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As many of you know, in New Orleans the dead are buried in mausolea above the ground, because of the danger of flooding. Some of these crypts are extremely ornate for wealthy denizens, while others are less impressive.

Around 1900 the Irish and Italian immigrants were dying of yellow fever in the thousands, and those who were not buried in the mass pits were resigned to these "ovens" where hundreds lie buried. A space at the back of the crypt allows for one person's bones to be swept to the back and a new family member to be placed in the crypt every few years. This one is for Alfred Alverez March 3, 1883 - aged six days.