Headstone Cleaning
During the photographing of the Jeffrey Cemetery headstones we noticed quite a few of the headstones had various types of corrosion coating their surfaces. Also, others were quite old and the stone was litterly flaking away while a few had been broken near their base.
Professional gravestone conservators say this is a normal process due to the effects of weather and the composition of the stone.
In most cases the green substance is a form of alge while the redish-orange is iron oxidation.
Whatever the cause, gravestone conservators agree that great care must be taken when cleaning the headstone so as not to inflict more damage.
Some people have already asked us why we didn’t clean the headstones prior to photographing them. The answer is quite simple. The Texas Cemetery law does not allow us to do it. Only family members or those retained by the family are allowed to perform cleaning and/or detailed restoration. In some cases, where the age of the grave is such that there are no immediate family members left, the custodian of the cemetery may take minimal remedial action to repair a headstone. However, the overall responsibility for the care of a headstone lies with the family.
There are many web sites with information about cleaning and restoring headstones. We have chosen two sites that have been prepared by professional gravestone conservators that will provide you with a wealth of information:
Cleaning and Preservation of Tombstones, Headstones & Gravestones
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