Afternoon picnics were a common activity for American families in the Victorian era, and cemeteries were one of the favorite spots they gathered to spread their blankets and enjoy the day.
That might sound a bit macabre to modern sensibilities, but considering there were no public parks then, it makes perfect sense. For residents of New York, Green-Wood Cemetery was one of the most inviting places to visit dead loved ones in peaceful contemplation and a beautiful, natural landscape.
Celebrating its 185th year and now a National Historic Landmark, Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery opened in 1838. Founded by Brooklynite Henry Evelyn Pierrepont and designed by engineer David Bates Douglass, it was one of the first rural cemeteries in America. It sprawls across 478
