Graver's Journal

Shanna Riley February 3rd, 2008

A term that I never heard before coming to the Find A Grave forums was "zinker". I saw it mentioned it a few times there and poked around until I found it explained. It was quite an interesting tidbit of information and I quickly became yet another of the many "zinker hunters".

Gravers, if they know what to look for, are always on the lookout for a "zinker". The term is slang for whitish headstones, advertised as "white bronze" in their day, which are made of pure zinc. What makes these particular markers unique is that they were only manufactured for a short duration of time by a singular company - and later its subsidiaries - in the United States.

The allure of zinkers never caught on due to their cheap cost and fragile appearance. The result is unfortunate because zinkers, as anyone can tell you, appear to stand the test of time far more diligently than their stone, iron, limestone, granite, and even marble counterparts. A zinker over one hundred years old will often look as if it was minted only the day before.

It was in Bridgeport, Connecticut that the Monumental Bronze Company first began the manufacture of "white bronze" headstones - a cheaper alternative to traditional monuments; while a large and ornate white bronze marker could go for up to $5,000.00, a small, simple name and date plate could sell for as low as $2.00. The term "white bronze" was used to make the product more palatable to the buying public, though the monuments were pure zinc.

The company experimented with a number of different materials before deciding on zinc as an alternative to traditional materials that deteriorated over time. It was, as we now know, an excellent choice.

For whatever reason, mainly the idea that white bronze headstones were "cheap alternatives", the infallible markers never gained in popularity, and the company, founded in the 1870s, had folded by the early 1900s. There are few, if any, zinkers to be found made after the year of 1912; which adds to the delight in stumbling across one in your graving travels.

The hollow markers also have a reputation for being contraband containers or nifty hiding places for local farmers and townsfolk.  Prohibitionists were known to hide their bootleg liquor in local zinkers, and outlaws made use of the markers for hiding stolen goods or tools of the trade.  Farmers that lived near cemeteries were said to have, sometimes, also used the vacant space inside the larger zinkers for safely housing tools and equipment, where they never had to worry about them being found and stolen.

Taking the time to browse a gallery of zinkers, one will find they have stood the test of time amazingly well - even after a century of exposure to the elements, most zinkers are still as clear and legible as the day they were placed atop a freshly dug grave.

How to tell if you've found one of these rare headstones? A zinker can be told apart from its popular counterparts by its whitish or bluish-toned tint (zinc carbonate develops a bluish gray hue when exposed to the air), its sharp and new-like appearance, and the telltale seam that runs along its edges. Zinkers were shipped in pieces and fitted together by the funeral home or cemetery workers before being placed, hence the infamous seams (see photo above) that will always determine the authenticity of a true zinker. Zinkers are, also, hollow; a light rap on the headstone can usually prove the emptiness inside.

The rarity of these unique monuments makes finding one a treat. Here are the links to some zinker galleries compiled by fellow gravers and zinker hunters. Enjoy:

• Zinkers by FAG user, Bigwoo
• Zinkers by FAG user, kmvac
• Zinkers by FAG user, Theresa Williams
• Bootlegger Zinker by FAG forum member, Linda White

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