UpFront with NGS: heirlooms

Showing posts with label heirlooms. Show all posts

22 October 2015

Online Archives Seeks to Reunite Holocaust Victims (or family members) with Heirlooms

A unique collection has been put online in the hopes that doing such will connect lost heirlooms with their former owners or their families. To genealogists heirlooms are invaluable and often the only physical link we may have with our ancestors.

Recently an article made the rounds on Facebook (FG) that caught my eye -- Do you recognize this item of a concentration camp prisoner?

New online archive aims to reunite Holocaust victims and their families with lost heirlooms

A gold-plated wrist watch with a red band, an engraved pocket watch, numerous jewelry items and wedding rings, and of course photos. Those are all items taken from prisoners in German concentration camps, which now can be viewed online, as part of the new archive of the International Tracing Service (ITS).

50,000 documents have been uploaded last week to the center's website, among them are photos of 3,300 personal items which lay in ITS's archive in Bad Arolsen, Germany, just waiting for someone to recognize them...

Do read the article for more details on what is (and is not) included in the archive with regard to heirlooms as well as document.

You can access the database here. Do check it out. Please assist the ITS and its goal of returning the effects to former prisoners and family members.

Editor’s Note: Upfront with NGS posts on related topics.

+ Are you properly preserving your family heirlooms? (2015)

+ "No longer saved for generations, family heirlooms are being shed" (2013)

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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25 November 2014

Neat & Heartwarming -- Found Letters Returned to Family ...

It’s always nice to hear when possessions or letters are returned to a family ...

Special Report: Loved Ones Lost, Letters Found tells of some letters found in a basement and the successful research to identify a living relative of the letter’s authors, 3 brothers.

The letters have offered the family a new snapshot of their Lanthier history, and at the same time, it's brought them together to remember these three men- three brothers- who served their country.

Do you know of a similar success story where letters, a family heirloom, photographs, a bible, or some other piece of memorabilia?

A few other posts along the lines of reuniting family heirlooms with a family ...

+ Colorado family reunited with 150-year-old bible found in Valley

+ Treasured family heirloom landed in the trash, reunited with owners, newspaper reports

+ Cape Breton woman reunited with lost family heirloom

+ Family reunited with stolen 1938 heirloom telegram

+ Newcastle writer reunited with 200-year-old piece of family history (just skip the survey question)

+ Family reunited with lost photos

These world-wide stories all give us hope that maybe the oft-mentioned and yet not in anyone’s known possession bible might someday turn up.

There was one occasion where I was contacted by someone, based on a family genealogy posted on my website, about letters for my brother-in-law’s family. The person wanted to see that the letters got to a family member and so I drove out to a meet point, was given the letters, and we both went our separate ways. I then gave the letters to my sister and they are now a treasured keepsake.

Editor’s Note: Social Media played a part in some of these success stories!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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20 November 2014

A 110 Year-Old Still Operating Light Bulb -- Does Anything Held By Your Family Have That Kind of Longevity?

I found it fun and informative to read, The 110 Year-Old Light Bulb That's Never Been Turned Off.

Yet this 110 year old light bulb is proof of what one person can achieve. It's very existence proudly states, I am still here. It is proof that there is far more to all technologies then we can ever imagine. It is proof that true history matters. If only to pay tribute to the genius that got us so very far.

The article is as much about this particular light bulb as it is about conditions of the time and the value to both the idea of and creation of something called the light bulb.

Imagine – any electrical appliance that you have that is still be used 110 years later. In fact, think of any powered or even manual appliance. I know that I only have things like a tea set and a few plates which I know to be at least 110 years old. And, that’s it.

In fact, I often complain that some older items I have are better than any replacement could ever been. I have a car that is almost 25 years old, and a washer and dryer set that are a bit older ... I even have some light bulbs that lasted 10+ years and their replacements maybe lasted 1-2 years. Some newer technology is more efficient and has helped the environment or improved other aspects of our world and sometimes, in the past, items were built to last in a way we don’t find today ...

