‘It’s like journalism, but for dead people’: Meet the Vermont woman who turned a pandemic gravestone-cleaning hobby into a social media feed
Source: Fortune ·
The trend was popular during the pandemic as people searched for safe hobbies, but some worry strangers are capitalizing on gravesites.
From the source
Carrying a large pump spray bottle and a small, sturdy brush, Caitlin Abrams stood before two starkly contrasting graves in a modest cemetery in western Vermont. Overcast skies hung low over a nearby hillside in full autumn color. Last year, Abrams had delicately cleaned the tombstone of Mary Bailey, who died in 1852 at just 21 years old. The still-pristine white marble stone stood out compared to the neighboring grave, holding Bailey’s sister Eliza, covered in grime and moss collected over the decades. Working in quick, gentle strokes, Abrams used her brush and sprayer to peel away dirt hiding the floral details on Eliza’s grave before moving to the next. “Sometimes you can definitely see a difference right away,” she said. “Other times, it’s a month later you’ll come back and go ‘oh my gosh, it’s beautiful.’” Abrams is one of the many social media creators who have found success posting videos of themselves cleaning graves. They can attract large audiences, often including those…