Hittle Genealogy Symposium

[Joe Hittle]

Here are a few things I've come to understand about headstones and photographing them.

Most "sandstone" markers are actually limestone. As such, they are inclined to be ph alkaline.

Most commercial cleaning supplies are ph acidic, which is why most foam when contacting the limestone. That chemical reaction does loosen organic life (mold, mildew, lichens, moss) and makes the limestone more easily readable.

The problem is that by cleaning away the organic life, the "pores" of the stone are opened. By opening the pores, moisture then is able to reside, and that moisture then freezes in winter time. Water expands when frozen, thus "eroding" the stone by displacing the limestone walls of the pore(s).

Even in areas where freezing is not an issue, opening the pores subjects the stone to the harmful effects of driving rains, sand storms, and other naturally eroding phenomena of nature.

Opening the pores of a tombstone is seldom ever a good idea for the longevity of the stone.

IF shaving cream is involved (and there is debate over this tactic as well) the best way to use it is to spread it across the face of the stone WITHOUT scrubbing, and then scraping away the excess with a SOFT squeegee. This fills in the inscriptions, can easily be photographed (usually with fantastic visual results) and then MUST be rinsed immediately with CLEAR water.

NEVER add sealers or other preservatives to the face of a stone, no matter what foundation was used. Commercially polished stones can be safely cleaned with a WEAK ammonia solution or with a weak vinegar based solution as long as they are immediately rinsed with CLEAR water.

Pencil or charcoal tracings are now greatly discouraged, again because of erosion issues.

With the advances in digital cameras, the best way to "read" old headstones is to use various light intensities. Cloudy days usually photograph better than bright sunny ones. Mirrors to reflect sunlight across the face of a stone can be of assistance.

Another trick is to shoot across the face of a stone at night, thereby letting the flash create shadows across the inscriptions. (Don't worry, the dead ones can't really hurt you, even in the shadows!)

NON-CONTACT is always the best method for the endurance of the marker, no matter what type of marker one has encountered.

Digital imagery, while TERRIBLY expensive, is soon going to be available for such projects. The price on the technology hardware is beginning to come down, and probably will be a very good and useful tool within the next 10 years. In test in England, stones that had been thought illegible even at the turn of the 20th century are now being used as test cases for the technology with absolutely phenomenal results.

Advances are also being made in finding unmarked graves without disrupting the surface. Sunken stones are also being found and resurrected.

Patience my friends! We have much to learn in the near future!

Joe