What about in your house or family. Are there any items that are still being “used” (not just brought out for show and tell) which have been around as long as this light bulb has been operating.

Editor’s Note – Thanks to Thomas MacEntee via his Hack Genealogy FB page for posting about this.

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog. Any opinions expressed by guest authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the view of NGS.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

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Unless indicated otherwise or clearly an NGS Public Relations piece, Upfront with NGS posts are written by Diane L Richard, editor, Upfront with NGS.

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09 December 2013

Can Digital 3D Modeling Preserve the Past and Present for Future Generations? What Can We Do to Make This Happen?

Thomas MacEntee (Hack Genealogy) posted a link to The Future of Preserving the Past Is All About You (Jamie Condliffe on GIZMODO). Though this sounds remarkably similar to what all genealogists and family historians do, it’s about using 3D rendering technologies to “preserve” monuments, buildings and any 3D item that has or will have historical relevance.

It’s surprisingly easy to capture 3D models of small everyday objects using little more than your phone and some patience. Autodesk’s 123D Catch(*), for instance, leans on a technique called photogrammetry to make use of your iPhone’s camera and processing grunt to create 3D models of real objects. Essentially, it infers geometric properties of an object from a series of photographs taken from different angles.

It’s not a new idea—in fact, the theoretical principles of photogrammetry have existed since the birth of photography—but the ease of application is now made possible by the tiny computers we all carry around in our pockets, all day, every day.

Update: Autodesk announced that all 123D apps, including Catch, would be discontinued in January 2017.

How cool does that sound? I have often struggled with this issue in that I was given some “thimbles” that had belonged to my great great grandfather who was a saddler. I have

photographed them to share with the family and yet it doesn’t quite do them justice. I also have

some china. See this post on Upfront with NGS to “see” images of my 3D challenges (called curios in the post) as I sought guidance on how I might digitize these!

I guess, as they say, “all things will come to those who wait;” I now might have a way to digitally preserve my curios!

Do read the mentioned article. It talks about different projects for digitizing 3D objects including one where school children are capturing local heritage sites in 3D. It also mentions a Google collection of 3D models and the Smithsonian has a Facebook page devoted to 3D Digitization.

Pursuing the concatenation of 3D + genealogy I came across this neat article 18th century tombstones deciphered with new 3D technology which suggests that we can also use 3D imaging technology to help us re-create what may already be lost. We’ve seen where long-lost buildings or communities have been re-created in 3D and to be able to use 3D technology to “read” what was engraved on a tombstone and yet not visible to us is just wonderful.

It’s always fun to read about new technology that might have application to our hunt for information on and context about the lives of our ancestors.

Have you been involved with a 3D rendering project of interest to genealogists?

What other uses might such technology have for family historians?

Editor’s Note: (*) this software is FREE and available as a PC download, app for iPhone & ipad, or as a web app. I’m waiting for an android version! When it comes out, I will test it on my thimble and report back! Though, I might distract myself sooner and play with the web-based or computer download versions.

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17 September 2013

The Death Of Family Heirloom -- Is it Exaggerated?

Envelope "to" Great Great Grandfather George Nelson in author's possession
Stored in a safe and the author "hopes" it would be safe in the event of a disaster!
Copyright 2013, Diane L Richard

A post with this name reports ...

DeliveryQuoteCompare.com have revealed that 52% of Brits treasure the TV over any other possession when moving house.

The study suggests that the Family heirloom is no longer considered in high regard with us Brits. Despite featuring on the list of 'Priority During A House Move', Family heirlooms did not rank in the top ten, only making it to the number 11 spot with 14% of the overall vote...

... Daniel Parry, spokesperson for DeliveryQuoteCompare.com, commented on the findings: "It used to be the case that the family silver came first. Now it seems that it's the family television. Or possibly the laptop. It's probably a modern take on society; priorities change over time, but it's sad to think that we've gone so far that family heirlooms are no longer regarded as something precious."

