Art: Where the Rub Comes In

A great body of important Early American stone sculpture is in danger of annihilation. Weather, children, riflemen and clumsy power mowers are rapidly wreaking havoc on the ancient tombstones that stand row on row in cemeteries all over New England and the South. But with the help of a Ford Foundation grant, two young artists, Ann Parker and Avon Neal, have been haunting graveyards since 1961, preserving the crumbling heritage in a less vulnerable form. Last week a show of 120 of their meticulous gravestone rubbings (see opposite page) opened at the Brooklyn Museum.

A rubbing is made on the principle that...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!