UpFront with NGS

14 January 2016

National Genealogical Society - December 2015 Quarterly Now Online

Volume 103, No.4, December 2015 (PDF 2.8MB) of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly is now available online in the Members Only section of the website.

Feature Articles

+ Reassembling a Clark Family of Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina, by Laurel T. Baty, CG

+ Middle Names from 1792 and 1793 Help Reconstruct Ancestry of John Rodda Jr., Butcher of Helston, Cornwall, by Ronald A. Hill, Ph.D., CG, FASG

+ 2014 Winner: Family History Writing Contest – From Slavery to Society: The Jerry Moore Family of Virginia and Pennsylvania, by William A. Cox

Review Essay

+ How to Solve Genealogy Problems, and How to Known When They Have Been Solved: A Guide to Elements of Genealogical Analysis and Mastering Genealogical Proof, by Harold Henderson, CG

and other regular features ...

Editor’s Note: Please note that online access to the NGS Quarterly (NGSQ) and NGS Magazine are available only as long as your membership is active. You can access the NGSQ archive – the index is available for FREE and as a member you can access archives encompassing 1960-1974, 1976–current.

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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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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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13 January 2016

New NYG&B President D. Joshua Taylor was once an NGS Rubincam Award Winner!

Last week we received news that D. Joshua Taylor has been appointed President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical (NYG&B) Society.

Did you know that back in 2003, D. Joshua Taylor won the NGS Rubincam Youth Award?

The Rubincam Youth Award was established in 1986 to honor Milton Rubincam, cg^*, fasg, fngs, for his many years of service to the National Genealogical Society and to the field of genealogy. These awards encourage and recognize our youth as the next generation of family historians.

Here is the full press release about his new appointment ...

New York, New York, January 7, 2016. D. Joshua Taylor, the prominent genealogist, author, and lecturer, has been appointed President of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, effective February 1, 2016. He succeeds McKelden Smith, who is retiring after serving as its highly-regarded President of seven years.

Jeanne Sloane, chairman of the board of trustees of the NYG&B, said, “We are thrilled that Josh has accepted this position. He brings to the NYG&B dynamic energy and his well-known passion for the mission of genealogical societies in general. He has broad experience as an advanced researcher and riveting lecturer. Plus he has the expertise we require in the innovative use of technology in our field.”

Ms. Sloane also said that Mr. Taylor already knows the NYG&B unusually well. “Most recently,” she said, “Mr. Taylor was Director of Family History at Findmypast.com. While he was in this position he coordinated the integration of the NYG&B’s eLibrary with the Findmypast platform.

“Before that, as a consultant, he played an integral role in the strategic planning process for the NYG&B, which resulted in the 2015 publication of the Society’s award-winning New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer.

“And Mr. Taylor, as president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies, was a leader in creating the FGS Regional Conference which was integrated with the New York State Family History Conference, co-sponsored by the NYG&B and held in Syracuse, New York, in August, 2015.”

Mr. Taylor noted, “I am thrilled to embark on this new endeavor with the NYG&B. In today's world, the NYG&B's mission to help those of all backgrounds discover their family history is essential, and something that I am deeply committed to. I am truly honored to be joining the NYG&B and to being a part of its bright future.”

The NYG&B also played an important formative role in Mr. Taylor's interest in genealogy. “The NYG&B Record was the first genealogy periodical I came across in my genealogical research,” noted Taylor, “and since that time, my love and respect for the NYG&B's role as a leader and source of genealogical scholarship has only grown. It is an important legacy that I look forward to continuing for many years to come.”

Mr. Taylor, who holds an MA in history and an MLS in Archival Management, is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including RootsTech’s Distinguished Presenter Award. He has been a featured genealogist on the television series Who Do You Think You Are? and is currently a host on the popular PBS series Genealogy Roadshow, whose third season is currently in production.

The former Director of Education and Programs at the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Mr. Taylor has published numerous articles in American Ancestors, the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, and other periodicals. He is the author of The Keane and Sheahan Families of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a study of a family’s immigration and life in New England after the Irish famine.

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The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, a membership organization founded in 1869, is the second oldest genealogical society in the United States. The NYG&B Record, a distinguished, peer-reviewed quarterly journal, has been in publication continuously since 1870. The Society publishes the New York Researcher, a quarterly which provides updates on research resources in New York and other subjects; maintains a growing website rich in New York family history content, including the eLibrary hosted on Findmypast; and produces a calendar of educational programs, including the biannual statewide genealogy conference. The Society also publishes books, including the monumental, 856-page New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer, and the forthcoming guide to the New York City Municipal Archives. Details about the society are at NewYorkFamilyHistory.org.

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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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12 January 2016

Current Season of Finding Your Roots Premiered Last Week & Continues Tonight

Unfortunately, I took a bit of a “medical” hiatus last week and didn’t get to post about Finding Your Roots premiering the current season last Tuesday.

