Lessons from the Archive: How to Spoil a Baby Album

Today I opened some old boxes in our basement and found that many of the treasures tucked inside have been damaged. The biggest culprit seems to be newsprint and newspapers that have infected other items through acid migration. This sweet little baby book, for example, was layered between two construction paper folders filled with grade school papers. The satin fabric cover of the book is stained with sad brown blotches.

Inside, a folded piece of newsprint with a hand drawn picture has permanently damaged the first pages. To the right side of the photo you can see a distinct line from the newsprint page.

In recent years I've been careful to use archival boxes when storing my ancestor's papers, but I've neglected looking back at my own things. This box was probably stashed away not long after we moved into our house in 1979, so the baby album was probably stored like this for 30 plus years, basically one generation.

The entire box is a classic case of poor storage, and a good lesson in How Not to Archive Memorabilia. The box itself is low-grade corrugated cardboard. It contained a mixture of items spanning 30 years, from the 1950s through the late 1970s, including

newspapers and clippings

grade school paintings on newsprint

school composition books

beer mats from a trip to Germany

satin covered baby album

small Bible with cover falling off

travel ticket stubs, brochures, etc.

personal letters

folders of school work and papers

I haven't unpacked the box completely, but everything seems to be speckled with brown stains, presumably from the newsprint and cardboard. I think much of the damage would have been avoided if I had separated the newsprint items from other materials and stored these separately. The box itself probably contributed to the problem, as well.

Although it's a little late to save the baby book, I plan to work my way through the contents in the next few days and try to salvage what I can.

If you are 30 years old, or older, you may have a box of treasures you haven't looked at in a while. My box is a sad reminder of what can happen under poor storage conditions. I hope your treasures fare better!

Antiques from the Archives for Treasure Chest Thursday

Somewhere in my wanders I picked up this interesting but useless artifact of past life -- a soft leather drawstring bag containing two detachable men's collars and a bag of collar studs. I have no idea when, where, or why I found this treasure, but now seems like as great time to help it find a new home.

You may have seen your male ancestors posing for portraits wearing one of these uncomfortable-looking fashion accessories. Or, maybe you (or your spouse) wore one to a black-tie event? The wing-tip model from Brooks Brothers still looks pretty sharp!

Costume experts attribute the invention of the detachable collar to Mrs. Hannah Lord Montague, a housewife living at #139 3rd Street in Troy, New York in 1827. Mr. Montague and his friends were so impressed with the clever Mrs. M's invention that local wives and merchants were soon making detachable collar, and the rest is history as Troy became the "Collar Capital of America."

By 1900, collars were featured with colorful collarless shirts in mail order catalogs and available to every Tom, Dick, and Harry across the nation. According to costumes.org, the most collar style at the turn of the century was the "high-band" collar

a turndown collar with a height of from 2 to 3 inches that encased the whole neck in a smooth glossy cylinder of starched linen. Uncomfortable as these are (turning the head suddenly causes bruises in the bottom of the jaw), they look marvelous, and they made up over 60% of the collar trade in the summer of 1900

My 16-inch Brockley model collars bear the Arrow TradeMark and were manufactured by "Cluette, Peabody & Co. U.S.A." in Troy, New York.

Detachable collars and cuffs, for both men and women, were such a universal fashion staple that it's not difficult to find collars, studs, boxes and bags on eBay and etsy sales websites for less than $10 per collar. I'm curious what the prevailing estate sale price will be for this bit of American history. Any ideas?

Exciting News for Student Genealogists

The Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree has a reputation for setting trends in the genealogy conference world -- Bloggers' Summit, Jamboree App, Social Media Policy, to name a few ground-breaking projects. With the just-announced Jamboree scholarship program for young genealogists, SCGS has done it again.

SCGS has announced a new Jamboree scholarship program for aspiring genealogists and family historians between the ages of 18 and 29 as of June 8, 2012. The scholarship will offer reduced Jamboree registration of $15 per day or $25 for all three days for young people registering online with government issued ID by May 28, 2012. A limited number of scholarship slots are available.

In 2010, SCGS generously provided full conference registration to the recipient of the Suzanne Winsor Freeman Memorial Student Genealogy Grant, sponsored by The Family Curator. This award is one of a very few scholarships available aimed to assist young genealogists pursue education in family history.

I am so excited that my local society, SCGS, has taken on this much-needed project. Unlike many professional and academic fields, most genealogy conferences do not offer a reduced registration rate for students or young persons working in the field. This can, and does, deter young people from attending professional conferences. I hope other genealogy seminars, workshops, and conferences will join SCGS in offering reduced registration to young people. If you agree, add a note in the comments and forward an email to your local society.

