National Trust Guidelines for Cemetery Conservation

7 CONSERVATION ISSUES: MONUMENTS

7.1 INTRODUCTION

Graves may consist of several elements including -

a grave marker - usually a headstone or monument and sometimes also a footstone;
grave plantings; and
grave furniture such as ornaments, vases, tiles, kerbing and fences.

Each element is regarded as significant, contributing to the meaning of the grave as a whole, and should not be removed with the aim of "tidying-up" a cemetery.

The repair of damaged monuments is strongly advocated by the National Trust if sufficient funds are available for professional work. Professional repair of damage such as a simple break to a headstone is usually not very expensive.

Repairs to monuments should ideally be made in accordance with the recommendations of Standards Australia and in accordance with best conservation practice. Attempts by unskilled workers to make repairs should be avoided as in many cases this results in additional or long term damage.

A guide to the conservation of monuments, and notes on the physical preservation of gravestones are included in Appendices B, C & D. It should be noted that these guidelines are suggestions only and are not universally applicable.

The National Trust recommends that expert advice be sought in any case where the most appropriate form of treatment is not clear. A list of professionals with conservation skills is available from the National Trust and the NSW Heritage Office.

7.2 RELOCATION OF MONUMENTS

The significance of monuments is greatly reduced if they are removed from their context. It is the National Trust's policy, in accordance with Article 9 of the Burra Charter, that grave markers should not be relocated or rearranged except in exceptional circumstances.

In particular, monuments should not be rearranged in artificial rows. The odd alignment of monuments may show the way a cemetery first developed, or indicate relationships among those interred. The relative position of grave markers should therefore be preserved, even if this causes minor problems in mowing and routine maintenance.

The same applies to smaller parts of the monument such as footstones, which are easily lost or damaged. Footstones are not just important in themselves: they are an integral part of a grave. As the name suggests, they mark the foot of the grave and have an important spatial relationship to the headstone. Footstones are generally deeply inscribed with the initials of the deceased and the year of death, which can be an invaluable record when the date on the associated headstone is illegible. Footstones should not be moved close to the headstone or removed for ease of maintenance.

Any monuments moved from their original location should be reinstated if documentation of the correct location is available. Sometimes it is impossible to return a number of monuments to their original location, for example when part of a cemetery has been destroyed. It is then recommended that they should be placed in a group and identified accordingly. Removal should only be considered in very rare circumstances, for example if a monument having exceptional value as an artefact is threatened by its environment. Even in this case such removal should be regarded as a temporary measure, and if possible a facsimile of the original monument or an explanatory sign should be installed at the original location. The original monument should not be destroyed. It should be stored and its location made known to the relevant authority and local interest group (eg. historical society or the regional library's Local Studies archive).

7.3 RE-ERECTION OF BROKEN FRAGMENTS

The National Trust advocates retention in situ, wherever possible, of all cemetery monuments.

The tabulated guide to monument repairs in Appendix B suggests options for repair of simple breaks.

In cases where monuments have been shattered, severely damaged or are missing pieces, so that re-erection over the grave is considered impractical, it is still desirable that the fragments are retained within the cemetery. Fragments may, in such circumstances, be attached to a wall or slab of appropriate design, incorporating material sympathetic to the cemetery.

Details of the original location of the fragments should be documented prior to removal and re-erection. This information should be recorded on the wall or slab, as well as being lodged with the relevant authority and local interest group (such as the local historical society, or National Trust). The supporting structure should shed rainwater effectively, to minimise rising damp and the weathering of monument pieces. The use of mortar or cement should be minimised, and no iron or steel dowels should be used in attaching broken fragments. No such work should be undertaken without professional advice.

7.4 INSCRIPTIONS

7.4.1 INTRODUCTION

The inscription on a monument has a variety of heritage values, including genealogical significance, social and historical significance, and artistic and technological significance.

All inscriptions record genealogical information such as birth and death dates, and often familial relationships. In cases of monuments pre-dating Civil Registration in 1856 (when the registration of death became compulsory), this record may be the only documentation of early European settlers. Inscriptions can also include historical information such as arrival in Australia, war service, and occupation.

The language of the inscription and choice of supporting scriptural text or verse can reflect community and religious attitudes of the time, or the attitudes of the heirs or descendants, or the tastes and attitudes of the departed.

The quality of carved inscriptions - the layout, lettering script, and quality of the letter cutting - all provide information about the artisan and the date of the monument. Sometimes there are variations in the inscription style and quality which can indicate different dates of interment and / or recording of information.

7.4.2 CONSERVING INSCRIPTIONS

Natural processes of weathering gradually make inscriptions harder to read. Engraved letters on granite may lose their paint and be obscured by lichen; sandstone engraving becomes less sharp and may spall away; marble slowly dissolves at the surface, and lead lettering may become loose and fall out. These effects can be retarded -but not halted -by good general conservation practices for the monument as a whole.

When inscriptions have already deteriorated, however, it is often hard to identify the best procedure. Where that procedure is irreversible (as with re-inscription), any error is also irreversible.

