Located within the historic Lake View Cemetery – a notable resting place for some of Cleveland’s most prominent and influential residents of the past, is a mysterious, yet haunting, statue widely known as the Haserot Angel, who appears to be weeping black tears.
If you’re not careful driving through the 285 acres of land this stunning cemetery sits on, you’ll surely pass right by it since it’s set back from the road far enough making it easily missed. But, once you catch a glimpse of her, there is no turning back, because she pulls you right into her.
As mentioned, around greater Cleveland she is most known as the Haserot Angel – although the statues formal name is The Angel of Death Victorious, and was created by acclaimed sculptor Herman Matzen in 1923, as a commissioned piece for Francis Henry Haserot after the death of his wife.
The Angel of Death Victorious is sitting down, wings spread wide while holding a torch upside down – meant to symbolize an extinguished life. And, those blackened tears rolling down her face? While also symbolic, they were actually caused by a century of the bronze aging and being exposed to all the northeast Ohio weather.
Nearly every year for the last decade around this same time in October – by far the most scenic season in Cleveland with fall colors taking over the once green foliage of summer, I make it a priority to visit Lake View Cemetery, and specifically to see her – the hauntingly beautiful Angel of Death Victorious.
This gallery of images were all taken on October 28, 2018.
