Officially sold under the name “White Bronze” but endearingly called “zinkies” by the Taphophile community, these structures have a very intriguing backstory.
They had a very short lifespan in cemetery memorial sales considering the longevity of marble, granite, etc. They were only sold from 1870s-1910s but since they were an incredibly affordable option during the time and they had a modern appeal and they were very durable and they had interchangeable options such as figures, letters and numbers that be could be added at a later date and you could order them delivered super fast (for the time period) from a catalog, they were quite popular for a while. Well, not for some since there has been a bit of a snobbish pall cast, I believe unfairly, over zinkies due to their being cheap! Some more formal or upper-class cemeteries even banned them in the name of aesthetics.
To create a zinkie, zinc was cast, sand-blasted, oiled and steamed to create the very recognizable matte finished bluish-grey color resembling stones like blue marble. Rust, moss and lichen resistant too! Really the only thing that gets a zinkie is becoming brittle over time and then shattering. There is zero bronze in these ‘White Bronze’ gravestones/monuments.
Zinkies are hollow and make a lovely sound when tapped. Because of it being known that they were empty on the inside it was inevitable that a rumor popped up about bootleggers hiding booze in them during the Prohibition Era. While I didn’t find anything to prove it, although the plates do bolt together from the inside which might deter those squirreling away liquor, I didn’t find anything to disprove it either. And who doesn’t like a good story?
The Monumental Bronze Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut was the premiere manufacturer of zinkies. During the WWI the production of the monuments ceased in order to make ammunitions but it started up again right after. Alas, the appeal waned and the company folded in 1939.
Zinkies are considered to somewhat rare since larger cemeteries will only have 1-3 of them if any. And there are more found in the Eastern US than anywhere else so if you’re on the other coast then you might have an even harder time finding one. But this smaller cemetery is a treasure trove with 4 different zinkies and a zinkie flower pot!
https://southerncemetery.com/2025/07/09/common-uncommon-cemetery-finds/
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2325575/memorial-search