They're Dying to Get in Here

© Alastair Philip Wiper - Equipment used in the embalming process

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Dates

2023 - 2023
Author

Alastair Philip Wiper
Location Arizona, United States

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'They're Dying to Get in Here' is a study of death through the daily practices of an ordinary American funeral home.

What happens to our bodies when we die?

At Avenidas Funeral Home in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, people are prepared for burial or cremation in a ritual that takes place thousands of times a day around the world. Embalmers prepare bodies - arms and legs are massaged to relieve rigour mortis, the face is set, blood is replaced with embalming fluid, and the body is groomed. After a funeral, the body is buried, or cremated at Avenidas' facility in Tucson.

'They're Dying to Get in Here' shows a rare glimpse into a subject that none of us can escape. The question of what happens to our bodies when we die leads us on a journey through various realms of contemplation and endeavour, underscoring the complexity and profundity of human attitudes toward mortality and inviting viewers to ponder the mysteries that lie beyond our mortal coil.

Avenidas conducts around 10-15 funerals per week. "We're not suit and tie guys" explains founder Miguel Leaspi. "I don't like suits. I don't wear suits. It puts families at ease when they come in to see you because they don't have to look past the tie, th

Equipment used in the embalming process

"It's just a passion to help people. They come to you and they're at their worst. They're burnt out, they've been up all night. They're just exhausted."

"It's a little difficult for some new employees, but my staff understands that the mission is the family and trying to set everything up for them" explains Leaspi. "So the focus has to be perfection and customer service, empathy, sympathy for the family.

Chemicals and solutions used in the embalming process, in which blood is replaced by special fluids

Miguel Legaspi, co-owner of Avenidas Funeral Home. A retired marine, Miguel fell into the industry by accident in 1998. Beginning as a funderal home groundskeeper, he worked his way through different positions until opening his own funeral home in 2010. D

A woman being embalmed. Embalming involves cleaning and disinfecting the body before using chemicals to preserve it temporarily. A small incision allows embalming fluid to replace blood in the circulatory system, slowing decay. If needed, fluids are also

One of Avenidas' Cadillac hearses

Bodies in the refridgerator at Avenidas crematory, awaiting cremation. Many choose to rent a coffin for the funeral, and then be creamted in a cardboard box due to the expense of coffins.

Raymi Wright, Crematory Manager. Raymi entered the funeral industry after leaving the army in 2017. His time in the miltary gave him a strong stomach.“When you're processing someone, you can open the retort (oven) door and rearrange the individual insid

The oven at the crematory. Two ovens cremate approximately eight bodies per day at Avenidas. The amount of time it takes for a body to burn depends on weight and body composition, but usually takes between one and a half to three hours. “Once the bodies s

Human remains that have been cremated are stored and packaged to hand over to relatives as ashes.

A coice of urns on display at the funeral home.

They're Dying to Get in Here by Alastair Philip Wiper

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