Recently, I participated in a photo shoot at my local
cemetery. The Norfolk Historical Society, for which I am a board member and volunteer,
has taken on the task of photographing Oakwood Cemetery in Simcoe, Ontario.
This is the largest cemetery in the county and contains over 14,000
graves. My share of the project was section
C --- 1000 graves.
Photographing this many tombstones in the span of about 3
weeks taught me a great deal about tombstones and cemeteries in general. Here’s a few lessons, I learned, maybe they’ll
help you next time you’re searching for an ancestor in a cemetery or
photographing your family graves.
Check the Cemetery Records
There were a lot of missing stones, which the cemetery records provided names for. Just because you can't find a tombstone does not mean they aren't in the cemetery. Many were buried without a stone or final engraving. Check the cemetery records.
Don’t
Trust the Cemetery Records
Cemeteries are run by people, often many
people over the course of many years. People make mistakes and sometimes did
not anticipate the size the cemetery would become 150 years later. I recommend you
do not to completely trust the cemetery records for two reasons.
1. Not
everyone is where they are supposed to be. I recommend walking a least 3 rows
on either side of where your ancestor’s grave is expected. If the section is not too big, walk the
entire section.
2. There were many people buried in the cemetery
who were not on the list given to us by the county. Yup, not recorded. If you’re
pretty sure your ancestor was buried in a particular cemetery, walk the
cemetery even though the cemetery people are telling you differently. Of the
1000 tombstones I photographed, I found 20 graves not recorded in the cemetery
records. I know many of my fellow volunteers were finding the same.
Tombstones
Offer More than Names and Dates
Sometimes a lot more information can be found on the
tombstone than can found in the cemetery records. For example other family members,
maiden names, causes of death, places of death, places of birth. Even interesting life milestones engraved on tombstones, like "first lady driver in the county."
Go
Gentle when Cleaning Tombstones
There have been plenty of articles written
about the various methods to clean and read tombstones. You don’t need much
more than a spray bottle of water and a soft brush to clean tombstones. Most
became legible with a little spray of water and a soft brush. I cleaned many
tombstones that were unreadable when I started and were completely legible when
I was done. Brush and water, nothing fancier or harsher required.
Go
Prepared and Organized
Save yourself a lot of work by gathering
all your tools in a handy carry-all. Here’s what I carried with me.
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Gardening
gloves,
Gardening shears
Soft brush
Spray bottle of water
Extra battery for camera
Paper towels
Clear baggie to cover camera if it’s a
little drizzly out
Bottle of water to keep hydrated
Protein bar to keep you going when you’re
feeling peckish.
Soft cloth to clean camera
Smartphone
Notepad and pencil
Don’t
Wait for the Perfect Sunny Day
Overcast day, chance of rain, don’t let
that discourage you from photographing. Cloudy days were in fact the best days,
no sun to deal with casting shadows on your stones. You also get a little less
warn out without the sun beating down on you. I found the best times to
photograph were early in the day or around 4pm in the evening, sun was not
intense, temperatures were a little cooler.
Be
Respectful
I did have to forego one day, because there
was an interment in my section. Be respectful of funerals and those who have
come to the cemetery to grieve. If you’re
from out of town, go for a coffee or lunch until the funeral is over and
everyone has cleared.
Review
Your Pictures at Your Earliest Convenience
If you live a distance away, review your
pictures before you leave the cemetery, make sure you can read the stones,
check to make sure you haven’t cast a shadow of yourself over the stone, and
that the stone is in focus and readable.
I did about 150-200 photos per session, so I reviewed them later at home
and went back to re-shoot a few that didn’t turn out as expected.
Volunteer
Check with your local archives
and see if they are conducting a cemetery project in your area and volunteer. I
learned a great deal about photographing tombstones. It improved by photography
skills by virtue of volume alone, but more importantly, I learned a lot about
the past residents of my county and I gleamed a few stories that I just may
have to write.
This project
was done with the permission of the county that operates and maintains the
cemetery. They shared their lists with us; in exchange we will share our
pictures with them.
