TOOMBSTONE RUBBINGS
WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY : TINA EASLEY
I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THE CORRECT OR BEST WAY TO DO A TOOMBSTONE RUBBING WITHOUT DAMAGING A GRAVE MARKER . IN MY RESEARCH THIS IS WHAT I HAVE FOUND .
OLD MARKERS THAT ARE ALREADY UNREADABLE BY AGE AND WEATHER . THE OLD MARKERS ARE ALREADY IN A VERY FRAGILE STATE.
I SEARCHED THE WEB AND EMAILED DIFFERENT SOURCES ASKING QUESTIONS . IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON LINE I FOUND THE FIRST METHOD AND I WILL ALSO TELL YOU WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DO THIS TO A OLD TOOMBSTONE . I HAVE BEEN HEARING ALLOT ABOUT PEOPLE USING THE FIRST METHOD AND WANTED TO KNOW MORE SO THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH .
(THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND WHY)
1. METHOD - There are two ways to read old tombstone inscriptions. These are successful that there are reports of reading inscriptions this way that have failed by using other methods.
The first method is very simple, using shaving cream. First, wet the stone. Then cover a section of the stone with the shaving cream. Scrape the excess off with a flat piece of styrofoam. The shaving cream stays in the inscription, making it readable. The shaving cream must be wet to work, though, and neither will damage the stone. This works very well for photographing a tombstone.
(QUESTION ASKED TO EXPERTS )
Why can't I use shaving cream to highlight inscriptions on difficult to read stones?
ANSWER
Our professional conservators tell us it is definitely not a good idea to use shaving cream on porous gravestones because there are chemicals, greasy emollients, in shaving cream that are sticky and very difficult to remove from the stone with a simple washing. Indeed, even with vigorous scrubbing and lots of rinsing, the cream fills in the pores of a porous stone and cannot all be removed. The result of leaving it there is that in time it may discolor or damage the stone.
( THIS METHOD WAS WHAT I FOUND MORE RECOMMENDED )
2. METHOD - The second method is to make rubbings. The paper to use is sometimes referred to as "synthetic rice paper" or "printers paper". Anything that does not tear easily will probably work fine. Non-woven interfacing or pattern materials sold in fabric stores, such as PELLON, will also work. A carpenter's crayon or lumberman's crayon can be used, or a crayon from the thick box of crayolas will work to do the actual rubbing. You will also need masking tape to hold the paper to the grave stone and an old-fashioned fiber (not metal) scrub brush to clean the stone first. Don't use anything that has stiff bristles as that could damage the stone.
WHEN I TRIED THIS MYSELF I USED ARTIST PAPER THE CHEAPER TYPE YOU CAN BUY IN BIG SHEETS AT WAL-MART'S BUT IT IS KIND OF THICK , AND ARTIST CHARCOAL OR PASTELS THAT WERE SQUARE SHAPED IT SEEMED TO WORK BETTER WITH THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE TOOMBSTONES , MAKE SURE WHAT YOU USE TO RUBB WITH IS WASHABLE AND NOT OIL BASED , INCASE YOU GET SOME ON THE TOOMBSTONE . YOU COULD ALSO USE LIKE THE CHILDRENS WASHABLE SIDEWALK CHALK . I LIKE THE ARTIST PAPER BECAUSE OF THE BIGGER TOOMBSTONES HAVE MORE WRITING AND THE CHARCOAL DID NOT SMEAR AS EASY AS IT DOES ON OTHER TYPES OF PAPER.
" HINT CARRY YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA AND NUMBER THE RUBBINGS ACCORDING TO EACH PICTURE . SO YOU WILL KNOW WHICH RUBBING BELONGS TO WHICH STONE AND HAVE A PHOTO AS WELL. WHEN YOU GET HOME IT WILL BE ALLOT EASIER TO RECORD IN YOUR FAMILY HISTORY OR IN MY CASE FOR THE SITE. "
ALSO YOU WOULD BE SUPRISED AT THE TOOMBSTONES THAT HAVE A PHOTO - PICTURE MOUNTED ON THE TOOMBSTONE. WOULD'NT YOU JUST HATE TO HAVE TRAVELED A LONG WAY AND FOUND YOUR GRANDPARENTS AND A PHOTO WITH NO CAMERA ! I LEARNED THE HARD WAY .
Tina Easley