes along with the jumbled letters of the AC4A, the AAU, the NCAA, and the IAAF on this month's edition of “All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories – Four More Olympians from 1904 to 1912.”

ABC #064 - Part 4 The Olympics are here.  If you missed it the first time, here's an opportunity to learn about some Olympiads interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  Donald Fithian Lippincott surprised everyone, including himself, when he took both a bronze and a silver in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. And don't forget All Bones Considered #029: The Zany Games about Laurel Hill residents at 1900's Olympiad II in Paris.  https://jrlexjr.podbean.com/e/olympiad-ii-paris-1900/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

ABC #064 - Part 3  The Olympics are here.  If you missed it the first time, here's an opportunity to learn about some Olympiads interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  James Edwin “Ted” Meredith was the fastest schoolboy in the country and broke every distance running record from 100 meters to 1 mile; his Gold in the 1912 Olympics was for the 4 x 400-meter relay. And don't forget All Bones Considered #029: The Zany Games about Laurel Hill residents in 1900's Olympiad II in Paris.  https://jrlexjr.podbean.com/e/olympiad-ii-paris-1900/ or wherever you listen to podcasts.   

ABC #064 - Part 2  The Olympics are here.  If you missed it the first time, here's an opportunity to learn about some Olympiads interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  Jervis Watson Burdick was a UPenn student member of the Sphinx Club and the Canteen Club who competed in the1912 Olympics but did not medal. You will learn about these four athletes along with the jumbled letters of the AC4A, the AAU, the NCAA, and the IAAF on this month's edition of “All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories – Four More Olympians from 1904 to 1912.”

Uncover the rich history of the second oldest rural cemetery in America on "The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery" podcast! Join Jennie and Dianne alongside Laurel Hill Cemetery's President & CEO Nancy Goldenberg, Arboretum Manager Aaron Greenberg, and Volunteer & Tour Guide Sarah Hamill as they share Ordinary Extraordinary stories of those buried in the two burial grounds that make up Laurel Hill (including two fictional characters made famous in the Rocky movies), their passion for the hundreds of trees, plants, and wildlife that turn the park-like setting into an oasis in an urban jungle, and how vital this cemetery is to the city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania. "Explore two wonderfully unique sites with an abundance of history, art, and natural beauty." To learn more about Laurel Hill Cemetery, visit their website: https://laurelhillphl.com/

It's that time of year again... It's time for another month of spooky episodes!  Take a break from our usual programming with some haunted history, ghost stories and local lore. This week we're talking about the oldest zoo in America and Grace's favorite PA cemetery... everybody has a favorite cemetery...right?  Let's dive into some Philly "haunts" to start off October. Photos and sources at kccpod.com.

This time Jay and Ken discuss ghost stories recorded at Market of The Macabre in Laurel Hill Cemetery. 

We're still on hiatus, so we pre-recorded this bonus episdoe with an old friend of ours, writer Carolyn West (@Firebunny3000), a viewing of the 1954 monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon, the last of the great Universal monsters, which was shown at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia back in early June of 2023. We'll be back recording soon, but in the meantime, enjoy.

ABC #048 - Part 2 Sara Yorke Stevenson was a self-trained Egyptologist, a founder of the Penn Museum, a leader in women's rights, and a popular newspaper columnist who gained respect from colleagues around the world – her story is told by fellow Laurel Hill Cemetery docent Pat Rose.

March is Women's History Month.  Dr. Nellie Neilson was one of the best – and best known – Medieval history scholars in the world, but she struggled to climb every rung to the top during her long career.  Sara Yorke Stevenson was a self-trained Egyptologist, a founder of the Penn Museum, a leader in women's rights, and a popular newspaper columnist who gained respect from colleagues around the world – her story is told by fellow Laurel Hill Cemetery docent Pat Rose. Elizabeth Head Fetter, older sister to maverick inventor Howard Head, was writing under the pen name of Hannah Lees about topics like masturbation and women's extra-marital affairs in the prudish 1940s, several years before the Kinsey Report was released. These three remarkable women shattered many glass ceilings in their long careers.  I hope you enjoy their stories.  

Jenn & Bill share ideas of fun things to do around the Delaware Valley this weekend, October 7-9, including Kevin Hart at Wells Fargo Center, Roxtoberfest, Barks & Brews, Goatoberfest at Laurel Hill Cemetery and more.

