Many have pointed out the obvious disadvantages and potential damage that
can incur while doing a gravestone rubbing. Flour, shaving cream and the
like should never be used. Any method employed used should be non-invasive
and all conservation work must be completely reversible. Unfortunately many
stones are testament to the fact that the public has not been properly
educated on this subject. However, it is from some of these mishaps that
we have learned so much. Educating the public and preserving these
valuable artifacts is the very mission of the Association for Gravestone
Studies.
This year, the AGS annual conference will be held from June 24-27, 2004 at
Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT. On Thursday there
will be a half-day workshop on gravestone rubbing. The AGS also offers
leaflets on the techniques of "Photographing Gravestones” and "Making
Photographic Records of Gravestones."
Alicia Paresi Friedman
Archeologist
National Park Service
Gordon Grimwade
<ggrimwade@AUSTAR To: [log in to unmask]
NET.COM.AU> cc: (bcc: Alicia Paresi/Boston/NPS)
Sent by: Subject: Re: Safe grave stone rubbing
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
<[log in to unmask]
>
04/10/2004 09:54
AM ZE10
Please respond to
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
Flour could possibly a good medium for mould spores to develop. While most
of the flour might wash away surely SOME would remain. I have heard of
people using powdered chalk but that leaves a residue and doesn't wash off
easily. It's a no-no in my book.
Digital photography is one of the best methods I have found and, used with
oblique lighting and Photoshop, is certainly the least invasive.
On a slightly divergent note I used liquid latex moulding to record North
Queensland rainforest dendroglyphs some years ago with considerable
success.
It is a method we have since used to replicate some Chinese grave markers.
We tested the trees and the grave markers VERY carefully before applying
the
latex to make sure we didn't risk removing any bark or stone in the
process.
I have heard of others using latex for rock carving; although there is one
case I heard of where it was not tested first. The latex took the carving
with it! Given that, and knowing the soft nature of some gravestones
(particularly sandstone) it would need to be used with EXTREME care.
The advantage with the tree documentation project was that it gave us a
clear copy, showed regrowth at a specific point in time (OK, that is not
really relevant to gravestones, I know) and it also meant we could play
with
oblique lighting at will back in the lab rather than in a damp forest miles
from good lighting sources. Filtered sunlight in a tropical forest is not
really very helpful.
If anyone is interested in this method we did write it up in Australian
Archaeology in 1995: ŒMoulding and Casting Aboriginal Carved Trees of the
Wet Tropics¹ Grimwade G.P.N., K.Mickan, A.Darroch; Australian Archaeology
Journal.No 41, pp15 21.
Gordon Grimwade
on 9/4/04 11:39 PM, Laura West at [log in to unmask] wrote:
> What kind of bugs, visible and invisible, would that flour draw to the
> surface of the stone? Just a thought.
>
> Laura West
>
> M&S Engineering, Ltd.
> 6477 FM 311
> P.O. Box 970
> Spring Branch, Texas 78070
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ewen, Charles [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 7:45 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Safe grave stone rubbing
>
>
> My historical archaeology class has recorded a couple of historic
cemeteries
> in the area and found that by dusting the surface of a gravestone with
flour
> the lettering was much easier to read. This method had the advantage of
> being effective, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly. The stones
were
> automatically cleaned the next time it rained. We also took digital
photos
> before applying the flour. Manipulating the images (e.g. adjusting the
> brightness and contrast) in Photoshop was helpful in making the
inscriptions
> legible.
>
> Charles R. Ewen, PhD
> Professor, Department of Anthropology
> Director, Phelps Archaeology Laboratory
> A-215 Brewster Building
> East Carolina University
> Greenville, NC 27858-4353
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