Cemeteries are places were memories reside. As a result,
many people wish to take a piece of that cemetery with them. That is why
cemetery visitors create gravestone rubbings. They usually use paper and pencil
or a piece of graphite to create a lasting impression of engraved text on a
tombstone, headstone or other grave marker. This practice is also popular at
war memorial monuments.
Tips and advice
One should be respectful and responsible when visiting
cemeteries. There are many ways to rub lettering or to clean lettering that
would actually damage the monument. For that reason, there are a few tips to
make sure that one does not damage the deceased’s cherished monuments. They are
as follows and are adapted from the Association
for Gravestone Studies:
·
You might feel that your rubbing will be ruined
by the presence of moss or lichen. Most of the time it is safe to take of the
moss and not the lichen. The lichen grows with the stone, so if you attempted
to scrape it off, then you will also be damaging your loved one’s
grave-monument. Therefore, it is unwise to scrape off lichen or moss that is
stuck firmly to the gravestone.
·
Another way to ruin the grave marker is to rub
it in a weak area. Don’t let flaking stone or unstable stone fall off!
·
Never use any substance to clean the gravestone.
It should seem obvious that nail polish remover could damage the gravestone.
Also, a mild soap can damage the gravestone. If you used any substance to clean
the gravestone, the substance might hurt the stone and it would also be hard to
remove. Rubbing alcohol could stay on the stone for weeks until a rainstorm
washed it off.
·
Do not use a brush to wipe away dust. Something
as gentle as this can, by accident, brush away granite. Additionally, a brush
with metal bristles could scrape a marble surface.
·
Never perform a rubbing that you have not
practiced before. Some cemeteries require permits for rubbing, so be sure to
get one, if needed.
·
Do not leave papers, pencils or any other trash
near the grave. That is disrespectful and may also take a long time to for
someone to clean it up.
