Shape and Form in the Landscape: Openings...

...today's theme for monomonday, and thanks to Pinkhairedlady for hosting this week. 
For the "openings" theme I chose the entrance to the Blatz Family Mausoleum, located in Forest Home Cemetery. It's the largest mausoleum in the state of Wisconsin & one of the most ostentatious, so it's fitting that its' opening has an ornate, custom designed bronze gate. The mausoleum is located in an area of the cemetery known as "Brewers Corner", as all of Milwaukee's "Beer Barons" are buried there: Adam Gettelman (who at one time made one of the most popular beers in Wisconsin--my dad & grandpa both used to drink it when I was small), Frederick Pabst (of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer fame), Joseph Schlitz (Schlitz beer--"the beer that made Milwaukee famous") & of course, Valentin Blatz (who's beer took the top prize at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia). When he died in 1896 he was one of Milwaukee's wealthiest men, with a fortune estimated to be between 6 & 8 million dollars. His mausoleum is made of Vermont granite & stands 40 feet high, 38 feet long, 30 feet wide, weighs 525 tons & has the entire interior done in marble. I thought it was funny about using the marble inside, as it's not like you'll get to look at it or enjoy it once you're in there.......guess he was used to luxury & didn't want to forego it in the afterlife!  :))

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