Some gravestone lettering from the 1870s and '80s is as complex as the "artistic" print design of the same time, which I have written about with Angela Voulangas (our book). Letters curve, fit in containers, stretch and grow, and mix with a variety of ornaments, like artistic letterpress printing. The best examples of this kind of inscriptional lettering that I have found so far are in and around Wichita, Kansas. Where did these letterforms come from? How widespread was this kind of labor-intensive, intricate stone cutting? I can't wait to find out; research is ongoing. Here are some finds. (all photos ©Doug Clouse)