Contact SCGS for registration and more information.

www.genealogyjamboree.com

jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com

Shades: Birthday Edition -- Finding footnoteMaven in the 1940 U.S. Census, a Dreadful Tale

It's a Holiday! Today is the birthday of footnoteMaven, editor/publisher of the award-winning Shades of the Departed Online Magazine. The Shadettes and Shades-dudes Staff Writers are pleased to present this Special Birthday Edition of the magazine as a tribute to their dear friend. Long may your tiara sparkle, fM!

Visit the blogs linked below to read more and feel free to join the party by posting a tribute on your blog and adding the link in the comments.

Finding footnoteMaven in the 1940 U.S. Census, A Dreadful Tale

from the pen of Miss Penelope Dreadful

"Curses, foiled again!," Penny exclaimed, tossing aside her pen and spattering indigo ink across the pages spread before her on the table. She pushed back her wooden chair and stood up, indifferent to the cascade of paper tumbling to the floor.

"Who do you think you are, footnoteMaven?" she cried, "trying to hide from me in the United States Census!"

As she paced the room with long, thoughtful strides, Penny pushed her spectacles to the top of her head and rubbed her brow thoughtfully. Where is she hiding? Where can she be? Her words became synchronized with the clock ticking on the mantel and her shoes clicking across the carpeted floor. Where? Where? Where can she be?

Abruptly, the pacing stopped and she returned to the desk. "Of course," she cried. "I'm decades too early, and making this much too difficult. The family… the family…" and her questing eyes returned to the pages before her, skimming line after line and name after name until they found their prize.

A few days later, when Penny shared her story of discovery, I asked about her sudden change in search tactics.

"I was going about it backwards," she exclaimed with a laugh. "I assumed -- most incorrectly -- that footnoteMaven was our friend's married name. After all, we know so well her affection and deep esteem for her dear Mr. Maven that it seemed elementary the two should share the groom's name."

"But, I was WRONG!" Penny added with a smile. "Think," she said to me, "think."

When I threw up my hands in answer, Penny grinned and sat back in her chair to recount the rest of the story:

I wondered if it were possible that our friend footnoteMaven, like another well-known researcher, could have married someone unrelated by blood who shared her surname. Two Mavens, one name. To test my theory, I searched the Census for a Maven family in southeastern Missouri. I didn't expect to find fM's family of six, after all those Censuses won't be available for another decade. But what I did find was nearly as interesting -- the Maven family in it's earliest years.

The Census shows the Maven household with four residents -- fatherMaven, motherMaven, grandfatherMaven, and auntMaven. The full transcription reveals that young fatherMaven aptly worked as an Enumerator while his wife, motherMaven, stayed home Keeping Sources. We also learn that grandfatherMaven's occupation is given as Tallyman working with the Customs Office.

As expected, the young footnote, eldest of the four Maven siblings -- sisters footnote and bibLio, and twin brothers citation and endNote --  has not yet been born; nonetheless, her namesake appears in the document. Look closely and you will see a young  Aunt Maven who surely must have been tagged with a nickname in honor of her very interesting job as "Footnote Checker," a job and nickname she may have still held years to come when her first niece was born.

 

In case you're wondering --

Who is footnoteMaven and who are all those other Mavens? Who's Penny Dreadful, and why is she writing so strangely? What are those odd occupations listed for the census?

Good questions. To begin at the end… Miss Penelope Dreadful is the pen name of Denise Levenick, The Family Curator, so christened by footnoteMaven, Publisher and Editor in Chief of Shades of the Departed Magazine, the premiere online photography magazine.

footnoteMaven, or fM as her friends call her, writes two award winning blogs, footnoteMaven and Shades of the Departed, and is the creative spark generating the highly-acclaimed online magazine, Shades. fM is also known as an advocate for source citation and excellence in genealogical research. She's Tops!

Today, Sunday, April 22 is fM's Birthday, a special day in the blogosphere. I'm pleased to dedicate this day's post to my dear friend with my deep appreciation for her friendship and encouragement. In addition, I'm dreadfully delighted to repay fM for the Birthday Surprise she so masterfully accomplished with my mom in 2009.

Happy Birthday, dear fM. May all the best be yours today and always.

