tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post5373104572617433811..comments2024-03-06T15:19:03.429-05:00Comments on Engraved: : The Final HandshakeCall Me Taphyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12539679993994817599noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-53165802243555334052022-01-19T16:30:11.518-05:002022-01-19T16:30:11.518-05:00Thank you for this wonderful post. It is well-rese...Thank you for this wonderful post. It is well-researched and fascinating. The diversity of the handshakes you have photographed is delightful. For the past 35 years, I have been the volunteer caretaker of a formerly abandoned 7 acre cemetery that was founded by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1855 in Cincinnati called the Mt. Washington Cemetery.<br /><br />A great many of the headstones in our cemetery have the IOOF three-link chain carved on them. We have three handshake carvings that depict the index finger pointing down and in each case, the deceased was a member of the IOOF. All of the other headstones with clasping hands do not have an index finger pointing down, nor do they have the IOOF chain on them. While this is a small sample, it lends credence to the idea that the extended index finger might be unique to members of the IOOF.<br /><br />However, I have extensively studied IOOF handshake art (in the form of IOOF posters, pins, catalogs and carvings from the 1800s) and only one depiction of the handshake from a lodge in Texas shows the index finger extended. In every other IOOF depiction of the handshake, there is no extended index finger. So I wonder if the extended index finger in some of the handshakes is simply a variation in the preference of the artisan who carved the headstone. What do you think?<br /><br />Julie Rimer<br /><br /><br />Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13633869166028187490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-16132289524064981632020-08-19T16:09:09.808-04:002020-08-19T16:09:09.808-04:00That was most interesting indeed. Thank you for sh...That was most interesting indeed. Thank you for sharing your research with us.Ethelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15173516119418706993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-17516993154072789062019-11-19T12:13:55.362-05:002019-11-19T12:13:55.362-05:00Thank you, Anonymous, this was exactly the info I ...Thank you, Anonymous, this was exactly the info I was looking for and I'm glad that I decided to check the comments because when I saw that these were all photos of handshakes without the finger pointing I was going to move on. Yes, my research subject was both married and "died" young. I don't believe he died, it's complicated. lolLinda Trimmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16826720040340069851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-21581027145262907772018-09-06T14:27:16.727-04:002018-09-06T14:27:16.727-04:00Thank you for this explanation....we visited some ...Thank you for this explanation....we visited some of my ancestors graves in Newfoundland recently and most had this symbol on them. I thought perhaps it had to do with being a mason, although we found nothing to support that. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00312934850518290240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-86715466385161213672017-09-19T23:28:08.742-04:002017-09-19T23:28:08.742-04:00I just read tonight that the index finger pointed ...I just read tonight that the index finger pointed down is supposed to represent a sudden death of one of the spouses. In my relative's case, this was true as she passed away young in childbirth. I haven't been able to find anything more about it but found it to be an interesting explanation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3078858385551466428.post-8719613075278735142017-04-24T19:04:40.240-04:002017-04-24T19:04:40.240-04:00Thank you. My great grandfather's headstone (...Thank you. My great grandfather's headstone (1917) has the "finger out." Someone asked me about it today.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12138955675232570078noreply@blogger.com