Sites to help you photograph cemetery headstones: http://www.genealogy.com/64_gravestones.html & lots of other places. (not all with good tips) Research ! Right now I am researching Milk of Magnesia ! It is an anti-acid so it might be too alkali, but it is a white liquid an it is cheap. A water spray bottle. A squeegee, like window cleaners use What triggered this is that I received a photo of Lt. James Greer's headstone, but it is very, very difficult to read, but thanks to MLB ! Short on time ? Use a Video canera or a new? digital camera to photo a whole? cemetery of headstones Write a location where you start and where you finish.. (take a test shot first, to be sure you are getting what you want)
*SIDEWALK CHALK, SIDEWALK CHALK, SIDEWALK CHALK* What more can I say? This: Use a NEW NATURAL BRISTLE brush ( if the brush has been used with any modern cleanser or bleach it should NOT be used on ancient tombstones even if the brush is supposedly clean). Also okay is plain water to knock off dirt. ANYTHING ELSE CAN DAMAGE OLD TOMBSTONES. Please, if you value the memorial to your ancestors don't use anything else. Modern brushes can leave plastic residue which when combined with pollution in modern rainwater can cause the stone to flake off. ALL modern cleansers are bad. If you use bleach you should also plan on replacing the marker... a few years later it won't be there. The joy of chalk is that it is a natural substance and after a few rain storms will wash off of the stone. Respect your ancestors and use only water, a natural bristle brush and natural chalk. This photo was done with sidewalk chalk. http://www.wclathan.com/images/big/44WilliamLathan%5B1%5D.jpg Notice how the lettering stands out. All you do is rub the side of the chalk on the stone like kids do to do a tracing. This cemetery is in the White Oak area of Fairfield Co., S.C. More pictures from this cemetery can be seen on the page linked below. All done with natural chalk. A cousin of mine who lives in a neighboring county walked into the forest with another relative a year later and... the chalk was washed off by nature and the stones were NOT damaged! Don't take chances. http://www.wclathan.com/photos/historic_thumbs_2.htm [email protected] wrote: ><SNIP> >http://www.genealogy.com/64_gravestones.html > > >