Oakland Cemetery is the oldest cemetery and one of the largest green spaces in Atlanta. Founded in 1850, it was located well out of town. Today, the city has enveloped it – it now stands at Atlanta’s heart. 70,000 people are now buried here, yet the vast burial ground still retains its character as a classic Victorian-style “garden cemetery.” As every fan of the film “Gone with the Wind” knows, the city Atlanta was burned to the ground following its Union occupation in 1864. But because the cemetery was then located on the outskirts of town, its monuments remain unscathed. In this image, I link the classic spires of the Victorian age with the repeating pointed thrusts of the graceful Cypress trees and the monuments that surround them. The large tree in the center of image, bare of leaves, reaches out to embrace the spires as well.