Episode 33 – Originally Published 2017 When it opened in 1839, Laurel Hill Cemetery was one of only two rural cemeteries in the country.  It solved a significant problem in Philadelphia: overcrowded cemeteries in within the city, some so overcrowded it was nearly impossible to find the final resting places of loved ones.  Laurel Hill … Continue reading "Laurel Hill Cemetery" The post Laurel Hill Cemetery appeared first on TwistedPhilly.

This episode we share neighborhood thoughts on the adherence to stop signs. Our featured topic is the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery. We have live in-studio performance from local artists Time Hill and Dori Byrne performing as The Carryons, sharing their unique flavor of Mediterranean folk jazz.

This time Jay and Ken listen and discuss live recorded stories while at Laurel Hill Cemetery during the Market of the Macabre. 

Industrialist Eldridge Reeves Johnson used money from the millions he earned in developing the Victor Talking Machine Company and purchased the original copy of “Alice's Adventures Underground,” lettered and drawn by the author himself.   Bibliophile Morris Longstreth Parrish purchased as many of Carroll's works as he could, all in the best possible condition, so that Parrish's name became synonymous with “mint condition.”   Lithographer and artist Arthur Burdett Frost impressed Carroll enough that he supplied illustrations for one of his books of poetry.   And in a tenuous but fun connection, I will tell you of a center city restauranteur whose specialty was mock turtle soup.   Parrish and Frost are interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Johnson and Soulas at West Laurel Hill. It's going to get crowded in the rabbit hole as we all enter together.

Three Victorian Philadelphia sisters helped make Philadelphia what it is today.  The oldest Mary Channing Wister petitioned for music in the public schools, more public parks for all, and placement of the Broad Street line underground.  Frances Anne Wister was a founder of the Philadelphia Orchestra and became the city's patron saint of preservation; without her there would likely be no Old City or Society Hill. The youngest sister Ella Wister Haines got a late start on her career but became the public face and voice of Philadelphia Electric Company for 20 years, especially during the Great Depression.  All three of these women are buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  I tell their stories today. 

Photography in its infancy made its way to Philadelphia in 1839, literally weeks after Louis Daguerre invented the technique that carries his name.  Lampmaker Robert Cornelius was interested and took what is now recognized as the first “selfie.”  Frederick Gutekunst opened a studio where people flocked to have their picture taken.  Mathew Carey Lea helped photography make giant strides forward through his knowledge of photochemistry and then invented an entirely new branch of chemistry almost through serendipity.  Coleman Sellers II was a nationally renowned mechanical engineer for whom photography was a hobby, yet he managed to produce what is now acknowledged as the first motion picture.  All four of these photography pioneers are buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery or West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

The Ghoulies hang out with some real life ghouls in a super sick cemetery and talk about slashers, zombies and monsters. Blood, guts, and beer.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/area215)

Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick talk with Gregg Tepper (Horticulturist and Author) of West Laurel Hill Cemetery and Laurel Hill Cemetery about the important practice of sustainability.  They discuss the Nature's Sanctuary, changing views on traditional perception, practices of reuse and recycling, managing for deer and invasives in a sustainable environment, and the importance of stewardship.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men. Have a question or a comment?  Call (215) 346-6189. Want links from this podcast?  Visit www.nativeplantshealthyplanet.com Buy a T-shirt, spread the message, and do some good.  Visit https://native-plants-healthy-planet-2.creator-spring.com/ 

Wes “The Icicle” Fisler scored the first run in major league history but lay in an unmarked grave at Laurel Hill for more than 90 years.  Lon Knight threw the first pitch in major league history, yet still has an unmarked grave.  Harry Luff was an awful human being who nonetheless played eight positions for six different teams in four major leagues before finally doing jail time.  And Orator Shafer was confined to right field because of his constant chatter but he still holds the Major League Record for most outfield assists more than 140 years after setting it.  All are interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery or West Laurel Hill Cemetery.  Even if you're not a baseball fan, I think you will like these stories.  

Dr. Samuel George Morton was a pioneer of American anthropology and the father of American invertebrate paleontology, but he was also a compulsive skull collector whose measurements and conclusions were used to justify enslavement and eventually racial cleansing.  George Robbins Gliddon taught Americans more about ancient Egypt than anyone up to his time, but he got caught up in Morton's scientific racism, as well as the thrill of robbing graves for their heads and mummified remains.  James Ernst Worrell Keely was either a supergenius whom science has not caught up with more than 120 years after his death, or one of the great hucksters of the nineteenth century.  Morton and Gliddon are interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery, while Keely is a permanent resident at West Laurel Hill.  All three have astonishing stories. 

