Coffins, Burial Cases and Caskets

When was the first American patent issued for a metallic coffin?

1836 by James A. Gray

Almond D. Fisk

1848 Fisk Metallic Burial case

Casket

A rigid container that is designed for the encasement of human remains; is usually constructed of wood, metal or like material

Also Rans

Casket designs that were patented but never manufactured

Eisenbrandts Life Preserving coffin

Coffin with a signal that could notify in the case of premature burial

Who did Fisk merge with?

Crane and Barnes/Breed

Who offer the first Caskets to America?

England

Bronzed Cased

Fisk - burial case made of Bronze highest grade -covered with cloth

The "Style E State Casket" was made famous because it was used for the burial of what famous person?

Former President U. S. Grant

Franz Vester

Invented a system involving a square tube with a ladder and a cord which would help a person remove themselves from the coffin

What was the name of the company that was one of the first to open a coffin warehouse?

John L. Dillon in New York

MH Crane and JR Barnes

Mass produced metallic coffins

Were coffins imported into the colonies from Europe?

No , the distance was to far and coffins were needed at the time of death.

Many metal casket manufacturers claimed that their caskets would:

Preserve the body Protect it against water and vermin Safeguarded the public from the spread of infection and disease Removal for reburial

Five major themes surrounding the casket emerged during this time:

Utility Status indication Preservation of the body Protection of the body Aesthetic representation

Cloth Covered

Wood covered with cloth. metal reinforced

what was the Fisk metallic burial case

an air-tight metal casket, anthropoidal in shape with Porthole - Glass plate where the deceased can be viewed and was designed to keep as much air away from the body to prevent decay

Outside Boxes were receptacle for corpse made of ___ ___ and sometime were the ____ caskets were shipped in. Used to keep ______ _____ out

cheap wood, cartons, grave robbers

Life Signals were created due to the _____ of _______ burial, many early american coffins were designed and patented with a method to ___ the living if someone was ____ _____

fear, pre-mature, alert, buried, alive

Coffin

from the Greek word "kofinos", utilitarian container designed to hold human remains, often anthropoid in shape

Variation in early function and type of coffin and caskets were a result of the people demanding improvement of ______, _____, and ______. The four areas that were improved were increased ____, indicated ____ of _____, provided _____ ______ and changed the look from ___ to _____

function, style, and composition,utility, status, dead, complete, protection, gloom, beauty

Burial Case is the ___ ____ used in America to designate all burial ____ as new ___ of the coffin were being offered.

generic term, containers, variations

the basic concepts behind burial vaults and outside boxes was to prevent _____ _____, protect ________and ______, and protect from ______ _________

grave robbers, caskets and contents, earth load

Material used during the 17th and 18th century coffins were ___ and ___. which material was used indicated their _____ ____

hardwoods, softwoods, social class

Coffins were not ____ or _____

imported, stockpiled

Stein Coffin Co

made the "E" state casket for ex-president U.S Grant in 1885

Coffins became popular among the ____ and ____ class

middle, upper

Impact on modern practices of burial vaults and outside boxes was that

most perpetual care cemeteries today now require them

Burial Vaults are an ___ enclosure which offers ___ from the ___ ___ as well as having a ___ qualities, protects against _____, ___-___, _____ protected from the ____

outer, protection, earth load, sealed, robbers, sink-age, body, elements.

_______, ______, and ______ of ____ became paramount concern with the production of coffins in relation to funerals

price, quality, diversity, purpose

Why did burials vaults become important?

protect the body from grave robber and they were air tight and water proof.

Burial vaults and outside boxes were made from

rock, stone, brick, concrete slabs, cement, slate, metal, wood

Early american 17th and 18th century the dead were wrapped in a _____ and placed in ______

shroud, coffin

Coffin shops

small shops that produced coffins one by one, sold funerals goods exclusively

Ogee Design

square sided caskets to reduce the excess space and weight, characterized by an "S" shaped curvature.

In the first half of the 19th century caskets were made of ________, _____, ______, _____, _____ ____, _____ ____, ____, _______, ______, _____

stone, metal, cement, marble, artificial stone, potter's clay, wood, iron, glass, zinc

Furnishing undertakers provided _____ and _____ to funeral undertakers who were dealing with the public. They were the _____ man

supplies, merchandise, middle

What three types of burial receptacles were commonly used during the 19th century?

traditional wooden coffin, metallic mummy case, cloth-covered metal reinforced burial case

Initially the dead were buried _______

uncasketed

Material used for coffins with lifesignals

wires, pins, spring lids, square tubes, ladder, cord, bell