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Archiver > GEN-NYS > 2004-09 > 1096458870


From: "Honor Conklin" <>
Subject: Re: A non-harmful way to photograph tombstones
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 07:54:30 -0400


Photography stores and mail order companies sell reflectors (and
tripods) that won't pose the problem of breakage. You could also use
aluminum foil mounted on cardboard.

Honor

>>> Marty <> 09/28/04 04:20PM >>>

G M Freeman wrote:

"I seem not to be able to locate info on non harmful means to make old
tombstones more legible. I'm especially interested in a procedure
which
will enable them to be more easily photographed".

Try using (large) mirrors on a sunny day. Experiment
with angles...coming in from one side accentuates
the grooves. I use two large, lightweight mirrors, mounted
on lightweight aluminum artist's easels. Sometimes
one won't give quite enought light. If you can
only illuminate half of the tombstone with one mirror,
use both. If that's not enough, take more than one
picture.

Be sure to anchor the mirrors to the easels well,
or they may fall off and break. Improvise some
way of protecting the glass when transporting the
mirrors in a vehicle.

I keep a small (3" by 4") mirror in a cloth case
in the trunk of my car all the time. It won't
illuminate all of a tombstone at once, but it's
good enough for reading it a word or two at a time.

Absolutely no harm to the tombstone, as nothing
touches them.

Good luck.

Marty Irons

Always looking to contact others researching IRONS,
especially in central New York or New England.
I have over 2,500 people named IRONS in my database,
plus over 500 whose mother was an IRONS.




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