Getting Down and Dirty:
The How-To's and Why For's of Tombstone Rubbings

Hello and Welcome to my little corner of the web. This is something I'm just starting, so it will be a work in progress for a while!! Be patient and check back often. New information and new links will be added soon!! Not all the information below and on the following pages deals directly with tombstone rubbings, but I thought the information should be included, so bear with me and enjoy the page!!

Why Do Tombstone Rubbings?

For alot of the newer stones a photograph will pick up most everything on the stone. However, for most of the older stones a little more work is required to get the information off of the stone. The work is worth the extra time and care though!!

For anyone who has walked a cemetery knows that not all the stones are in great shape, in fact, some of them are in horrible shape. Some of the stones have been there so long that moss has started growing on them, which makes them difficult to read, if not impossible. It is for these reasons that we do Tombstone Rubbings: to preserve the information that may be lost due to nature or vandalism, and to help see what the naked eye by itself cannot see.

As you read through this, please note that the safety and preservation of the stone should remain your FIRST priority!!!

Tips and Tricks

This section is dedicated to basic tips and tricks for your cemetery trips. Not all of these have to do with tombstone rubbings, but they are all cemetery related so I decided to add them on this page.

When you get to the cemetery, walk around the perimeter of it, especially if the cemetery is an older one. In most cases, if a stone has been broken or has fallen down, it is placed in the bushes or tree line on the outside of the cemetery, where it is still accessible. Also keep in mind, that in MOST cases, the oldest part of the cemetery is on the highest piece of land, there are exceptions to this as some cemeteries get so big they keep expanding and sometimes even run into another cemetery.

If you know someone was in the military, but for some reason a military stone has not been placed with them, there is something you can do. After doing some research on this, I've discovered that if you contact the Veteran's Office nearest you they can help you. You will be required to fill out some paperwork and after they have checked their files, they will tell you what step needs to be taken next. In most places, there are flag holders you can get to place on or by the stone, with flags available for purchase for peacetime and most of the wars, including the Revolutionary War!!

One of the best tips I've probably gotten in a long time is to keep a "cemetery kit" in your car. This kit should include: small jar of flour, soft brush, old credit card, pencil and paper, and a camera or video camera. The flour is to dust the letters so the camera will pick them up better. You then use the brush to clean the flour off the stone when you're done taking the picture. The credit card is good for removing moss from the letters on the stone. And the pencil and paper is just a basic necessity when doing this kind of work. Some people prefer to use a Polaroid camera while doing this so they can see the picture before leaving the cemetery. Just remember that above all DO NO HARM TO THE STONE!!!

How To Do a Tombstone Rubbing

There are a couple of different ways to do this. The first way I touched upon in the tips and tricks section of this page. Although, technically that's not tombstone rubbing, it is helping to preserve the stone through photography, and is equally important. There are some general do's and don'ts in everything, so this is no exception, I will however, try to point out some of the don'ts as we go along.

First of all you will need to gather the following items together for this process: paper (large enough to cover the stone so you can get all the information on it There is acid free paper you can buy to do this with, but be warned it can be expensive and difficult to find.), charcoal pencil (can be bought at any art supply store), paper tape, and vinegar. Wrap the paper around the stone and tape it in place with the paper tape. Take the charcoal pencil and begin rubbing it over the paper to bring out what's on the stone. This could be a long process depending on the size of the stone and the amount of information on the stone. When you are finished with this process, the areas in white should be the letters and numbers that are on the stone. Just beware that due to elements beyond our control, sometimes the stone may have chips in it that can alter the way a letter or number appears in the rubbing, so it is best to keep an open mind when doing this. In other words if you know Aunt Sally was born on April 9, 1887 but the rubbing shows September 9, 1887 don't fret (The 4 of April appearing in the rubbing as the 9 of September).

When you are through, carefully remove the tape, and use the vinegar to clean off any tape residue that may have gotten on the stone. Peanut butter and mayonaisse would also work in the place of vinegar, but is more difficult to get off the stone if you're in the middle of the woods with no water close by. You should NEVER use alcohol to clean the residue off the stone. However, the safest way to do this would be to take a buddy with you to hold the paper while you're doing the rubbing.

When you are through and ready to head home, here's a tip that could save you a lot of frustration. If using a charcoal pencil, do NOT place the paper in a plastic sleeve for the trip back home because it will smear.

Helpful Links on Tombstone Rubbings