Fortunately, you can catch that episode right here (The Stories We Tell -- Donna Brazile, Ty Burrell and Kara Walker).

Catch tonight’s episode on your local PBS station, 8/7c PM. Bill Maher, Soledad O’Brien and Bill O’Reilly participate in The Irish Factor episode.

If my math is correct, there will be 8 more weeks after 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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07 January 2016

Radio in the 1930s was often maligned in the same way that video games et al are today

It’s a new year and Christmas is now a memory.

I realized after the holiday that for the first time in a few years, my family and I hadn’t watched “A Christmas Story.” I always enjoy watching this movie.

I was reminded of this when I read a Smithsonian.com article written last month that I had put in my queue of “read when I have a chance links.” The piece is American Children Faced Great Dangers in the 1930s, None Greater Than “Little Orphan Annie”

It mentions the aforementioned movie and also reminds us that many of the claims made today against the current media that enthrall children, young adults (and even adults) were also made back in the 1930s ...

Many claims about the harm allegedly caused by violent video games, movies, and other media today—that they turn kids into violent criminals, rob them of sleep, and wreak havoc with their nervous systems—were lobbed just as strongly at radio in the 1930s. “These broadcasts are dealing exclusively with mystery and murder,” wrote a Brooklyn mother to the Times in 1935. “They result in an unhealthy excitement, unnecessary nervousness, irritability and restless sleep.”

In the past when I’ve watched the movie, I’ve just enjoyed what seemed to be a slight exaggeration of what life was like at the time. As a child of the tv generation and not the radio generation, as it is portrayed, it all seemed relatively tame and just the fanciful musings of a child. Yet as I think about the power of the imagination, pandering to exciting story lines, and the explicit link to advertising and much more, I better appreciate the cultural revolution that the movie depicts.

It makes me wonder whether there was a cultural revolution before the radio? If so, what was it and were parents as horrified of the influence of that newfangled idea?

And, advertising is so ingrained in our lives – it’s everywhere! As our 19^th century (and earlier ancestors) lived their lives – were they as bombarded by advertising as we are? I think not since it was harder to spread the word. Clearly even early newspapers had lots of advertisements in them. I suspect that handbills were posted on boards about town and inside establishments. Probably people would “hawk” products along the streets and still you could find sanctuary in your own home; I suspect.

As I sometimes muse, an article like the one by the Smithsonian reminds me of the context of when my ancestors lived. It also makes me more aware of how today is both similar and different from say the 1930s. I love historical fiction, or in this case a form of reminiscing, since it really does help me see my dad as the Ralphie of his neighborhood -- geeky glasses and a well-developed imagination!.

Editor’s Note: As I was noodling around the internet about the movie, I learned that there is A Christmas Story House restored as it was in the movie and open to the public with an associated Museum across the street.

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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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06 January 2016

Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society Database Adds Geissenhainer Pastoral Records

Geissenhainer Baptismal entry -- Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society (MAGS) database entry

From a post by Dick Eastman (Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter), I learned of a neat database created by the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society (MAGS), Geissenhainer Pastoral Records Database Completed.

This database gives wonderful insight into a couple of Lutheran Churches in New York City, St. Matthew’s and St. Paul’s, that primarily served the German population.

The Geissenhainer database contains 1,180 confirmation records; 5,663 marriages; and 11,698 baptisms, for a total of over 18,000 records. There are almost 52,000 unique names contained in the index.

Having just discovered this database, my insatiable curiosity wondered what other treasures the MAGS website might reveal. The MAGS database contains much more than the Geissenhainer Records.

The other record types found in the database include – Bremen emigration, Consular estates, Consular fees, Consular marriages and marriage contracts,

Overseas military pensions, Philadelphia naturalizations, and Wiesbaden consular services.

Nonmembers are limited to accessing the Geissenhainer Records and the names for the remaining sources. To see additional details for the latter, one must be a MAGS member.

As always, remember when you learn about a new database or record group, to further explore and see if there are other records that might also have relevance. In this case, there are many records related to researching Germans who migrated to the mid Atlantic and nearby areas – maybe your family is included.

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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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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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05 January 2016

Eww! Insects would love to eat historic (and not so historic) documents -- Are you pest free?

Image from "Get the munchers!"

As we all know, eradicating pests can be problematic. Many of them are voracious in their appetites, and tenacious in their choice of food and location. We talked about this before in Insects destroy Idaho county's historic documents – insects did an amazing amount of damage!

The reason for today’s post was a nostalgic walk through the Library and Archives Canada Blog and I came across this post, Get the munchers! which contains “graphic” images of the “top five most unwanted creepy crawlers in libraries and archives.” Yuck!

Pests are everywhere all the time. It’s easy to get focused on worrying about disasters and forgetting that “munchers” are constantly seeking food and that food just might be your collected documents, heirlooms, photographs and more.

