November 1995 Back Issue

Transcription

1 1 of 8 The VERY FIRST ISSUE T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s About "Treasure Maps" WWW site and newsletter What's coming up on TM's site in November FAQ from you- the genealogy enthusiastic Tidbits, Terms, Nibbles & Notes Photo preservation (first in a series of four) About the "Treasure Maps" WWW site and newsletter The "Treasure Maps" Newsletter will bring you genealogical materials that may not be on our Web site. What an exciting time for genealogical researchers with access to the Internet. Even though so many resources are already on-line, we are still in the "pioneering" stages of the types of research that we will be able to do in a few short years from now. It will be interesting to watch the topic of "genealogy" develop on what has been called "the most exciting new communications media since the printing press," the World Wide Web. We wanted to be a different kind of genealogy Web site. A place where you can be more comfortable about family history research, and really learn how-to do it step-by-step, and make your efforts easier and faster.

2 2 of 8 Judging from the comments that you've ed us, we're on the right track. Thanks again for your encouragement. Robert Ragan What's coming up on TM's site in November How-to write and preserve personal and family autobiographies: We will look at different ways and reasons to do this in our online guide. Keeping a personal journal: Keeping a journal from a "family history perspective" will make keeping your journal more fun and interesting. Note: Both journals and autobiographies can truly be "priceless treasures" that can never be replaced. Learn how and why in TM's Family section. Family History Heroes: A look at some of the unsung heroes of our time. Those who selflessly help others learn about their family histories and promote genealogy. FAQ from you- the genealogy enthusiast Some of the questions that you've ask so far are about finding more information on: adoptions and missing family members, research in Germany, Research in Cuba, and various surnames that you're interested in.

3 3 of 8 Many beginning researchers have asked how-to get started, and some seemed a bit overwhelmed, but excited, by the whole research process. No one is an expert in every area of research that exists. Usually one becomes proficient in the areas where the majority of research on their own "lines" are done. I have many ancestors in the Southern States, so I'm better at Southern research than I am at research in Germany, where I have very little experience. But this doesn't mean that I can't get the answers and know where to look- and get them quick! By teaching and helping others, I've had a chance to work in many areas. I'm no expert in all of them by any means, but I have a good idea of what is involved in finding the answers, and YOU should know how also. How-to Find Answers Fast: -On the Internet: Use the WWW directories. Try "Webcrawler" ( for starters. Simply type in (in this case) the key word "genealogy" and the key word "German" (or Cuba etc.) and click on the SEARCH button. You will see a listing of any Newsgroups, Web, FTP, or Gopher sites that mentions anything involving these key words. You will be surprised at the great things on-line.

4 4 of 8 In libraries: Usually the main branch of your public library will have a good selection (esp. regional) of genealogy books and microfilm. Don't forget about the Genealogical Societies in your area. Often times they will let you have access to some very good publications that the public library lacks. At a (FHC) Family History Center: Visit TM's "World's Largest Collection" area to learn more about what's available to you. Because the FHC's are in LDS Church buildings, folks are sometimes wary about entering. Look in the (FHLC) "Family History Library Catalog" for OUTSTANDING references that will answer ALL of the questions mentioned above. The importance of what you can get from FHC's etc. can't be stressed enough. You can save countless hours in North American and Foreign research following the outlines alone. Also, remember that the North American outlines are already on the WWW. Visit TM's "Research Room" to learn where to get them and how to use them. In closing: I agreed to help a woman get going on her research in Vietnam. Honestly- I had no idea about what to expect. We looked in the FHLC and found much more than either of us expected. Yes, many of the records were destroyed etc., but what was there was impressive and well compiled. Try for yourself- your jaw might just hit the floor.

