From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery

The rural cemetery was a European creation first introduced in the nineteenth century. Relocated outside the commercial city sector the cemetery was promoted as a diversion to the confusion and complexity of urban life. Applying picturesque ideas to traditional burial grounds rural cemeteries became...

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Main Author: Thompson, Sara Kathleen
Other Authors: Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Theses (Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.))
Format: Others
Language:en
en
Published: 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1974/928
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spelling ndltd-LACETR-oai-collectionscanada.gc.ca-OKQ.1974-9282013-12-20T03:38:35ZFrom sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant CemeteryThompson, Sara KathleenCemeteryCommercialismCommodifying deathscapesThe rural cemetery was a European creation first introduced in the nineteenth century. Relocated outside the commercial city sector the cemetery was promoted as a diversion to the confusion and complexity of urban life. Applying picturesque ideas to traditional burial grounds rural cemeteries became symbolic landscapes for the city and country. The aesthetic nature of its design became an inspiration and eventual model for North American cemeteries. As a cultural institution, the cemetery is constantly in flux. Centuries of interaction between society and the cemetery have resulted in substantial changes that have shaped the present landscape. Although traditionally in public-trust, cemeteries have become largely privatized, operated, managed and developed as businesses for-profit. The commercially-driven practices of these institutions have had significant impacts on the present cemetery landscape. Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a good example of a cemetery experiencing this extensive commercial restructuring. A review of pertinent literature outlined recent transformations within the cemetery landscape citing concerns over the emerging private-enterprise cemetery and its impacts on the burial landscape. My fieldwork examined site-transformations specific to Mount Pleasant through an in-depth analysis of the present cemetery landscape. Concepts of commercialization, commodification and heritage tourism framed my analysis of the architecture, landscaped environment and new developments in light of the rising ‘cemetery business’. My findings revealed that by expanding into a multi-purpose cemetery Mount Pleasant is learning to do business in the twenty-first century. Increasingly run as a private enterprise Mount Pleasant Cemetery remains a historical landmark in crisis, unsure how to remain competitive in the commercial industry of the present, while preserving the integrity and traditions of the past.Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2007-12-04 14:36:36.972Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Theses (Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.))2007-11-30 15:29:57.0562007-12-04 14:36:36.9722007-12-05T13:58:11Z2007-12-05T13:58:11Z2007-12-05T13:58:11ZThesis10628297 bytesapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/1974/928enenCanadian thesesThis publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
collection NDLTD
language en
en
format Others
sources NDLTD
topic Cemetery
Commercialism
Commodifying deathscapes
spellingShingle Cemetery
Commercialism
Commodifying deathscapes
Thompson, Sara Kathleen
From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
description The rural cemetery was a European creation first introduced in the nineteenth century. Relocated outside the commercial city sector the cemetery was promoted as a diversion to the confusion and complexity of urban life. Applying picturesque ideas to traditional burial grounds rural cemeteries became symbolic landscapes for the city and country. The aesthetic nature of its design became an inspiration and eventual model for North American cemeteries. As a cultural institution, the cemetery is constantly in flux. Centuries of interaction between society and the cemetery have resulted in substantial changes that have shaped the present landscape. Although traditionally in public-trust, cemeteries have become largely privatized, operated, managed and developed as businesses for-profit. The commercially-driven practices of these institutions have had significant impacts on the present cemetery landscape. Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery is a good example of a cemetery experiencing this extensive commercial restructuring. A review of pertinent literature outlined recent transformations within the cemetery landscape citing concerns over the emerging private-enterprise cemetery and its impacts on the burial landscape. My fieldwork examined site-transformations specific to Mount Pleasant through an in-depth analysis of the present cemetery landscape. Concepts of commercialization, commodification and heritage tourism framed my analysis of the architecture, landscaped environment and new developments in light of the rising ‘cemetery business’. My findings revealed that by expanding into a multi-purpose cemetery Mount Pleasant is learning to do business in the twenty-first century. Increasingly run as a private enterprise Mount Pleasant Cemetery remains a historical landmark in crisis, unsure how to remain competitive in the commercial industry of the present, while preserving the integrity and traditions of the past. === Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2007-12-04 14:36:36.972
author2 Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Theses (Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.))
author_facet Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.). Theses (Queen's University (Kingston, Ont.))
Thompson, Sara Kathleen
author Thompson, Sara Kathleen
author_sort Thompson, Sara Kathleen
title From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
title_short From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
title_full From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
title_fullStr From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
title_full_unstemmed From sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of Mount Pleasant Cemetery
title_sort from sacred space to commercial place : a landscape interpretation of mount pleasant cemetery
publishDate 2007
url http://hdl.handle.net/1974/928
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