Victor Noir: Still Pleased to See You (Even in Death)

Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris contains the graves of many famous people, including Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison. One person you may not have heard of, however, is Victor Noir. It is, in fact, his monument rather than his memory which draws people to his final resting place and for reasons you may not automatically associate with a cemetery.

Image Credit Flickr User MB Schlemmer

You may have already noticed that much of his face is the familiar grey-green of oxidized bronze you would expect from a monument dating from 1891 (Noir died in 1870). However, the lips and the nose are unaccountably shiny. Victor Noir’s mouth and nose are regularly caressed and kissed. Yet the host of women who descend upon his tombstone have more than Victor’s face in mind when they visit. Despite only the faintest trace of a smile across it, Victor Noir is, it seems, still very pleased to see you.

If F Scott Fitzgerald was One of America’s Greatest Novelists, Why is he Buried Here?

Office buildings and apartment blocks surround the Catholic cemetery in Rockville, Maryland.  Among those interred here is a man whose novels are still read and adored by millions.  Yet you might miss the name on this unremarkable grave, were it not for the occasional bottles and coins that are placed there by visitors.  These additions are the only thing that would otherwise draw the eye to the inconspicuous gravestone of F Scott Fitzgerald.