20th century
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Photos Over the Years
Dec 17
As you have done your family history research and covered many decades, some family relatives may have followed in the same occupation as their ancestors - a family tradition. Using the 'Old Photo Archive' online site you can view vintage photos of individuals at specific occupations at different time frames. They have about 80 plus categories to ...
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Vintage Cartoons & Caricatures
Nov 29
Before photos were used in our ancestors' newspapers and magazines, to have any type of an idea of what a person or event looked like, these print items were dependent on artists. Many of the drawings were very detailed, just as good as a photo and others were more light-hearted drawings. Political cartoons were also very popular. Many of these t...
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Suffrage – Postcard Propaganda in 1900
Nov 8
In the 21st century we think of social media (Facebook & Twitter) for sharing one's ideas and opinions with other people. Yet this is not a new concept. Back between 1900 and 1914 there was another method that was quite popular for our great grandparents to express their feelings and attitudes toward the hot topic of those years - Women's Suffr...
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Kansas Glass Negatives
Aug 23
Finding the lost and forgotten photos is great. There could be untold treasures in such a find. Located at the Fort Hayes State University in Kansas is such a collection. However, these are not ordinary photos but rather glass plates negatives. They were from the William R. Gray Studio in St. John, Stafford County, Kansas. What makes these even bet...
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Passport Applications
Jul 27
Getting a digital or print copy of an ancestor's passport application can provide some great information. Of course, not all individuals got a passport during their lifetime, only if they were traveling from USA to a foreign country. So unless you know for sure a relative never traveled overseas, you do need to check if there was an application for...
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Utah Newspapers
Jun 9
Having newspapers that cover hometown news, events, families and individuals is a treasure chest for information. The University of Utah has placed online a long list of local newspapers; titled the 'Utah Digital Newspapers' from across Utah covering many different time frames. They have them from all the state's counties with some dating back to ...
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NYC-Ellis Island Photos–1902-1913
May 17
The famed Ellis Island was not the only arrival port for immigrates. There were entrances in Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Orleans as also major ports. Even before Ellis Island opened in 1892, there was in New York, Castle Garden, an entrance for 11 million immigrants from 1820 through 1892. The New York Public Library does have a collec...
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Chicago & Cook County, Illinois Death Records 1878-1994
Mar 25
FamilySearch.org has indexed an additional 3.7 million Cook County, Illinois death records. These records date from 1878 to 1939 and 1955 to 1994 (although the records are missing for the city of Chicago death records for the years 1910 to 1915). This collection can be searched by first name, last name, gender and race. Access is free. Mos...
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Maps-Atlases of New York City
Jan 31
The use of maps, long before GPS, has been a very helpful tool, not just to find places, but for someone doing genealogy to better understand the areas their ancestors lived. True, you can visit an old family neighborhood today, but that general store or the three neighbor houses across from that of your grandparents might not be there anymore. H...
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Collections from New York City Library
Jan 27
The New York Public Library has a vast array of collections, now made digital. The categories range from NY World's Fair 1939-40; photos of the city 1931-1942; atlases of NYC; street views of New York; a collection of the front of doors in the city; NY World’s Fair of 1964; construction of the subway; art photos from the NY Museum; the East Riv...