How to read moss covered headstones

[Helenw52]

I'm taking digital photos of part of an old cemetery - where the old Chinese were buried about 1930 to 1960. There are 6 rows, of which 3 are currently looked after by a wealthy family . Some of the headstones are weather beaten and in some cases moss covered - obviously no family come now. What is the best way to get the information without damaging the headstone. I don't really want to clean them with chemicals, and obviously don't wish to tread on any surviving family's toes. I read somewhere about doing rubbings with ... shoe polish? Any ideas appreciated

[Helenw52]

Below are some relatively ‘safe’ methods to assist your successful photography.

For very old headstones which are some of the most difficult to photograph, often with black or green lichens/moss obscuring the definition of the edges of the inscribed lettering, one method is to have a couple of big pieces of old flannelette sheet and a bottle of water with a spray top (and lots of water also to top up). You spray the area you can't read with the water, and attempt to rub flatly across the stone and lettering with the damp rag. Do not try to enter the inscribed lettering. As you rub, your cloth will become impregnated with the mosses/lichens which is good. You don't need a clean cloth for success. As you rub, there will be created a contrast between the flat of the stone and the incised lettering which is created by the smearing of the dry lichen with the emulsified lichen. Waste no time in getting a photograph whilst the lichen is damp. And write down the inscription. Rinse the emulsified lichen off the stone when finished for aesthetic reasons.

Now, if it is not lichens and moss that cause the problem, but shallow worn lettering, then the creation of shadows into the grooves is what you seek. Depending on the way the stone is aligned (e.g. in an east/west line or a north/ south line) governs what would be the best time of day to take the photo. If east/west, then early morning or late afternoon gives the best shadows, midday the poorest. If north/south, depending on whether the stone faces the sun at some time in the day.

The only time to used chalk is to create a tiny "verandah" above unreadable letters. With a very thick block or stick of soft chalk held in the fist with the thumb on top of the extended stick, you go "ponce, ponce, ponce" above the letter, your thumb acting as an anvil on the chalk. This tiny verandah creates a shadow into the lettering to make it readable. Depending on the weather, the chalk disappears in days or weeks.

[Helenw52]

For headstones which are not covered with moss etc but are still hard to read, other suggestions are:

Spray with water to darken wording.
Rub over words with sand (not any dirt from the area of the grave, but proper sand)
Spray shaving cream over headstone, wipe with a clean rag, take photo then wash off.
Use either talcum powder or plain flour which you put in a puffer bottle and squeeze gently onto the stone, then pour water over the inscription - and with camera ready, it may well look a bit clearer for the purposes of getting your pic. Make sure you do not use WARM/HOT water, as it might cook onto the stone !!!!
Regardless of what method is necessary to use for your photographic success, take plenty of WATER and rags with you to wash down headstones afterwards to remove all traces of whatever you have used.

[PrueM]

Hi Helen,
Where did you find out all that stuff?  Your suggestions are great.  I really like them because they are non-damaging to the stone and are reversible.
I have read of people taking wire brushes to old mossy stones, in an attempt to clean off the moss and read what's underneath.  In actual fact what they will probably do is completely rip off the surface of the stone, and obliterate the writing.  Sad.
So hooray for you!! 

Prue

[smuckerooney]

Wow!!

I'm away to Abercrombie Street, Glasgow cemetery with water and flannelette sheeting in my hand.

There's an intriguing little marker there which is just too good to pass by any more.  The graves are unattended but grass still cut by Local Authority.  I've had some tremendous hits by waiting for the sunlight just to cut across the stones right, and then using the digi on them.

Let you know how I get on.

Rog.....'up, up and away'!!!!

[apanderson]

OOOOOhhh Helen,

You opened up a huge can of worms here!!

There have been various threads on this subject and very firm views have been expressed for cleaning and not cleaning gravestones.

There are also tons of websites on the subject.

I would have a wee read through all this first before you decide to do anything.

Anne.

P.S. I'm one of those who believe that unless the stone belongs to you or your family, and as it's private property, it shouldn't be touched.

[Helenw52]

Oh dear - I was asking a question - and since I didnt get a response I decided to do some reseaeching. The ones I have seen areally hard to read - the etching is not very good, worn away from the weather. I know that they shouldn't be touched. Has any one done any rubbings successfully?

[apanderson]

Hi Helen,

You said the burials took place between 1930 - 1960.

Can I offer a suggestion?

The local Cemetery Records Office will have details of each person(s) buried in each lair/plot.

I know it would probably mean a lot more work for you but why not photograph each stone as it stands and at the same time, transcribe as much of the inscriptions as you can make out, make a list/plan of each grave, if possible including each lair number (if there are markers).

Contact the Records Office, tell them what you're doing and hopefully, (depending on how helpful/busy they are) they'll tell you who's buried where. Some Cemetery Records Offices will allow you to browse through the lair records but others don't have the space.

As I said, doing it this way may take up a lot more time than you anticipated but in the long run, you won't upset anybody. You'll also have exact dates for each burial, relationships of those interred in the same plot/lair and a really comprehensive and detailed project at the end. Even if a stone is completely eroded and there's nothing left to read, take a photo of it, you never know, someone somewhere might be searching for a picture of "Section X, Lair Y in Cemetery Z as they'll already know whose buried in it.

I know how frustrating it is not being able to read the stones. I've been photograhing and transcribing a lot of the old churchyards and cemeteries in Stirlingshire for the past couple of years and sometimes I've had to go back half a dozen times to a stone and by using the angle of the sun and the shadows cast at varying times of the day, the results can be amazing. Obviously in winter we're lucky to get any sunshine at all some days but even this has it's advantages, I've had some great results from stones having a touch of frost on them.

All in all, I think the more cemeteries photographed now will be an invaluable resource in the future but not at the sake of causing any more deterioration than is already happening.

In other words, go for it girl!

Anne

Anne

[Helenw52]

I went to the office at Waikumete - They told me that I could get 2 names at a time - and I would have to know their English name. They gave me a A3 photocopy of all the plots there, which was great. But you see, some of the older ones are totally chinese characters, and since I don't read Chinese, and I can't see my hubby being dragged around with me, I have to take the photo as best I can, put it on the computer, and ask my hubby to translate. I have about 180 headstones from various cemeteries,  so far in my quest, and the majority of them come from the village area of China that I am researching. My mother in law is nearly 90, and she has been great in identifying a lot of these people and that has enabled me to tap into the next genration, as those people are now in their 70s to 90s.