Diane meets Chad and Timothy at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Columbia, Pennsylvania to tell her stories of weird encounters at the place where the cemetery meets the woods. Diane heard disembodied laughter, a log rolled down the hill towards her, and a huge rock was thrown in her direction as she sat in the darkness. Next we check out Zion Hill Cemetery and, eventually, make our way to Hans Graf Cemetery - sometimes known locally as “the werewolf cemetery”. If you would like to help us continue to make Strange Familiars, get bonus content, t-shirts, stickers, and more rewards, you can become a patron: http://www.patreon.com/StrangeFamiliarsIf you would prefer a one-time payment to help us out, here is a PayPal.me link - you can change the number 25 in the URL to any amount: https://www.paypal.me/timothyrenner/25Our Strange Familiars / Lost Grave etsy shop has art, books, patches, t-shirts, and more ... including original art done for Strange Familiars: https://www.etsy.com/shop/lostgraveStrange Familiars t-shirts and other designs are available here: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/strange-familiars?ref_id=14000Episode 239 notes and links:90 Days to the Perfect Puppy: https://perfectpuppies.sithappens.us/90-daysRiverbend Comics: https://www.riverbendcomics.comKarmic Garden: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KarmicGarden Timothy's collection of post-MS attack drawings, Monsters Under the (Hospital) Bed is available now in our etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1023391289/monsters-under-the-hospital-bed-artTimothy's book of paranormal illustrations, Apparitions, is available to order now… directly from us: https://www.strangefamiliars.com/home/apparitions-illustrations-of-the-other-book or, if you prefer, on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/877387099/apparitions-art-book-by-timothy-rennerTimothy's book, with co-author Joshua Cutchin, Where the Footprints End, Volume II, ordering information: https://www.strangefamiliars.com/home/where-the-footprints-end-volume-ii-available-nowStrange Familiars Photo of the Week #72: GraveyardYou can purchase this photo in our etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1012292622/graveyard-strange-familiars-photo-of-theTimothy's books: https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Renner/e/B072X44SD5Strange Familiars ‘Awoken Tree' t-shirts are available in our Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/739690857/strange-familiars-podcast-awoken-treeAlison: https://www.etsy.com/shop/odpeacockChad's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB7MSJ2F1SRBPcQsEFLnvg (make sure to subscribe to Chad's channel, Ruck Rabbit Outdoors.)Chad's etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RuckRabbitOutdoorsTo help with the Capuchin Day Center's work with the homeless you can donate here: https://www.capuchindaycentre.ieand here: https://www.cskdetroit.orgContact us via email at: strangefamiliarspodcast@gmail.comhttp://www.facebook.com/strangefamiliarsJoin the Strange Familiars Gathering group on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/strangefamiliars/instagram: @strangefamiliarshttp://www.strangefamiliars.comIntro and background music by Stone Breath. You can find more at http://stonebreath.bandcamp.comThe closing song is Sacred Heart of the Seventh Gate (demo) by Timothy.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/strange-familiars/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Charles Euchariste de Medici Sajous was a prolific author and editor who specialized in "glandular secretions;" he is remembered today as the Father of American Endocrinology ... and the last of the de Medicis.  Chevalier Quixote Jackson mastered the skill of retrieving foreign bodies from the lungs and esophagus; he is the Father of American Endoscopy.  Hilary Koprowski was a Polish-born virologist who beat Salk and Sabin to the development of an effective polio vaccine, but who is little remembered today.  His wife, cytopathologist Irena Koprowska, was a co-developer of the Pap smear.  Sajous is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery; Jackson and the Koprowskis are interred at West Laurel Hill.  

William Wood started as an actor but soon moved to managing Philadelphia theaters.  Many people consider Mary Ann Lee to be America’s first professional ballerina.  Frank Mayo was an actor who became beloved through more than 3000 performances as Davy Crockett.  And Wedgwood Nowell produced or acted in more than 300 plays before moving to Hollywood and acting in more than 300 movies over his long career.  William Wood and Mary Ann Lee are interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery, while Frank Mayo and Wedgwood Nowell are at West Laurel Hill.  I think you will enjoy their stories this month on “All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories.”

It is very easy to get lost in the Wister family.  Anyone familiar with Philadelphia History probably knows about Caspar Wistar, who founded the Wistar Institute, and author Owen Wister, who wrote the first Western novel “The Virginian” and is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  But this was a large family.  There are 40 Wisters and 30 Wistars buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery, along with 3 Wisters at West Laurel Hill.  Today I am going to talk about four Wister brothers and one of their sons buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery.  William Rotch Wister was lawyer and founder of the Germantown Cricket club.  John Wister was founder and manager of a major iron works and a bank.  Langhorne Wister was a colonel with the Bucktail Regiment during the Civil War, shot through the mouth at the Battle of Gettysburg.  And Rodman Wister ran away from home to become a drummer boy.  John Caspar Wister, son of William Rotch, was considered the dean of horticulturists in the United States.  Their stories are fascinating and informative.  