7.4.3 ISSUES

Sometimes there is an automatic assumption that because the inscription was made to be read, the surface should be cut back and the message re-inscribed. In some cases this is valid, but often it is not. Re-inscription, after all, always destroys the original engraving, and always falsifies the naturally aged appearance of the stone; whereas it is always possible to retain the message on the grave site by attaching an inscribed metal plaque to kerbing, to another part of the grave, or to a new small stone block.

It is also true, however, that some stone deteriorates more slowly if a porous weathered surface is removed, and that a series of deteriorated monuments may impair a cemetery's appearance and lead to community disinterest and vandalism.

7.4.4 REPLACING INSCRIPTIONS

The National Trust's Cemeteries Committee accepts that re-inscription may be the only conservation procedure acceptable to those involved. In such cases the work should not occur until the inscription is largely illegible, and should then be undertaken by a professional monumental letter cutter. The work should be guided by a clear and detailed photograph, taken if possible well before the work becomes necessary.

If the original inscription is already illegible an earlier, clear photograph may enable a valid copy. Alternatively, some or all of the original may be discovered in transcriptions held by family history groups or historical societies. Many such transcriptions comprise only biographical data (names, dates, relationships), but some have the full text, including memorial verses and monumental mason's name when present. (See Section 8.5 for sources of information on such listings).

In any case new inscriptions are only acceptable if there is a footnote or inconspicuous plaque reading "Re-inscription of Original (year)", "Copy of Original Text (year)", or "New Inscription (year)", as applicable.

7.4.5 THE "PLAQUE" ALTERNATIVE

Monuments can be permanently identified by fixing an inscribed plaque of bronze or stainless steel to an inconspicuous part of the monument (not to the headstone itself). Fixing such metal plates to existing monuments is acceptable providing that the plaque does not detract from the appearance of the original memorial. The plaque should preferably give a full transcription. Where such a full transcription has been made and lodged in an archive (preferably with a photograph) the plaque may just give a name, or name/ date/ age at death. The plaque should be headed "Transcription of Original" or "Grave of …."; and in all cases a note should appear at the end: "Plaque Attached (year)".

7.5 PAINTING OF MONUMENTS AND INSCRIPTIONS

Many monuments were originally painted, especially sandstone altar tombs often painted white or whitewashed to give a marble-like effect. Lettering on whitewashed sandstone was usually picked out in black, and occasionally unpainted sandstone was similarly treated (often in black or gold). Unless leaded, granite monuments were generally painted within the inscribed lettering.

No paint should be applied to a heritage monument unless there is clear evidence of previous painting. Under no circumstances should such work be done without specialist advice. Even then it is important to gain appropriate permissions (see Section 6.5). The problems are much greater than are readily apparent, and generally (especially for sandstone and marble) should be undertaken only by experienced professionals.

7.6 KERBING AND GRAVE FENCING

Every element of a grave is significant. No element should be removed as a means of "tidying-up" the cemetery.

For instance, when railings of cast or wrought iron are removed the grave itself loses part of its original design. Perhaps more importantly the district loses examples of the work of local blacksmiths and the cemetery loses a large portion of its visual quality.

All ironwork should be maintained against corrosion. In most cases routine applications of fish oil or other preservative will suffice. If known, earlier painting is to be restored it is essential that the surface be cleaned thoroughly of all loose, soft or flaking rust, back to metal or to hard, black or dark brown oxide. Any oxide must be "pacified" by use of a phosphoric acid compound such as "Killrust" inhibitor, followed by use of compatible metal primer and topcoat.

7.7 GRAVE FURNITURE AND ORNAMENTS

The ornaments which form part of many monuments can be important features of a cemetery, and their significance should not be ignored just because they are small, or mass-produced, or movable. Apart from aesthetic significance they always add social context to whatever else is present. If they can be fixed in their original location this is worth doing. As with other elements, an appearance of care tends to deter vandals, so even straightening an immortelle and replacing it centrally on a grave may help conserve the site.

7.8 STRIP PLINTHS

One of the more recent developments in cemetery design is the use of concrete strips as continuous plinths for mounting monuments or plaques at the heads of grassed-over graves. Strip plinths enable reduced maintenance whilst permitting, in sections where headstones are allowed, a certain amount of individual artistic design.

The National Trust does not oppose the establishment of strip plinths but considers that, like lawn cemeteries and columbaria, they should be designed and located so as not to intrude upon existing elements or detract from cemetery character.

7.9 COLUMBARIA

The National Trust recognises that the community's burial customs are continually changing, and that a strong preference for cremation has become established during the late 20th century.

However, some columbaria installed in historic cemeteries have become visually jarring and intrusive elements in their landscape because of unsympathetic design and/or poor siting.

The National Trust opposes the construction of columbaria where the location and design of the new work will intrude on historic cemetery landscape. The Cemeteries Committee of the National Trust is willing to comment on proposals for columbaria at the earliest stages of design.