Nunhead Cemetery of All Saints Established in 1836 by United Cemeteries Ltd, which also owned Highgate Cemetery. It is one of the “Magnificent Seven� cemeteries of London. In 1844 were built the Non-conformist Chapel, The smaller Chapel has due to WWII, while the by vandals in 1974.
Anglican Chapel and the smaller to the design of Thomas Little. been damaged and then demolished Anglican Chapel has been burned out
In 1968 the company decided to permit no futher common interments, and the following year it closed the cemetery entirely, except for visitors at weekends. It contains over 45.000 graves, including 696 war graves; more than 250.000 people are buried here. Since its closure many of its structures and graves have been damaged by vandals and became mainly a woodland. In 1975 it has been acquired by the Southwark Council and it has been partially restored in the recent years.
Nunhead Cemetery, Surrey. A view published on May 28, 1863 by Rock and Co.
Making Nunhead seem a better place The aim of the project is to change the perception of this cemetery, appealing to its mysterious and creepy atmosphere. The idea is to reproduce an old-style map of this place and, playing with the different levels of information, add new useful and more entertaining informations for the visitors. The first step is to look at the different maps used to depict Nunhead throughout the years, and then develop a different style to gather information and create an “activity� for the visitors.
1914
1948
1981
1986
Finding the right design Looking at this map I found the exact design that I want to recreate. Using the screenprint process I can preduce an old-style looking map; the choice of the appropriate paper is fundamental to achieve the proper effect.
Early Camberwell Cemetery map.
Screen-printed map.
What are the points of interest? Nunhead is a place rich in history, its heritage survives till nowadays, but often it is not appreciated as it should be. The modern visitors are mainly joggers, families with children or elderly people with dogs, willing to spend an hour or two wandering on the main paths, not caring about the wild nature and the vibrant history around them. I • • • •
defined 4 main categories of interesting places/facts: symbolism and Victorian graves; mysteries and legends; natural beauty; spots to visit.
To highlight those information on the map I have created the following icons:
Symbolism and Victorian graves Walking through the cemetery and looking at the tombstones the visitor can notice the many different symbols used since the Victorian Age and look for double meanings or secret codes. The most common symbols are: • DOWNTURNED TORCHES, Greek symbol, which means “life extinguished”; • OUROBOROS, or snake swallowing its own tail, from the ancient Egypt, stands for eternal life; • IHS, or dollar sign, literaly “Iesus Hominum Salvator”, “Jesus the Saviour of Man”; • SHAKING HANDS, their main meaning is farewell; • CELTIC CROSS, symbolises Christ’s passion and sacrifice; • URNS, an ancient Roman symbol; • FLOWERS, stand for everlasting memories; • MOURNING WOMEN, popular since the Ancient Rome; • ANGELS, biblical figure of hope; • BROKEN COLUMNS, mean mortality. There are a few examples of Victoria mausoleums, that is possible to see near the Upper Cross Path, such as the John Allan’s one, based on the classic design of the mausoleum of Payava of Xantos.
Mysteries and legends
Natural beauty The woodland that now surrounds the main paths is a wild habitat for many different species of flora and fauna. Many different kinds small mammals, birds, butterflies and other insects can be easily found amongst the trees and meadows. The vegetation plays an important role in this ecosystem, as the ornamental trees that once formed lined promenades are now overgrown and are now like an intricate jungle. In the warm spring many flowers blossom making a vivid contrast between the beauty of nature and the neglcted graves.
Spots to visit In this burial ground, unlikely most of the other great Victorian cemeteries, the visitor will not find many examples of mighty mausoleums, the vast majority of graves are simple gravestones; despite that this place offers many interesting things to see and admire. There is a magnificent structure, the Anglican Chapel, now restored, just at the end of the tree-lined avenue starting at the main gates. It is even possible to visit and discover the catacombs built underneath the chapel, opened to the public only a few days each month. From the top of the hill it is possible to admire an extensive view over St.Paul’s Cathedral and Alexandra Palace in the far distance. Near the main entrance there is a granit obelisk, the monument to the Scotch political martyrs, 33 feet high, designed by Joseph Hume in the 1850s.
The view over St.Paul’s Cathedral
Inspiration
Map, Tom Gauld.
Tourism Ireland.
Map of Lucerne.
The poster The new informations are printed on a new “layer�, highlighted by the use of a different, bright, colour. The visitor is immediately aware of the two different levels of communication and use properly those informations. Just under the map there is the key to the symbols used, providing a brief explanation of their meaning and what can be found in that area; the visitor is encouraged to explore the wild nature and discover many interesting facts and spots of the cemetery.
Involving the visitors
• Poster with the map at the main gates, showing the whole area and key to symbols with a brief text to explain that; • a smaller, foldable map that can be taken and kept while wandering around the park; • tags, placed over the objects in the cemetery, so that the visitor can be sure that he has reached the right place; overleaf the visitor can find detailed informations about that place.