So, to help ourselves (with our personal archives) and our archivist friends (with their much larger collections), I’m posting some helpful resources that might help with the pesky problem of pests.

+ Integrated Pest Management (Northeast Document Conservation Center)

+ Solutions -- MuseumPests.net (Integrated Pest Management Working Group)

+ Approaches to Insect Problems in Paper and Books (Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin)

+ Preservation Advisory Centre – Pests (British Library)

+ Archives Damage Atlas (Metamorfoze, teh Netherlands’ National Program for the Preservation of Paper) (go to P – Pest infestation)

If you Google (TM) on insect + damage + documents or something similar, you will come across many helpful websites.

Are you aware of collections which suffered extensive damage from insects?

Did a local archive near you have an insect problem? How was it handled?

Have you personally had an insect problem beyond an occasional silverfish carcass found? How did you handle it?

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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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04 January 2016

Microfilm is NOT on death's doorstep nor will be anytime soon

Image by OSU Special Collections & Archives, https://www.flickr.com/photos/osuarchives/2709973933

Used per Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 2.0 Generic license

Though we are increasingly able to find digitized versions of microfilm which we can access from our favorite tech toys, there is much much more microfilm that we cannot access online. This will remain true for the foreseeable future.

As mentioned in Wait a Minute, You Still use Microfilm? No, not all newspapers (please substitute any other kind of record here that you want to look at) are not all digitized these days. Every week I look at microfilmed newspaper records after exhausting what I can access online. The same is true for many other types of records which I can access on microfilm about 12 minutes from my house versus having to drive all over the state, region or country.

And, microfilm is for the most part more enduring than the material it reproduces – paper. Paper likes to deteriorate and is susceptible to environmental conditions. Microfilm can also be easily copied. Microfilm can take the abuse of being constantly handled. Microfilm inherently has a long life span.

Microfilm also has some advantages over digital media. To give you a bit more perspective on the pros and cons, read Film or Scan? which gives a nice comparison on the costs and other factors associated with choosing whether to microfilm a collection or digitize one.

Even NARA, with all of its digitizing initiatives continues to preserve records on microfilm.

In an era of digitization, NARA continues to microfilm records because microfilm is a low-cost, reliable, long-term, standardized image storage medium. The equipment needed to view microfilm images is simple, consisting of light and magnification. The medium has a life-expectancy of hundreds of years.

So, don’t expect to be attending a memorial service for microfilm anytime soon. It is still one of a genealogists best friends and will remain such for a long time.

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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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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01 January 2016

National Genealogical Society Issues Call for Proposals for the 2017 Family History Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina

Arlington, VA, 1 January 2016—The National Genealogical Society (NGS) will open the call for proposals for the 2017 Family History Conference, Family History Lives Here, on 1 January 2016. The conference will be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 10–13 May 2017.

Throughout its history, North Carolina has been home to a diverse population including Native Americans and those who trace their heritage back to Europe and Africa. During colonial times, it was one of a few colonies that embraced religious diversity, welcoming Quakers, Huguenots, Methodists, and Moravians. It is a land rich in cultural traditions. From the lighthouses on the outer banks to the falling waters on the Piedmont, to the dramatic overlooks in the mountains, this land calls us back to take a closer look. The Tar Heel story is vibrant, shared through the words of each family, and recorded in the wonderful records, manuscripts, and artifacts preserved in the numerous North Carolina archives, special collections, museums, libraries, historical sites, and societies.

Among the topics being considered by NGS for its 2017 conference are presentations on North Carolina history, including available records, and repositories; land grants, and other land records; court system and laws; ethnic and religious groups; military, farming, and other occupations; neighboring states; and migration to, from, and within the Carolinas. The Society will also consider other topics of interest reaching from the Colonial era to the 21st Century. In addition, NGS encourages the submission of proposals for broader genealogical categories, including methodology, problem solving, and technology.

Speakers who wish to submit lecture proposals, and organizations interested in sponsoring tracks or individual lectures, should follow the published guidelines at the NGS website page: http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/cs/call_for_proposals.

Speakers may submit up to eight proposals electronically via https://goo.gl/wCs8wn.

Organizations wishing to sponsor a lecture may submit proposals via https://goo.gl/6SYFcc.

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the NGS website by 11:59 p.m. EDT on 1 April 2016.

Founded in 1903, the National Genealogical Society is dedicated to genealogical education, exemplary standards of research, and the preservation of genealogical records. The Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit is the premier national society for everyone, from the beginner to the most advanced family historian seeking excellence in publications, educational offerings, and guidance in research. It also offers many opportunities to interact with other genealogists.

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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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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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Want to learn more about interacting with the blog, please read Hyperlinks, Subscribing and Comments -- How to Interact with Upfront with NGS Blog posts!

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