**Harriette Merrifield Forbes**
**Definition:**
Harriette Merrifield Forbes (1856–1951) was an American author, historian, and artist known for her pioneering work in documenting and preserving the history of early American gravestone art, particularly in New England. Her research significantly contributed to the understanding of colonial funerary symbolism and the cultural heritage of early American settlers.
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## Harriette Merrifield Forbes
Harriette Merrifield Forbes was a prominent figure in the fields of American history and art, particularly noted for her scholarly work on colonial gravestone art. Born in the mid-19th century, Forbes combined her interests in history, art, and genealogy to produce influential studies that helped preserve an important aspect of early American material culture. Her work remains a foundational reference for historians, art historians, and preservationists interested in colonial New England and its funerary traditions.
### Early Life and Education
Harriette Merrifield was born in 1856 in Massachusetts, a state rich in colonial history and early American heritage. Details about her early education are limited, but it is known that she developed an early interest in history and the arts, which was nurtured by the cultural environment of New England. The region’s abundance of colonial-era artifacts and historic sites provided a fertile ground for her later research.
### Career and Contributions
Forbes’s career was marked by a unique interdisciplinary approach that combined historical research, artistic sensibility, and genealogical inquiry. She is best known for her pioneering work in the study of colonial gravestones, a subject that had previously received little scholarly attention.
#### Gravestone Art and Colonial Symbolism
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Forbes undertook extensive fieldwork documenting the gravestones of early New England settlers. She meticulously recorded inscriptions, carvings, and iconography, analyzing their artistic styles and symbolic meanings. Her work revealed how gravestone art reflected the religious beliefs, social values, and cultural practices of colonial communities.
Forbes’s research demonstrated that gravestones were not merely markers of burial sites but also rich historical documents that provided insight into the lives and deaths of early Americans. She identified common motifs such as skulls, cherubs, hourglasses, and willow trees, interpreting their significance within the Puritan worldview and evolving attitudes toward death and the afterlife.
#### Publications
Harriette Merrifield Forbes authored several important works on gravestone art and colonial history. Her most notable publication, *Gravestones of Early New England and the Men Who Made Them* (1927), remains a seminal text in the field. This book combined detailed photographic documentation with historical analysis, offering a comprehensive survey of gravestone carvers and their work.
In addition to her focus on gravestones, Forbes contributed to genealogical studies and local histories, helping to preserve the heritage of New England families and communities. Her writings often emphasized the importance of material culture as a means of understanding historical experience.
### Artistic Work
Besides her historical and scholarly pursuits, Forbes was also an accomplished artist. Her artistic skills enhanced her ability to document gravestone carvings accurately and sensitively. She produced detailed sketches and watercolors that complemented her written descriptions, providing a visual record that has been invaluable to subsequent researchers.
### Legacy and Impact
Harriette Merrifield Forbes’s work laid the groundwork for the academic study of American funerary art and material culture. By treating gravestones as historical artifacts worthy of serious study, she helped establish a new field of inquiry that bridged art history, anthropology, and history.
Her meticulous documentation preserved knowledge of many gravestones that have since deteriorated or been lost, making her contributions crucial to historic preservation efforts. Scholars continue to reference her research in studies of colonial New England, Puritan culture, and early American art.
Forbes’s interdisciplinary approach also influenced later generations of historians and preservationists, encouraging a holistic view of historical artifacts that considers artistic, cultural, and social dimensions.
### Personal Life
Harriette Merrifield Forbes lived most of her life in Massachusetts, where she was deeply engaged with local historical societies and preservation organizations. She was known for her dedication to community history and her efforts to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving early American heritage.
She passed away in 1951, leaving behind a rich legacy of scholarship and artistic documentation that continues to inform and inspire.
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## Selected Works
– *Gravestones of Early New England and the Men Who Made Them* (1927)
– Various articles and essays on colonial history, genealogy, and funerary art
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## See Also
– Colonial American Art
– Funerary Art
– New England History
– Puritanism in America
– Historic Preservation
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## References
(As per instructions, no external links or references are included in this article.)
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**Meta Description:**
Harriette Merrifield Forbes was an American historian and artist renowned for her pioneering research on colonial gravestone art in New England, significantly contributing to the preservation and understanding of early American funerary symbolism.