Grave rubs are made by rubbing a soft pencil or charcoal on paper attached to a headstone, capturing details for genealogy and historical records. Precautions must be taken to avoid damage, and some cemeteries prohibit the practice.
A grave rub is an impression of a headstone made by rubbing a soft pencil or charcoal on a clean sheet of paper attached to the headstone. When done right, grave rubs can capture an immense amount of detail from the headstone and can be an interesting way to record genealogy, history, and particularly interesting headstones.
You may also feel severe rubs referred to as headstone rubs or headstone rubs. Given the abundance of beautiful and ornate headstones around the world, many graves are works of art in their own right, beyond their historical interest.
To do the grave rub, people first gently brush the headstone of interest with a soft natural fiber brush to remove debris and dirt. Next, they attach a piece of paper to the headstone with masking tape, painter’s tape, or another type of masking tape with a very mild adhesive that will leave no residue. As a general rule, the paper is larger than the gravestone, ensuring all the details are captured. Then, pastels, charcoals, soft pencils, or chalks can be gently swiped across the headstone, starting at the center, to capture the design.
After the grave rub is complete, the paper is removed and often sprayed with a fixative to prevent the design from smudging. Most people also like to make notes about the gravestone the rub came from, including details about the cemetery it’s in and the date. The finished rub can be displayed as a work of art or kept in storage, depending on personal taste.
There are a few precautions to keep in mind when doing serious rubs. It is extremely important to avoid using techniques that could damage the stones, which means no wire brushes or solvents should be used for cleaning. Even severe rubbings should only be done on stones that are in good condition: if a stone is soft and brittle or sounds hollow when touched, it can be damaged by even a light rubbing, so it should be avoided.
While doing a grave rub can be a lot of fun, it’s also important to remember that you’re in a cemetery. Some cemeteries explicitly prohibit the practice of making rubs, out of concern for damage, so cemetery officials should be consulted before taking rubs. It’s also a good idea to photograph the stones to document their condition before and after rubbings, and as a courtesy, many people cut or weed graves to put them in order, as a thank you to the occupant.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