Read more Shades: Birthday Edition stories from your favorite Shades authors at --

Shades: Birthday Edition - Captured Moments of footnoteMaven at CreativeGene, by Jasia

Shades: Birthday Edition - A Very Speial Birthday Surprise at  The Educated Genealogist, by Sheri Fenley

Shades: Birthday Edition - Your Family Story at For Your Family Story, by Caroline Pointer

Shades: Birthday Edition - "It was a dark and stormy night. . ." at Geneablogie, by Craig Manson

Shades: Birthday Edition - Lost Images Found? at Landailyn, by Janine Smith

Shades: Birthday Edition - ladies in glasses at A Sense of Face, by Rebecca Fenning

Shades: Birthday Edition -- A Teacup Throne at Moultrie Creek, by Denise Olson

Shades: Birthday Edition - The Fountain of Youth at What's Past is Prologue, by Donna Pointkouski

Image Source:

footonoteMaven. "Earth Day - Birthday Graphic." footnoteMaven, 22 April 2009. www.footnotemaven.com/2009/04/earth-day-birthday.html : 2012. 

Lessons from the Archive: Clutter or Collection?

Things have been quiet around The Family Curator lately, but not because there's nothing to write about. My idea notebook is filling up, but time for writing has been severely limited by a new/old project and a looming deadline. It seems the time has come to clear out the in-laws' home.

This is a task that many of us will face in our lifetime, sometimes more than once. It can be emotional, exhausting, or just another thing to do, but it must be done. And one of the biggest challenges in clearing out anyone's home is deciding What to save? What to toss?

We are now going on Year Six since my mother-in-law passed away. It's time. So, for the last several weeks, Mr. Curator and I have spent many hours each day sorting and sifting through the remnants of 54 years of living in one house.

Today's Lesson from the Archive is one I read somewhere, and it's making more sense to me every day:

What's the difference between clutter and a collection?

In a word, it's all about curating.

A collector brings together things with some pattern of meaning and usually assembles the collection for display, for competition, or for personal enjoyment. If the stuff just sits around in boxes, closets, and drawers it can easily become clutter. This definition rings pretty true with me.

My mother-in-law was an Army wife who lived in the Far East, Hawaii, and Europe before settling down in Pasadena. She loved buying local art, books, and decor. She had a great collection that she displayed and enjoyed. On the other hand, she also accumulated a considerable amount of clutter, stuff that filled the closets and drawers with random things that are "interesting" but What the heck do you do with 15 miniature cannon keychains??? and How many carved shells does a person need? That can't be a collection, can it?

She saved every camera she ever owned, including the projection equipment to enjoy it. If we assemble them all in a glass cabinet we have a collection of vintage photographic gear. If we throw it in a box and keep it because it's "cool," we're saving clutter.

Today, after a marathon session I am ready to make some serious decisions. Now, if I could just convince Mr. Curator that we don't need six vintage wooden clothes brushes, even if it is a collection!

Princess Diaries: Looking for Answers in the 1940 US Census

Princess Usha Holkar, The Maharani of Indore India, was one of my mother's playmates during the years that the Princess lived in Santa Ana, California with her father, the Maharajah of Indore and his second wife, American Marguerite Lawler.

Mom remembered playing with the Princess's fabulous toys and dolls in a corner playroom under the watchful eye of her governess and birthday party snapshots show the girls together in party dresses. But, memories are a tricky thing, and it's been hard to pin down dates and places. I am looking for answers with the release of the 1940 U.S. Census to help figure out who lived where, and when.

"Party Picture, 1912 N. Spurgeon, Santa Ana, Ca, Front Row L-R Patty Bright, 
Kathy Bright, Susie [Brown], Usha, Fran in back sticking out tongue"

This birthday photo shows Mom and her sister Frances with Princess Usha and three other little girls. In recent years, Mom remembered the event as her own birthday party, although when assembling her photo album in the 1940's she noted it as "Frances Party." Both sisters had January birthdays, and the address on the back of the photo adds to the confusion. I wrote more about this puzzle in Wordless Wednesday: Dating a Photo of Princess Usha at the Brown Girls' Party. The 1940 U.S. Census may hold a clue to the mystery.

The Brown Family moved frequently, the census should help pinpoint where they were living on the census date and we can work back from there to January, 1940.

More About the Brown Girls and Princess Usha

Happy Birthday Princess Usha from your friend Susie Brown

It's the Holiday Season at Princess Usha's Orange County House

Photograph: "Party Picture" photograph, in Susie (Brown) Freeman Photo Album, ca. 1942, unpaginated; 
privately held by Denise Levenick, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Pasadena, Caliifornia, 2010.

