Making inscriptions clearer

[Gene Genius]

Not sure if anyone has ever asked this before but here goes.

I have wondered if there is some way of making the inscriptions on gravestones clearer. I have managed to decipher the two main headstones in my family but is there a way of cleaning them up and removing the moss etc and maybe painting on a powder which would make the letters stand out better?

Obviously I don't want to brush too hard in case I cause any more damage.

[Nick29]

I wouldn't physically touch the grave stones - many are in poor condition, and could fall on you, or someone else, if you are unlucky.  I've found that taking digital photos from several different angles with flash on and off is usually enough to decipher names.  Choosing a time when sunlight is falling at an acute angle can also be very beneficial.

[Gene Genius]

Thank you for those ideas about photographing the graves, they make good sense. Differing lights and angles could well make a difference.

[Necromancer]

a damp surface - combined with the above - can often help.

My dad used to rub damp silver sand over the face, which cleaned it up gently (he didnt do it if the stone was flaking) and dampened the surface to contrast with the incised letters etc.

No doubt nowadays he would be prosecuted for killing lichen .... 

[copperbeech5]

Depending on the condition of the stone, you can rub gently a stick of chalk (chalk flat to the stone)over the writing, and it is a bit like brass rubbing, it makes the writing stand out.

It can be brushed off with a soft brush, or it just washes off with rain.  I have used this method a lot whilst surveying a grave yard where stones are hard to read.

Copperbeech5

[matt94]

I myself would make a rubbing but I heard it makes alot of damage to the face of the stone. Although Your Family Tree Magazine recommends it and they produced a pretty impressive feature about it in the May Edition

Matt

[Helena51]

I am currently recording inscriptions as part of a whats turned out to be a 5 year project! we use talc when all else fails just gently puffed over the surface.
Helena