1
TOMB TALK St. Denis Cathedral, Paris So what s new with you? 2
Poulette Family OhGod,Idon tthink he sbreathing... I don t think I am either 3
William Wilcotes & his wife Elizabeth forevertogetherinthebigwhitelie 4
Moyle & Elizabeth Finch I told you that swan was lousy Now look at us 5
Thomas & Katherine Beauchamp Ohquitbitching Youthinkyourhat sstupid? Trytaking silvermesh onthechin 6
Henry ii &Catherine d Medici stuck with her still on a pedestal 7
Sir Lawremce Tanfield & his wife Ikeepwatchingthatspot. Didn tyouseeitmove? I hate spiders. Dosomething 8
funerary monument, York Minster I know this book is the top best seller But please gimme a break Bring me an Agatha Christie? 9
Lionel de Welles & wife Cecily Waterton Ihatetodisturbthyprayers,dear, butthere salion inthebedchamber 10
John de Beauchamp & wife Joan Whatbirdbraindecided aswannecklooksgood onawoman? 11
Funerary monument, York Minster YeahrightBodyguards,youcall em? Don tgoswearingtome younever 12
St.Cuthbert s, Holme Lacy Like, we retotally stoned. Howcool 13
William Bagot Iworemyray*gunhelmet totheaudition fortheprincessleiarole. Theyreallylovedit,so let sprayallshinyknight. 14
Catherine Parr Well, I guess it s just you & me, Angelface. Let s play Twenty Prayers - - but forget that Now I lay me - one. 15
Bess of Hardwick OhLord, grantme abuilder withthetoweringvision totrumpme 16
Cardinal Richelieu Enoughofthatalready. Howabout MelancholyBaby forme? 17
Richard l Little did we think, Philippe, this was our real crusade Or was it only your ambition held me in your arms? 18
Sarah Paulet Doyouknowhowmanytimes you vetoldthatsamestory? I msicktodeathofit 19
Robert Dudley & Lettice Knollys You know, wife, if we ever get out of here I d buy a simple place: no frills, no overhead. 20
Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henri ii, That sit?$ Oyoumenareall alike. GuessI lljustreadawhile... courtly$manners$,$my$foot$ $ 21
Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire ontheoldsill frommasonglazierfarmercomes thissunlitharvest 22
St. Mary s Church, Chipping Norton Dost thy smell gode Applys and gode Spycis or this all a dream? 23
The End 24
Credits: 1. Medieval initial from W R Tymms & M Digby Wyatt, The Art of Illuminating as Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times, London: Day & Son, 1860 2. Francis I & Claude of France, Cathedral Basilica of St. Denis, Saint- Denis, FR Photo Credit: Angus Mcintyre 3. Poulett Family, Church of Hinton St. George, Somerset, UK Photo Credit: Geograph / Wikimedia Commons 4. Sir William Wilcotes & his wife Elizabeth, St. Mary s Church North Leigh, Oxfordshire, UK Photo Credit: Motacilla / Wikimedia Commons 5. Sir Moyle Finch & Elizabeth Finch, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK Credit: Amanda Miller of Amanda's Arcadia 6. Thomas & Katherine Beauchamp, St. Mary s Church, Warwick, Warwickshire, UK Photo Credit: SandyEM / Flickr 7. Henry ii of France & Catherine of Medici, Cathedral Basilica of St.- Denis, Saint- Denis, FR Photo Credit: Roi Boshi / Wikimedia Commons 8. Sir Lawrence Tanfield & wife, Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Burford, Oxfordshire, UK Photo Credit: Mark Whitley 9. Tomb 007, York Cathedral, North Yorkshire, UK Photo Credit: Mattana / Wikipedia Commons 10. Lionel de Welles & wife Cecily Waterton, Waterton Church, Methley, West Yorkshire, UK Photo Credit: Leeds Library and Information Service, www.leodis.net 11. John de Beauchamp & wife Joan ( The Medieval Snow White ), Worcester Cathedral, Worcestershire, UK Photo Credit: Mattana / Wikimedia Commons 12. Tomb 004, York Cathedral, North Yorkshire, UK Photo Credit: Mattana / Wikipedia Commons 13. John Scudamore & his wife Sibell, St.Cuthbert s Church, Holme Lacy, Herefordshire, UK Photo Credit: Peter I. Vardy / Wikimedia Commons 14. Sir William Bagot, Baginton Church, Warwickshire, UK Photo credit: Walwyn / History of Parliament Trust 15. Tomb of Katherine Parr, Sudeley Castle, Gloucestershire, UK Photo Credit: Sudeley Castle 25
16. Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury, Derby Cathedral, Derbyshire, UK Photo Credit: Poliphilo, Wikimedia Commons Small photo of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, UK: Wikimedia Commons 17. Francis Girardon Cardinal of Richelieu, Chapel of the Sorbonne, Paris, FR Photo Credit: NonOmnisMoriar / Wikimedia Commons 18. Richard I of England ("Richard the Lionheart"), Abbey Church, Fontevraud l'abbaye, Maine- et- Loire, FR Photo Credit: Adam Bishop / Wikimedia Commons Rainbow flag: Wikimedia Commons 19. Sarah Paulet, St. Mary's Church, Stoke d'abernon, Surrey, UK Photo Credit: Pete Reed / Flickr 20. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Lettice Knollys, Beauchamp Chapel, Collegiate Church of St. Mary s, Warwick, Photo Credit: Tony Grist / Wikimedia Commons 21. Henry II of England & Eleanor of Aquitaine, Abbey Church, Fontevraud l'abbaye, Maine- et- Loire, FR Photo Credit: Touriste / Wikimedia Commons 22. Harvest display, Southwell Cathedral, Nottinghamshire, UK Photo Credit: John Reynolds 23. Effigy in St Mary's Church, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, UK Photo Credit: John Shortland / Geograph Small Photo Credit: Detail of Vicenzo Campi, Kitchen, 1580s, Wikimedia Commons / Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan "gode Applys and gode Spycis" Samuel Pegge, The Forme of Cury a Roll of Ancient English Cookery, London: J. Nichols, 1780, 27. Sir Moyle Finch and his wife Lady Elizabeth Finch, Victoria and Albert Museum 26
Author s Note: How did TOMB-TALK happen? It began in London s Victoria & Albert Museum in 2000 when I saw and photographed the beautiful 17 th century marble tomb of Sir Moyle Finch and his wife Lady Elizabeth Finch. Tickled at the notion of peeking up her skirt, I shot my picture eye- level at their feet. The humor engendered took a dozen years before I could make something better of that unforgotten moment. 27