Do recognize that how a question is asked often does skew how it might be answered. In this case, the question focused on safety during transport. That said, are heirlooms of lesser importance to us?

If you were moving, what would be your priorities?

Let’s go a step further – “if” your house was on fire, or it was starting to flood, or a tornado was heading towards it, and all people and pets were safe and you could “safely” grab a few items, what would those be?

Or, if you have already been affected by some type of “disaster” what did you grab?

Previous Upfront with NGS posts about heirlooms:

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06 May 2013

"No longer saved for generations, family heirlooms are being shed"

My great great grandfather's thimbles -- he was a saddler from Scotland who settled in Oldham England

Paula Stewart Warren (Paula's Genealogical Eclectica) posted a piece with the above title which was based on an article which ran in the Star-Tribune which talks about people “shedding” heirlooms.

As my husband would say, Sacrebleu!

Basically, I grew up in a family where there were “few” heirlooms. As the product of emigrants new (1960s) and old (c. 1900), everyone traveled lightly. My mother did inherit a few pieces from her grandmother (which she divided amongst her daughters) and then I have acquired a few pieces from a great aunt. Additionally few pictures survived the vagaries of life, weather, remarriages, etc. And, there were never any diaries, scrapbooks or similar.

So, the few items I have are treasures to me; though, I can appreciate that they are just “stuff” to my kids. I do sometimes wonder what will happen when I am no longer here as a steward for my little collection. I have often thought about whether I should “deposit” any of it with a library or archive? For now, in my will, they are explicitly bequeathed to my children. Will they care? Will they hold onto it until they recognize the value?

How often are we “looking” for just the things that the article talks about as being shed? I found it painful to read.

Have you made plans for your “stuff” to remain in the family or end up in a local archive?

How do we ensure that people understand the “value” of such “stuff” beyond the dollars and cents that a sale might bring?

Editor’s Note: Check out this related Upfront with NGS post -- Digitizing Curios -- A neat window into hard-to-digitize objects!

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NGS does not imply endorsement of any outside advertiser or other vendors appearing in this blog.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com

12 March 2013

Family stories stashed in a button jar

Source: http://nabeeloo.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/buttons.jpeg

This really neat story found in the Sun Herald, Family stories stashed in a button jar caught my eye.

Another way that we “tell” stories and have items that remind us of historical events and stories.

I was brought up to keep all buttons and to this day I still keep a jar of buttons until it gets full and then they move to my sewing basket. Unfortunately, it more gets used to replace “lost” buttons since craftsmanship is not what it used to be and the buttons are always falling off purchased items.

Does your family have such a collection? Whether buttons or something else? Or some other “collection” of something a bit unusual or atypical that tells the story of your family?

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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08 September 2011

Send your orphan heirlooms home!

Megan Smolenyak-Smoleynyak wrote in the Huffington Post (9 August 2011) the following …

“About a decade ago, I accidentally launched into a sub-hobby of genealogy -- one I refer to as orphan heirloom rescues. The idea is to return items to descendants of their original owners. I discovered that our stuff has an amazing ability to wander, and not surprisingly, it often winds up with complete strangers. If we're lucky, these strangers are the kind who just can't bring themselves to toss family history treasures even when they have nothing to do with their own family…”

Read the full article.

If you have an orphan heirloom that is in need of rescue and that you would like Megan to consider, please fill out this form.

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Republication of UpFront articles is permitted and encouraged for non-commercial purposes without express permission from NGS. Please drop us a note telling us where and when you are using the article. Express written permission is required if you wish to republish UpFront articles for commercial purposes. You may send a request for express written permission to UpFront@ngsgenealogy.org. All republished articles may not be edited or reworded and must contain the copyright statement found at the bottom of each UpFront article.

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Think your friends, colleagues, or fellow genealogy researchers would find this blog post interesting? If so, please let them know that anyone can read past UpFront with NGS posts or subscribe!

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Suggestions for topics for future UpFront with NGS posts are always welcome. Please send any suggested topics to UpfrontNGS@mosaicrpm.com.