Christine Wetherill Stevenson came from a prominent family and made her mark in Philadelphia, where she founded the Philadelphia Art Alliance, as well as California, where she founded the Hollywood Bowl.  Katharine Elizabeth McBride was a brilliant researcher in neuropsychology, but is mostly remembered today for being president of Bryn Mawr College for 28 years and bringing it into recognition as one of the top institutions in the nation.  Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen came from a family of collectors and at one time had one of the finest private collections in the United States while serving many roles for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  And Ruth Dietz Eni joined the family business as a young woman, staying with it for more than 60 years and enjoying a late-life recognition as the company’s spokesperson, the beloved Momma Dietz of Dietz & Watson.  All four of these pioneer women are buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd and Laurel Hill Cemetery on Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. 

One of the highwater marks of Philadelphia music was in the 1970s when Gamble and Huff started Philadelphia International Music and stole thunder from both Motown and Memphis.  Two of their biggest stars were Billy Paul and Teddy Pendergrass.  Another Philadelphian, Grover Washington Jr., became one of the top-selling jazz artists in history and is credited with laying the groundwork for what became known as “smooth jazz.”  And where did you hear the latest sounds?  On the radio, of course, where Hy Lit was one of the top names on-the-air for five decades.   All four of these pioneers are buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, just a ten-minute drive from Laurel Hill Cemetery on Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia. 

Jenna is joined by former ER doctor and current podcast and radio host Joe Lex to talk some history and a very brief Johnny Depp performance in the documentary The Source: The Story of the Beats. They chat Ginsberg, Burroughs, and Jack Kerouac, the history of hip, and Johnny Depp's undisputed lesbian icon status. Joe is a treasure trove of amazing information, so Jenna mostly listens and absorbs the stories. Organizations/References in this episode: Laurel Hill Cemetery: https://thelaurelhillcemetery.org/ All Bones Considered: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-bones-considered-laurel-hill-stories/id1504990916 Joe's website: joelex.xyz Dr. Joe's Groove: https://phillycam.org/listen Broad street ministry: broadstreetministry.org Subterranean Homesick Blues music video: https://youtu.be/MGxjIBEZvx0 Jenna's candle company: @dumpsterfiresforyou on instagram. Jenna's social media: @lessthanamuffin jennakuerzi.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/deppimpact/support

While the textile business in the United States started in New England, it did not take Philadelphia long to catch up and pass our northern neighbors.  Three people who immigrated to Manayunk helped build what had been a small village into one of the major manufacturing centers of the country.  Joseph Ripka was a draft dodger from Silesia who at his peak employed 2000 men, women, and children in his mills, but went out of business at the start of the Civil War.  Sevill Schofield came from England and took advantage of the Civil War to manufacture 365,000 blankets for the Union Army.  Samuel Winpenny also came from England, but he declared bankruptcy before his 35th birthday.  Several of his sons and grandsons were far more successful, but others were not and still have interesting stories to tell.  I do not have time to talk about Thomas Drake, another mill owner, whose daughter Charlotte Cardeza was a survivor of the RMS Titanic sinking; I will cover them in a future episode.  Even if you know nothing about the textile business, I promise you will be informed and entertained for the next 90 minutes as I present All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #21, Me and My Machine: Three Textile Barons of Laurel Hill.

Rosey Hay & Rudy Caporaso, Co-Artistic Directors of REV Theatre, speaking about thecoompnay's special online reading of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream", streaming live from Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia on September 4, 2020 at 7:30 pm. There is no charge, but registration is required: www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org/events

In this episode, Community Engagement Manager Tenara Calem speaks with Lauren Rile Smith about the upcoming presentation of The Way Out by her contemporary circus organization, Tangle Movement Arts. The Way Out is an outdoor, socially-distanced circus piece at the Laurel Hill Cemetery in the 2020 Fringe Festival. Carloads of audience members will flow along Laurel Hill's gently winding roads to experience the show at a series of separate performance stations located across the historic cemetery, including dancers, live flame working, and aerial artists. Participants will encounter these storytellers along the way, and navigate the cemetery as if through a maze, finding answers in unexpected places. To learn more about The Way Out visit the event page here. To find out more about the Tangle Arts Movement visit their website here. Meet the guest artists who will be performing in The Way Out! Evalina “Wally” Carbonell and Weiwei Ma are dance artists and prominent choreographic voices locally and along the East Coast. Madeline Rile Smith is a sculptor specializing in glass, with a special interest in interactive art that invokes a sense of ritual and transformation. Ama Ma’at Gora is a nationally performing dancer and choreographer whose work pushes controversial dialogue surrounding identity, trauma, and restoration from a black, queer perspective. Eppchez! is a Quaker, Cuban & Jewish artist whose production company Alma’s Engine is a creative ministry for new work in music and theater. Christina Eltvedt is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and choreographer, whose work uses objects and site-specific locations to generate a visual and visceral experience.

