Finding the Past in Brass Rubbings : Genealogy: Families of British descent may find evidence of ancestors in exhibit of tombstone plate replicas in Long Beach.

Even before Alex Haley wrote “Roots,” genealogy has been a favorite obsession for Americans.

Those whose origins are buried somewhere in England might stumble upon evidence of a long-dead relative or two at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Long Beach, where replicas of tombstone plates dating from the Middle Ages are on view through Nov. 22.

The plates came to Southern California from the London Brass Rubbing Centre, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the art of brass rubbings. The St. Luke’s show features more than 50 copies of original tomb markers of British royalty and aristocrats. The originals are so fragile that the public is no longer able to make rubbings from them, though they remain on view in abbeys, churches and museums throughout England.

But the facsimiles on view at St. Luke’s, made from a metal alloy that looks like brass, are identical to the originals and available for rubbing. For a small fee to defray the expense of materials, visitors to the exhibit can make their own rubbings from plates as large as five feet.

There’s Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland in the 14th Century, and Lady Margaret Peyton of the Renaissance. Fearsome knights and ladies-in-waiting fill the room, along with noblemen and tax collectors.

“People come in exploring their own family history, looking for brass from the area where their family lived,” said Barbara Newton, chairwoman of the St. Luke’s exhibit.

“We’ve had some people claim relatives among them,” Newton said. “Who knows if they really are, but they seem to think so.”

From the 14th to 17th centuries, about 10,000 brass monuments were made to honor aristocrats, usually after their death. The plates, made of flat sheets of brass, were engraved with a likeness of the dead person, usually with a coat of arms or an inscription. The monument was set into a stone slab and then placed on the wall or floor of a local abbey or church.

Under the rule of Oliver Cromwell, many of the brass monuments were melted for arms, Newton said, and only 2,000 remain. “In England, the society for the preservation of brasses is quite popular,” she said. “And it’s getting more popular here.” A similar show at St. Luke’s last year drew 2,500 people. This year, many of the monuments are different, Newton said.

Admission is free. Those who wish to make rubbings from the facsimiles on display pay $6 or $7 for instruction and materials, including a large sheet of rag paper and beeswax for rubbing. The process is simple: The beeswax is mixed with metallic shavings; the friction of the rubbing causes the wax to melt and releases the metal onto the paper.

The exhibit is open Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the church, at 7th Street and Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. Groups with reservations may visit Tuesdays through Sundays. Groups of 10 or more may arrange for a brass rubbing and an English tea for $12 a person. Information: (310) 437-1584.