Preservation
-
End of the Month Routine
Aug 31
This was a long month, just like July was with only one major holiday. So with the end of the month, if you have not done so already, this would be an excellent time to make sure you have done a complete computer backup of your family history research. If you use a software program such as FamilyTree Maker, make a backup of the entire family bran...
-
Collect Ancestral Signatures
Jun 26
A really interesting collection to have with your family history are the signatures of your ancestors. Not all of your relatives will have available signatures because mostly they did not know how to read or write. Those are the ones who simply had to sign their name with an ‘X’, known as making their mark, were then witnessed by someone who di...
-
Transcribe Old Documents
Jun 24
As you gather the vital records, letters, diaries and journals there are a couple things you should do. If you have the scanning equipment, do a scan of the complete document and label the image. Keep those in a computer folder for the family lineage it belongs to. You will find you want to refer back to information on that document several times...
-
Smile for the Camera
Jun 8
Most of us have one or more old family photos, I’m talking very old, dating back to the 19th century. Did you stop to look that no matter who is in the photo or the occasion, that no one is smiling? First, think about it, neither are any portraits that were painted by artists, before photography became available, is a person smiling. That is be...
-
Lost and Found Family Treasures
Apr 29
It is amazing how many of a family’s heirlooms; such as photos, journals, silverware, letters, samplers, Bibles, etc. can eventually belong to a collector, be in an antique shop, sold in an auction or in a yard sale. Fortunately, there are many individuals who have made it their mission to attempt to get such family artifacts - their ‘treasures...
-
The Eradication of an Ancestor’s Cemetery
Jan 18
That sounds pretty harsh, not only the closing to any further burials, but then the eradication and total destruction of a cemetery where one’s ancestors have been at peace and rest for decades. The very thought does not even sound possible, but it is true and it has happened, even in more recent times. It might be imaginable that a tiny pri...
-
Preservation of Newspapers, Scrapbooks and Photos
Jan 2
Sometimes it can be amazing now long certain heirlooms we possess have lasted over the years. Yet, the question arises, how many have faded, been torn or even crumbled and lost to the ages? So that is why it is so important to make every effort to preserve those documents, photos and paper items now. Newspapers were never meant to last. They w...
-
Why Keep Old Family Stuff (Oh, I Mean Heirlooms)?
Oct 17
Some families are very fortunate that many personal items from their grandparents or earlier ancestors have remained in the family lineage and passed down over the decades. In some cases there is so much that has been saved, that some people feel overwhelmed keeping so much of someone else’s property or stuff. However, there are solutions to k...
-
The Photo Faces of America
Oct 13
The United States Library of Congress has joined with the online photo site ‘Flickr’ to help bring the massive collection of photo images to the homes of researchers. Inspecting this homepage offers up such a variety of topics. Known as the Library of Congress’ Photostream, there are seventeen major set of photos. They range from images...
-
Family History Month Across the U. S.
Oct 4
All across America during the month of October is celebrated National Family History Month. This concept started off small with different genealogical societies in several states back in the 1990s. Within a few years the idea caught on and was eventually recognized by the Federal Legislature and Executive branches, so proclaiming a National Famil...