Alexander Milne Calder was a Scottish-born sculptor who came to Philadelphia and was given the commission for statuary for the City Hall.  He managed to squeeze in a monument for the Warner Family at Laurel Hill Cemetery that is probably the most photographed grave site on the property.  His son Alexander Stirling Calder is best remembered for Swann Fountain on Logan Circle, but he was also commissioned to do the statue for the grave of famed historian Henry Charles Lea, also at Laurel Hill.  The Calders are interred at West Laurel Hill under a large Celtic cross.

Before the internet, before television, before radio, there were magazines.  Philadelphia was the place you wanted to be if you were in the magazine business.  It had the best presses, the best printers, and the railroads to get them where they needed to go.  Cyrus H.K. Curtis was the king of magazine publishing, but could only do it with the help of two amazing editors – his wife, Louisa Knapp Curtis, and his hire from Boston, George Horace Lorimer.  Lorimer needed the help of another Philadelphian, Adelaide Walbaum Neall, to make the Post a success.  And while everyone thinks of Norman Rockwell as the painter of Saturday Evening Post covers, Katharine Richardson Wireman was painting covers for the Post and the Journal long before Rockwell.  And when Curtis built his headquarters Building on 6th and Walnut, he hired a local architect Edgar Viguers Seeler.  All six of these people are buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery or West Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Part II of my coverage of mortuary railroads examines the range of options to access the first three rural cemeteries, and how this allowed them to become major tourist attractions. I also cover the largest mortuary railroad operation in US history, the repatriation of American soldiers after WWII.www.tombwithaview.weebly.comtombwithaviewpodcast@gmail.comFacebook: Tomb with a View PodcastInstagram: tomb.with.a.view"The Final Disposition of WWII Dead, 1945-1951"

Dave Garroway was one of the most successful announcers in the early days of television, but things fell apart when he walked away from "The Today Show."  Main Line socialite Anne Francine might be better remembered for her time on stage or in cabaret performances, but she spent a memorable season in a TV show starring Barbara Eden.  And anyone who lived in Philadelphia over the past 40 years knew about Edie Huggins and Sheela Allen-Stephens.  Four permanent residents of Laurel Hill Cemetery and West Laurel Hill Cemetery who found a place "On the Tube." 

Bronze makes for some of the most striking and unusual pieces of sculptural art work in cemeteries... but people just cant seem to stop stealing it! Exploring what makes bronze unique as a material, the finest examples of bronze statuary, the story behind the podcast logo, and the scumbags who steal cemetery monuments.www.tombwithaview.weebly.comtombwithaviewpodcast@gmail.comFacebook: Tomb with a View PodcastInstagram: tomb.with.a.view

Most people who walk into Laurel Hill Cemetery for the first time are struck by the greenness of the place.  The 78-acre property stretches between Ridge Avenue and Kelly Drive, and between East Falls and Strawberry Mansion - a large, open, green space with more than 75,000 inhabitants, hundreds of statues, miles of paved roads, wildlife, and 850 trees in the middle of a very modern city.  

Many architects made Philadelphia the showcase city that it is today.  I have chosen 4 to talk about here: John Notman (The Athenaeum, Laurel Hill Cemetery), Napoleon LeBrun (Academy of Music, the Cathedral), Frank Furness (Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, gatehouse at Philadelphia zoo), and Horace Trumbauer (Philadelphia Museum of Art, Free Library of Philadelphia).

