My husband and I were at a dinner gathering. One of our friends was planning to visit a family cemetery to do tombstone rubbings. He asked how he should do this. We've done some rubbings, but we didn't know if we had done it correctly. So, I did some research.

The Association of Gravestone Studies (AGS) provides a guide in their FAQ. They advise:

• Check with the people in charge of the cemetery to see if rubbing is allowed and then get permission.
• Rub only stones in good condition. In other words, if the stone is crumbling, don't rub it. The rubbing will make the stone break.
• Use paper and waxes or inks. Magic marker-type pens or other permanent color materials are easy to use, but they tend to bleed through the paper and on to the stone. The acid in the ink will degrade the stone.
• Test paper and color before working on stone to be certain that no color bleeds through.
• Make certain that the paper covers the entire face of the stone and attach it with masking tape. (Now, I have to tell you that I'm wondering about the acid in the masking tape, but I'll follow the AGS advice.)
• Rub gently and carefully.

The stones that I'm interested in rubbing are usually dirty. "Hand's off with chemicals" is what I learned during my research. Water and a soft rag are the only things that should be used on gravestones.

The website with additional information is: Association for Gravestone Studies.

Speaking of acid on tombstones, my granddaughter did a science project on the effect of acid rain on marble tombstones. To see her project, click here.

If you are interested in other helpful articles, go to my Columns page.

© 2000–2011

Connie Lenzen, CG^SM

E-mail: ConnieLenzen@comcast.net

CG, Certified Genealogist, is a service mark of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certified genealogists after periodic evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.