Continuing our discussion about photographing cemeteries and gravestones for genealogy research, we can make a list of items you should bring. By following these lists you should have everything you will need to successfully photograph a cemetery for genealogy research.
For your own comfort you may need a water bottle, mosquito repellant, suntan lotion, gloves, hat, good shoes and socks, a GPS and a note tablet and pencil. For your own safety you will need a cell phone, flashlight and maybe some maps. Cemeteries are not always the safest place, so be careful. Once when we were in Kentucky doing cemetery research, we were in a very secluded, yet gorgeous, cemetery and we nearly had an encounter with a group of drunken local teens. But this very rarely ever happens, as most people have an unwritten respect for cemeteries.
You will need some items to potentially clean gravestones. Bring along a spray bottle full of water, rags for wiping dirt off of stones and a soft toothbrush for detailed cleaning. Do not use any wire brushes, sealants or harsh detergents!
You will want to be careful when cleaning gravestones for genealogy research, as many of them are easily damaged. Over the years a gravestone will accumulate a build up of lichens, fungus, mold and dirt. If a gravestone was made of limestone or sandstone, as most early ones were, because they were easy to carve, it will not be very hard. Marble is also soft but not as soft as limestone or sandstone. Granite is a more modern choice for cemetery stones and it is the hardest of the stones used for cemeteries. With granite you can be a little more vigorous in your cleaning technique.
Always keep in mind that if you are cleaning some other family’s gravestone for genealogy research that you must respect it. To be on the safe side it is best to ask permission, of the cemetery keepers, to do cleaning if you will be doing several of them on you genealogy research adventure.
There are several things you will not want to forget for your camera when doing cemetery genealogy photography. Make sure you have that extra set of batteries, a strap for your camera (that you will want to actually use), extra card for your digital camera and a very soft cleaning cloth like a man’s hankie or eyeglass cloth.
As well as all of the supplies you may need to do cemetery genealogy research and photography, you should be in good enough shape to take a lot of bending and squatting. Fall or spring is a good time for a cemetery adventure as it is cooler out and not as humid.
Cemetery photography for genealogy research can be really fun for those of us into family history research. Most cemeteries are peaceful, historic and picturesque in their own way as well as full of genealogy information.
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