The Association for Gravestone Studies

he AGS Archives contains collections donated primarily by members, and includes books, research papers, photographs, postcards, articles, and other gravestone related materials. In April 2009, the AGS Board voted to transfer our Archives to the Department of Special Collections, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Research in collections already moved may be conducted according to their procedures. A complete listing of Markers I - XXV    is also available for viewing and printing online.
                          Archive collection at University of Massachusetts - Amherst.
       Members may use the books and collections not yet transferred by appointment with the Librarian in the AGS Office. Materials may be used only in the AGS office. When not in violation of copyright laws, some materials may be photocopied for a fee.

Collecting Policy:

We collect the following types of materials related to tombstones and cemeteries and the Association for Gravestone Studies’ history, operation, and activities:
                        Books
                        Journals
                        Published articles and other publications
                        Gravestone carver account books, diaries, and correspondence
                        Account, carver name, and pattern books of tombstone manufacturers
                        Academic research reports and theses
                        Cemetery maps, burial records, and other information about interred
                             persons
                        Cemetery surveys, field notes, maps
                        Cemetery association newsletters, guides, brochures
                        Cemetery organization (fraternal and other) business records and
                             minutes
                        Newspaper articles
                        Photo postcards
                        Printed funeral announcements
                        Photographs, slides, and negatives (digital and conventional)
                        Audio and video recordings
                        Computer disks and CDs containing research or photographs
                        Computerized GIS data

We do not accept:
                       Three dimensional artifacts such as gravestones, casts, foil impressions
                       Rubbings unless the stone is missing, the rubbing is artistically
                               significant, or the decedent was historically significant
                       Items for sale (these may be donated to AGS, but not to the Archives)
                       Items that the donor does not own or have the legal right to donate

To donate items:

      If you have items you would like to donate to the AGS Archives, please contact Nancy Adgent, Archives Committee Chair, c/o the AGS office. Donors are required to sign a Deed of Gift transferring ownership and specifying any restrictions on use of the collection.
      Photographs should be identified and include at least the state, town and/or county, and cemetery name. Additional information such as the decedent's name, birth/death dates, and the carver’s name are useful for researchers. Please do not glue photographs or place them in ‘magnetic’ albums. Identifying data may be written on the back of photographs in pencil, taking care not to press hard. Digital images may be described in the Properties/Summary section of Windows Picture Manager.
      Questions about care and handling of personal items of historical research value may be found on the National Archives website at: http://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/.

Research Clearinghouse: AGS offers assistance to members involved in research on specific types of gravestones, carver attribution, symbols and ornamental carving, epitaphs, and other aspects of gravestone studies. Members may access this resource by contacting the AGS Office. Inquiries may also be placed in the AGS monthly electronic newsletter by sending the query to the AGS office. Before you ask a question, please check Preservation, Symbolism, and More Information sections for FAQs that have already been answered.

Another wonderful resource is The Farber Gravestone Collection, containing over 13,500 images documenting the sculpture on more than 9,000 gravestones, most of which were made prior to 1800, in the Northeastern part of the United States. The late Daniel Farber of Worcester, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jessie Lie Farber, were responsible for the largest portion of the collection. This online version of the Farber Gravestone Collection is sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society and can be accessed here. See our More Information page for an introduction to this collection written by Jessie Lie Farber.

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