Zinkers (or often known as "White Bronze" markers) were popular for only a few years. While there's no official reason for their demise, the general consensus that I have read believes that the funeral industry put them out of business. This comes from various things I've read about them... In the day that they were popular, you could have a Zinker for a fraction of what it cost to get a stone marker. Obviously, this didn't sit well with the stone masons and the monument companies. These organizations usually had ties to the larger cemeteries (most big cemeteries usually have "recommended" monument companies... the ones that give the cemetery a kickback from the sale of the marker). Since there was a connection, quite often, cemeteries would put restrictions on what types of markers could be used. Similar to communities with deed restrictions that tell the homeowner he must have a certain type of fence or landscaping, the cemetery would require marble or granite markers from their recommended masons. They didn't want the "cheap" zinc markers bringing down the value of their cemetery plots. From everything I've read, this is the chief reason that the zinc monument company went out of business. Another extenuating factor was that the only company that really excelled in zinc markers was on the east coast, so it became too costly to move them towards the west. I seem to recall reading about a plant being opened in the Chicago area to help westward expansion, but I may be mistaken. I can't find my reference to that right now.

It's a shame too, because I've got pictures of zinkers for people who died in the early 1900s and you can read it just the same as the day it was set, I'm sure.

Awesome info.

Zinc markers have to be my 2nd favorite behind sandstone.

Ah yes... lots of things I have learned on this site as well. (Geez, that sounds like Yoda talking)

The ones I think I like the most are the homemade markers. I remember a few I found that looked like they were concrete covered in seashells. To me, it's kind of like the cards my kids handmake for me... they hold more value than any store bought card ever will. I'm not saying that someone spending lots of money on a beautiful granite marker loves their departed any less, we all commemorate in our own way. The handmade ones just seem to be more personal sometimes.

I love the zink markers they are my favorites. I wish they still made them I would get one for myself.

talking about odd materials for grave stones I have found a couple made of ceramics down in Haydensville, they were actually pretty nifty but were brittle enough to be cracked unfortunately.

Some of the glass headstones they are making nowadays look pretty interesting too.

Are they the ones that have a metallic ring when you knock on them?
(I always feel rude when I do that, but sometimes I can't tell whether they are stone or metal)
Here is one from a cemetery near Plymouth Mass:

I couldn't tell what it was made from. It looked like stone, but I don't think it was.

nope thats stone not zink.

Can't really tell from your picture... it might be zinc, but it looks more like stone. Doesn't quite look like it weathered as zinc would. Here's one from Flint Cemetery near Worthington, OH:



You can't read it here, since the photo is reduced, but the lettering is crystal clear on this marker... and she was buried in 1878.

I had not seen this article before... I just learned a little bit new myself about the history of zinkers.

"White Bronze" Cemetery Markers Were Victorian Chic

Here are some pics I have of zinker's. I think they are easily recoginized by their blue-ish look with almost a chalky feel when you touch them.


Zink's are hollow and thus very light. For that reason they are filled with ballast to keep them from tipping over.

Oops!
I see those all the time here in PA.

Ah, another competition shooter!

I was very active in USPSA/IPSC competition (A Class Open, B Limited) up until several years ago when I changed jobs and lost all my free time. I ran the USPSA/IPSC program at Pickaway County Sportsmen in Circleville OH for several years.

Except for some reloading compilations still online, I'm out of it now, but I miss the people, the competition, and the sitting for hours in front of my Dillon RL-1050 reloading press!

One of my competition guns, a 9x21 Caspian custom-built for me by Matt McLearn at MCM.


Me at an IPSC match in Toledo several years ago.

They were not all that common in the USA either, except in clusters. We have a lot of them in Central Ohio.

From Googling a bit, I found the following, which agrees with material in the books I have here.

"Zinc monuments appeared in the late 1800's and stopped appearing in the early 1900's. The only company that we are aware of that made the monuments was the Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. According to David Crispin's newsletter "(it was) a few entrepreneurs that wanted to put their foundry experience to better use. They called it White Bronze and developed and marketed it as a less expensive alternative to the conventional memorials made of stone."

Chapter 11 in "Cemeteries and Grave Markers, " edited by Richard Meyer, indicated that they seemed to be found where salesmen lived because they were sold essentially by traveling salesmen. The rumor that they were carried in Sears and Roebuck's catalog appears to be false because there are reports of historic catalogs that advertised for salesmen to sell the product (and get rich) while Sears did not. Many salesmen were reported to have gone broke selling these memorials."

(This text grabbed from http://pinehillcemetery.web.officelive.com/Monuments.aspx)

Since they are hollow, I always thought they'd be a good place to hide stuff: family treasure, mob -hit bodies, etc.

They are very accurate, and have almost no muzzle flip, which means that they are fast as well.

The good news is that people who spend $3000+ on their guns don't go out shooting people, doing drive-bys, or robbing the Kwik-E-Mart!

I'm a big fan of zinc markers too. They do hold up well. Only problems I've seen are missing panels and some buckling under their own weight.

They all came from the main company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but they did have a few companies under them. When I was out in Des Moines, there were tons of zinc markers. That's probably because the Western White Bronze Company was located there. There was a company in Detroit too, and the most of the zinc markers I saw there were marked with that city.

Tim, the Zinker you posted a pic of, is actually the man for whom the "McLure House" Motel/Restaurant in downtown Wheeling is named.

Hey now, Those of us with cheapo .45's don't go out shooting people either, unless we have to, lol.

That pistol is a work of art.

-Spike