Dick Eastman published an article today on a "guy who made a YouTube video" on "flouring" gravestones.
While Mr. Eastman does provide some questions, I don't think he effectively gives people the incentive or information to realize the fallacy of or danger this technique poses.
I posted this comment to the article on Mr. Eastman's site:
"All of the gravestones he was "flouring" could have been photographed quite effectively with the right lighting (come at the right time of day, bring a reflector, etc.) and without "adding" anything to the stone.The Association of Gravestone Studies teaches a technique of "foiling" which adds nothing to the stone and would have been even more effective on the stones in the video than the flouring and would have left no damage.Some thoughts that have stuck with me from a seminar given by the Chicora Foundation (chicora.org):1. Stone is porous and whatever you put on it WILL be absorbed into the stone.2. What we see as "no damage" in our lifetime (20-40 years of gravestone observing) may be considerable damage over the "life" of a gravestone (possibly (hopefully!) up to 500 or 1000 years.)3. Fissures and sugaring* of gravestones often happens as a result of elements that are absorbed into the stone and do not expand/contract at the same rate as the surrounding stone. Even water (e.g. freezing damage.) When you add anything that expands/contracts even more divergently from the rate of the stone (e.g. flour,) then you start to damage the integrity of the stone.4. Think how the genealogists of 100, 200 or even 400 years from now will react to what you are doing to the stone now.I follow some general rules:A. Never add anything to the stone that wasn't there when you came. (exception: clean water) What you add will be there forever.B. If you can remove organic material from a stone (leaves, dirt, moss, etc) WITHOUT removing any of the stone or being in any way abrasive, its ok, but otherwise Leave It Alone.C. Do what you can in the surrounding area to insure the survival of the stone in the future. Clear the area around so it is visible or make sure the burial ground is marked or make sure the local authorities know it is there.D. Never touch the surface of a sugaring* stone. Whatever you do will hasten its demise. Leave it's restoration to a professional. Just record it and move along.E. Record the stone by photographic or other methods so that the evidence of it will persist to future generations.I've taken over 10,000 gravestone photos over a number of years, and thinking back, there are less than 20 that didn't turn out to be readable, even on damaged stones, given lighting, rarely some water, and Photoshop or Picasa. I've never used any material on the stone to "bring out" the inscription. I have in the last year used "foiling", and it is quite effective, and significantly reduces the time needed to add light or use Photoshop on badly discoloured stones. Done properly (never on a sugared* stone) it will not damage the stone or leave any residue.*sugaring - when the bonds of the stone start to break down, and parts of the stone, usually on the surface first, become partially detached and can flake or grain off in fine particles. It is similar to the phenomena of sprinkling sugar on a slightly moist surface. The particles adhere, but can be brushed free with minimal friction.Record it for future generations. Do no harm. Leave nothing behind. Think about that genealogist 400 years from now."
That's my two cents worth.