5 5 of 8 Tidbits, Terms, Nibbles & Notes (c) Lee Rickerson Home Improvement: In pioneer homes the fireplace was used daily. Such use produced large quantities of soot--the soot of burning firs being flammable. To reduce such hazards the chimney was cleaned on a regular basis. Brooms were used for fireplaces with short chimneys. For longer structures 1 or 2 live chickens were tossed down the stack--the rapid flapping of their wings removing soot as they descended. Upon acquiring new land, a settler could clear (at best) 1-2 acres each year. It would take upwards to 50 years to carve a farm out of the wilderness. Age as an Advantage: the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Federal census mentioned African-American slaves by age, sex, and color (Black or Mulatto). Only slaves over the age of 100 were enumerated by name. Measures: a labor = 177 acres a sitio = 1 suare league a link = 7.92 inches a perch (or pole or rod) = 5.5 yards or 16.5 feet a rood varies from 5.5 to 8 yards. Military Titles: Apprentice - a minor child enlisting in the military to receive training. Cornet - lowest grade of officer in the cavalry. Sappers - enlisted men of the engineering corps who dug trenches. Also called miners.

6 6 of 8 Scrap Paper: prior to using standard printed forms, the census enumerators had to be resourceful in the extreme. Records were taken down on paper ranging in size from 4 inches to 3 feet long. Other items used as paper included: old newspapers and wallpaper. Caution: an explosion may result if the battery of a pacemaker is not removed from a corpse prior to cremation. Will You or Not: it is estimated that about one half of all Americans have either left or been mentioned in a will. Sick and Tired of War: Doctors in the Civil War occasionally used a medical diagnosis for soldiers who developed an intense aversion to combat: Cannon Fever. SPECIAL FEATURE: Photo Preservation (1st of 4) E x c e r p t s F r o m: "Everything you ever wanted to know about family photographs: But didn't know who to ask." by David Mishkin, President "Just Black & White." So your mother, father, aunt, uncle just unloaded a shoebox full of family photographs on you because of your interest in the family history. You have finished identifying the relatives as well as possible and now have no idea how to store the photographs for future generations. You realize that some of them are in great shape but some are fading, some are sticking to each other and some

7 7 of 8 photographs have mold on them... Yuck! What is a genealogist to do now? It is a good idea as a first step to be able to identify the most common types of photographic processes. This will help confirm the period of time the photographs were made of that member of your family. I have worked with several genealogists to help identify their photographs. On one occasion, a positive identification of a salt print allowed us to determine that this photograph was the researcher's great-grandmother, whereas most of her family believed it was their grandmother. On another occasion, the identification allowed us to learn the proper orientation of an image. This allowed the researcher to conclude that this was in fact the house his grandfather was born in. PHOTOGRAPHIC IDENTIFICATION In the beginning... Ah! But where is the beginning? Did photography start in the year 1,000 AD when Alhazen described the principle of the ''Camera Obscura'' - (a drawing aid... meaning a dark chamber). 500 years later Leonardo da Vinci described the same device and operated one outside his studio in Florence. Or should we consider the beginning in the 1560's when lenses were fitted to the Camera Obscura, allowing an image to be sharply focused on a piece of ground glass and allowed the operator to trace a picture on a thin sheet of drawing paper laid over the glass. Most authorities will agree that the first practical form of photography was encouraged through the experiments and developments (no pun intended) of Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre. Although William Henry Fox Talbot had been working on a process that recorded a negative

8 8 of 8 image, Daguerre was the first to publicize his results and the discovery of the photographic process is attributed to Daguerre. The daguerreotype was popular from 1839 to 1860, was produced on a metal support of thin copper, with a highly polished mirror-like coating of silver. They are sealed in glass to protect the plate from atmospheric and physical damage. In America, daguerreotypes were most often placed in small hinged cases made of wood with a leather or paper covering. The daguerreotype's distinguishing features are its highly polished silver support and its quality of appearing as a negative or a positive depending on the angle of viewing and the direction from which light fall upon it. Due to limitations and difficulties of producing a large plate, daguerreo types were rarely made any larger than 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches known as whole-plate size. The most common size produced was sixth-plate size and measured 2 1/2 x 31/2. It is estimated that by 1853 as many as three million daguerreotypes were made in the United States alone. David L. Mishkin, Pres. "Just Black & White" A custom black & white photo processing lab specializing in copying and restoring historic and family photographs.