Family Mausoleums Afford Opportunities to Channel Inspiration

“Genius,” Thomas Edison famously said, “is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” That quote is often morphed into success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration and the various percentages of inspiration and perspiration have been altered as well. But the message is clear: under the visible tip (inspiration) of the iceberg of invention is an enormous foundation of hard work.  While that is almost always true, what history remembers is the final result and not the effort that it took to achieve it.

To be sure, constructing a mausoleum requires substantial amounts of perspiration, not only by those building it, but by the person funding it. But, again, it is the result that is enduring. To coin another famous quote “God is in the detail.” In other words, if you are going to expend a lot of energy and resources, it’s worth taking time to make some inspired choices.

So where does one look for inspiration when designing a mausoleum? Certainly, there are a number of perfectly appropriate mausoleums that come pre-designed. Most of these designs are based on classical architecture principals and have, since the middle of the 18th century, been a staple of most architects’ palettes. 

Another source of inspiration is buildings of antiquity. Probably the template most often used for mausoleums is the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Various scaled down interpretations of the Parthenon pepper the grounds of a number of cemeteries. A less used building of antiquity is the Pantheon in Rome. However, the Pantheon is a more funerary architecture than the Parthenon. After all, it does contain a number of tombs and statues of celebrated Italians, while the Parthenon’s tombs are confined to a space built under the floor in the 13th century.

However, both of the buildings, as well as other building from antiquity are excellent sources for mausoleum inspiration. Simply put, they have stood the test of time.

Illustrations: Bindley Mausoleum, Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and The Pantheon, Rome Italy.

Text and copy © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page

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