Along the eastern edge of San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area sits a jetty, constructed from an assortment of granite and marbel pieces taken from the demolition of the Laurel Hill Cemetery. Upon it, an art installation like no other. This week, the wave-activated acoustic sculpture known as The Wave Organ, one of many pieces created on-site at San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

In episode #4 of Tombstone Shadows we'll visit the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Saco, Maine. History: You'll hear a short history of the Laurel Hill Cemetery, which include several crimes committed there through the decades. Ghost Experiences: There are no ghost experiences to share regarding this cemetery. Tombstone Shadows Investigations in Episode #4:(grave locations follow name) Jeannette Anne Haynes (July 11, 1944 to September 19, 1976) Lawrence W. Walls (July 17,1914 to September 28, 1966)

Nick McAllister, Executive Director of the Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery and West Laurel Hill Cemetery, discussed Laurel Hill, the second rural cemetery and first cemetery to receive National Landmark status. Overlooking the Schuylkill River the cemetery was founded in 1836 as a final resting place to famous - and not so famous Philadelphians, and a arboretum retreat.   He discussed its founding by John Jay Smith, then four miles outside of the city, and its goals of recognizing the accomplishments of its great men and women, and by default, the history of the city.  He discussed Victorian attitudes toward death and the notables found there with their magnificent memorials and then the slow decline of the cemetery's fortunes as attitudes changed and the city, and Fairmount Park, enclosed it.   We talked about the Friends founding in 1978 and their efforts to restore the 85 acres to their former glory.  Nick told us of the many events held there each year.  Tours, concerts, circuses and dramas are offered to raise funds for restoration.  Tickets are now available for the annual Gravediggers Ball coming October 18.  The black tie/costume ball will be held this year at the Mutter Museum.   We talked about the 11th annual REST IN PEACE 5k, October 5th, a timed, costume optional run through the cemetery.  Register now at rip5k.org/ Today visitors are invited to walk, bike or walk dogs through the grounds.  A downloadable app is available to create your own tour or you can get info and a map at the gatehouse.  The cemetery is open every day.   For more information about the cemetery and its residents visit thelaurelhillcemetery.org.   You can also learn about Friend memberships that include members-only events and tour and gift shop discounts.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fr. Frank preaches at the gravesite of babies killed by Kermit Gosnell. National Day of Remembrance, Sept 14, 2019, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia

Today we are looking into one of America's oldest gardened urban cemeteries, Laurel Hill Cemetery, within Philadelphia PA. With hundreds upon hundreds of elegantly carved monuments, statues and tombs, while also overlooking the Schkuykill River; Laurel Hill stands apart from the busy and bustling city live just over a mile away. But pleasant sights and ornate landscaping is not the only draw this location has at it's disposal. As with all the countless residents buried beneath it's grounds, comes the addition of several spirits that seem to have lingered long after death. A headless woman who's death remains a mystery, a Civil War soldier who died and was buried within the same location upon the grounds, a Spiritualist family who maybe able to communicate from across the vail and mass graves, filled with several spirits who may try and speak out if asked. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email: realmofunknown@gmail.com Twitter: @RealmOfUnknown Instagram: @realmofunknown If you enjoyed this content, consider supporting the podcast, to help with future episodes and production. anchor.fm/realmofunknown/support Intro and Outro music is created by Creepy Regrets by AnMo --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/realmofunknown/message

This week, Kristen catches up with Melissa Walter (co-owner of Love City Brewing), Erin Wallace (owner of the Devil’s Den), and Shawn Dulee (co-owner of Naked Brewing Company) who, along with other Pink Boots Society members are hosting the 1st Annual Bold Women & Beer Festival. This women-centered beer festival (the first of its kind in PA) is happening Saturday, May 4th at Love City Brewing, featuring more than 30 breweries, as well as food trucks and live music by four female-fronted bands. Tickets, which include a tasting glass and all you can drink, are $45 per person. Designated driver tickets are also available for $10. All profits from the event will go to a scholarship fund run by the Pink Boots Society, an organization that aims to assist and educate women in the beer industry. Buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bold-women-beer-festival-tickets-58375932987 Then, Debby Derricks, the Director of Development at the Veterans Multi-Service Center stops by the studio to talk about the 4th-Annual VMC Veterans Fashion Show - Rewrite the Runway. It’s Friday, May 3rd at the 23rd St. Armory beginning at 6pm. Veterans will be strutting down the runway wearing fashions from the VMC’s thrift store. Rewrite the Runway raises funds and increases awareness for the VMC’s ongoing mission of providing services, programs, and opportunity and advancement to Veterans of the United States military and their families. In addition to the runway fashion show, there will be a silent auction, catering by Harvest, open bar, and a DJ. Oh, and a few close friends of BEN-FM will be hosting - WMGK’s John DeBella and XTU’s Mark Razz! Buy discounted $75 tickets and find more information here: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/ThePhiladelphiaVeteransMulti-/Rewritetherunway.html Finally, Deborah Cassidy, the Director of Sales, Marketing, & Family Services at West Laurel Hill returns to BEN Around Philly to talk about this year’s 7th Annual Bow Ties, Big Hats & Bourbon Kentucky Derby Fundraiser. Easily the best derby party in the area, the event will feature live viewing of the 145th Kentucky Derby race on 4 TV’s, a betting board, cigar lounge, live music, fashion illustrations by Denise Fike, a fashion contest with prizes, open bar and buffet and horse-drawn carriage rides through the historic grounds of West Laurel Hill (187 acres - 225 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004). General Admission Tickets ($75) and VIP Tickets ($100) available. 4:00 VIP Check-in, 5pm General Admission to 7:30 p.m. Proceeds from the event benefit Gateway HorseWorks, a 501(c)(3) public charity which offers transformative Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Services to children, adults, and families in a healing, farm-based environment. The very next day… Sunday, May 5th, West Laurel Hill will be hosting the Pennsylvania Ballet, offering two exclusive, one-day-only performances of scenes from Giselle and Romeo & Juliet on the historic grounds of West Laurel Hill. There will be a 12:30pm performance of a scene from Giselle and a 5:00pm performance of a scene from Romeo & Juliet. Performances will be followed by meet-and-greet receptions with the Angel and dancers of each performance along with light fare and drinks. Proceeds from the event benefit The Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery. Tickets for Giselle $100, Tickets for Romeo and Juliet $125. Find more information and purchase tickets for both events here: westlaurelhill.com/

This Valentine’s Day we could have just brought you some sappy love stories from science’s past. But instead we offer you three tales of lust, loneliness, betrayal, pettiness, and not one, but two beheadings. Credits Hosts: Alexis Pedrick and Elisabeth Berry Drago Senior Producer: Mariel Carr Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez Reporters: Alexis Pedrick and Elisabeth Berry Drago Audio Engineer: James Morrison Photo illustration by Jay Muhlin Additional audio production by Dan Drago Music Music courtesy of the Audio Network Research Notes Martha Drinnan “Is Laurel Hill Haunted?” Laurel Hill Cemetery Blog, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, April 30, 2018. https://laurelhillcemetery.blog/2018/04/30/is-laurel-hill-haunted/. Sherman, Conger. Guide to Laurel Hill Cemetery, Near Philadelphia, 1847. Philadelphia: C. Sherman, 1847. https://archive.org/details/guidetolaurelhi00shergoog. Strauss, Robert. “Grave Sights.” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 29, 2010. https://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20101029_Grave_sights.html. It's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate Duveen, Denis. “Madame Lavoisier 1758–1836. Chymia 5 (1953): 13–29. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/27757161.pdf?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents. Everts, Sarah. “Acknowledging Madame Lavoisier.” Artful Science (blog), C&EN, June 1, 2011. http://cenblog.org/artful-science/2011/06/01/acknowledging-madame-lavoisier/. Hoffmann, Roald. “Mme. Lavoisier.” Scientific American 90 (2002): 22–24. http://www.roaldhoffmann.com/sites/all/files/mme_lavoisier.pdf. “The Human Side of Science: Edison and Tesla, Watson and Crick, and Other Personal Stories behind Science’s Big Ideas (2016).” Schoolbag.info. https://schoolbag.info/science/human/6.html. “Marie-Anne Paulze Lavoisier.” Wikipedia, accessed February 11, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marie-Anne_Paulze_Lavoisier&oldid=874565953. Touched by the Angels Clucas, Stephen, ed. John Dee: Interdisciplinary Studies in English Renaissance Thought. Dordrecht: Springer, 2006. Dee, John. The Compendious Rehearsal. London: Thomas Hearne, 1726. British Library (website), Collection Items. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/john-dee-is-accused-of-sorcery-after-staging-a-greek-play. Harkness, Deborah. John Dee’s Conversations with Angels: Cabala, Alchemy, and the End of Nature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. In, Mystical Metal of Gold: Essays on Alchemy and Renaissance Culture, edited by Stanton J. Linden, 35–79. New York: AMS, 2007. Sherman, William Howard. John Dee: The Politics of Reading and Writing in the English Renaissance. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1997.

Hey Twisters!  This week I’m on the road so while I’m traveling I wanted to share a special bonus episode with you from my other show, Educating Jeremy. Recently my fiance Jeremy and I watched the classic silent film Nosferatu outside on a big screen at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.  Cinema in the Cemetery … Continue reading "BONUS Episode: Nosteratu at Laurel Hill Cemetery from Educating Jeremy"

This hybrid episode combines Cemetery Tourism in Philadelphia and the music of recording artist Dan Zlotnick. In Part I, I discuss the history and some of the notable burials in Spruce Street Cemetery, the Old Pine Street Church churchyard, Christ Church churchyard and burial ground, the potter’s field in Washington Square, and Laurel Hill Cemetery. In Part II, singer-songwriter Dan Zlotnick shares two original songs, “Day 2 for Dina,” and “The Man Who Died Here Saved Me,” as well as his covers of The Avett Brothers’ “The Greatest Sum” and the folk song “Hang Me, Oh Hang Me.” Check out Dan's music at https://www.danzlotnick.com/.

Deana Marie and Jeremy had a most excellent date night recently; watching the classic horror film Nosferatu outside at Laurel Hill Cemetery, one of the oldest and first pastoral cemeteries in the country.  This film is nearly 100 years old and has influenced so many films and filmmakers.  It's even featured in an episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants.  Turn the lights down low because it's about to get spooky on Educating Jeremy. 

Imaging being on a wooden ship for over a year – a wooden ship with limited resources in sub freezing temperatures. You survive, only to do it a second time, and finding yourself trapped in the ice for even longer – over two years. That is the tale of Dr. Elisha Kent Kane. Show notes and links: * Elisha Kane – Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) * Biography – KANE, ELISHA KENT – Volume VIII (1851-1860) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography (biographi.ca) * Philly explorer Elisha Kent Kane to be honored at Laurel Hill Cemetery (phillyvoice.com) * The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture (youtube.com) * Elisha Kent Kane (1820-1857) (ucalgary.ca) * This link has no title (amazon.com) * The Life of Dr. Elisha Kent Kane: And Other Distinguished American Explorers – Samuel M. Smucker (google.com.uy) * Biography of Elisha Kent Kane – William Elder (google.com)

This episode is called As you wish because it was listener requested.  I had this idea last week for speed podcasting – listeners pick a topic and I’ll do an episode about it hopefully within juts a few days.  Well, then a massive project came up at work so my time at night was taken … Continue reading "Episode 45: As You Wish – Listener Choice Laurel Hill Cemetery"

In 1916, department store magnate and Grand Old Philadelphian John Wanamaker launched plans for a Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in his hometown in 1926. It would be a magnificent world's fair to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Wanamaker hoped that the "Sesqui" would also transform sooty, industrial Philadelphia into a beautiful Beaux-Arts city. However, when the Sesqui opened on May 31, 1926, in the remote, muddy swamps of South Philadelphia, the first visitors were stunned to find an unfinished fair, with a few shabbily built and mostly empty structures. Crowds stayed away in droves: fewer than five million paying customers attended the Sesqui, costing the city millions of dollars. Philadelphia became a national scandal—a city so corrupt that one political boss could kidnap an entire world's fair. In his fascinating history Sesqui!, noted historian Thomas Keels situates this ill-fated celebration—a personal boondoggle by the all-powerful Congressman William S. Vare-against the transformations taking place in America during the 1920s. Keels provides a comprehensive account of the Sesqui as a meeting ground for cultural changes sweeping the country: women's and African-American rights, anti-Semitism, eugenics, Prohibition, and technological advances. Thomas H. Keels is a historian and lecturer who has authored or co-authored seven books and numerous articles on Philadelphia history. A confirmed taphophile, Keels has been a tour guide at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia's premier Victorian necropolis, for two decades.

David, Woody, and Nicole Meldahl talk about the Richmond District's Lone Mountain Cemetery, later Laurel Hill Cemetery, 1854-1941, RIP.

Laurel Hill Cemetery is among the most celebrated – and most densely populated – swaths of Greater Philadelphia. Beneath seventy-eight acres of lawn, trees, and monuments lie some 70,000 bodies – a sprawling and silent subdivision that took shape over nearly two centuries. Today's expanses of stone and sod testify to the success of the original vision while making it hard to decipher.Listen to Curator Aaron Wunsch's audio tour of the gallery exhibition:http://www.librarycompany.org/digitalmedia/Aaron_TourLHC.mp3View the corresponding PowerPoint here:http://www.librarycompany.org/digitalmedia/LHCTourWithAaronWunsch.pdf... or follow along while browsing the online exhibition: http://www.librarycompany.org/laurelhill/index.htm

Guest Curator Aaron Wunsch points out the highlights of our current exhibition “Building a City of the Dead: The Creation and Expansion of Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery” in the following video courtesy of Jon Snyder of the Philadelphia Daily News.Click Here for the online exhibition: Building a City of the Dead: The Creation and Expansion of Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery”For more information about these and other Library Company programs, please contact: Lauren Propst, Publicity, Events, & Program Coordinator lpropst@librarycompany.org