Meet Mr. Palmer: A Very Excellent Reason to Index the 1940 U.S. Census

Example of Palmer Penmanship

1940 marked the end of the era of academic penmanship instruction in most American schools.

Instead of learning the long-taught Palmer Pensmanship Method perfected by Austin Palmer which engages the entire arm and shoulder to form smooth, fluid pen strokes, students were taught the simpler block manuscript alphabet, otherwise known as "printing," followed by cursive handwriting when they reached mid-level elementary grades.

Beginning in the 1940s, simple "Ball and Stick" manuscript printing
replaced basic Palmer penmanship instruction in many U.S. schools. 

Today, many schools have dropped all pretenses at formal penmanship or handwriting instruction. Students learn to print and are taught basic cursive, but there is little reinforcement or training as a follow-up. The emphasis has shifted from handwriting to keyboarding, and basic computer skills. But all is not lost!

Although 1940 rang the death knell for Palmer Penmanship in the academic curriculum, the adult enumerators of the United States Census of that very year were, no doubt, previously prepared for their particular temporary vocation by the standard penmanship instruction of their youth -- the Palmer Method.

Your participation as an indexer for the 1940 U.S. Census will give you a rare opportunity to personally examine remnants of past perfect Palmery with surviving examples of exemplary embellishment as exhibited throughout the 1940 U.S. Census by enumerators who were surely schooled in the standard of their time. This alone is reason enough to offer one's services in the indexing project. When one considers the added benefit of contributing one's time and talent to a most worthwhile project, it's the biggest no-brainer in the history of volunteerism.

Until the pendelum swings back perfecting personal penmanship, we will have to enjoy such random glimpses of the past as demonstrated in the careful lines of the 1940 Census Ennumerator.

Austin Palmer

Ode to the Palmer Method

Perfectly practical Palmer, master of muscular movement

A classic style, a business skill that always paid the rent.

We wrote with ease and speed, accuracy, endurance

Lessons and drills were our employment assurance.

And then came 1940, a new month, a new year,

Progress marched in, Palmer's out on his ear.

Block-letter Manuscript was the chime of the hour,

Smooth cursive followed, nothing like Palmer Power.

Dick and Jane were the model, for perfecting one's script

Alas, Granddad Palmer was cut free and adrift

To float away on the tide, proud, straight, and strong,

Until April 2, 1940 at last rolled along.

Then the world knew, saw with its own eyes

The delightful legacy of the Palmer Penmanship Prize.

Page after page in the United States Census

Bore witness to Palmer and his good senses.

Remarkably legible, long line after line

The ennumerators handwriting could not be more fine.

[well, mostly :>)]

Sign up now to index the 1940 U.S. Census when it's released April 2, 2012, and enter the community project indexing practice contest for a chance to win a VISA Gift Card. No poetry required! It's easy and fun. Don't delay, this contest ends March 30, 2012.

1940 U.S. Census Project Website -- Sign up to help index the census, participate in contests, learn more about the 1940 U.S. Census

Gear Up to Index Game (March 19-30) -- Practice indexing a simulation census and you will have a chance to win a VISA Gift Card. Rules and registration information here.

As part of the 1940census.com ambassador program this blog post enters me into a drawing for weekly prize.

Copyright, 2012 Denise Levenick

Resource Roundup for the 1940 U.S. Census

The present decade has a lot in common with 1940 especially when it comes to the Can Do Volunteer Spirit that is creating a stir of activity around April 2nd release of the U.S. Census. If everyone who has benefited from an indexed census report joins the volunteer corps to help index and promote this newest genealogical asset, the 1940 U.S. Census will be name-searchable in a matter of weeks.

Online training and information is available 24-hours a day. Here's a round-up of the latest 1940 U.S. Census Resources:

Information

Official 1940 U.S. Census Project Website and Blog information and Indexing

National Archives Official Website for Information on the 1940 Census and access to the digital images.

National Archives free regional lecture schedule on the 1940 Census.

US Census Bureau training films for 1940 Census enumerators.

Using the 1940 U.S. Census

How to Prepare for the 1940 U.S. Census by Thomas MacEntee at Archives.com, a comprehensive overview of the census release and how to effectively search for your ancestors.

Stephen P. Morse's comprehensive 1940 Search Engine. It's a lot easier than 9 to 5 with The Three Stooges.

"Navigating the 1940 US Census" webinar from Legacy Family Tree presented by Thomas MacEntee, free until March 19, 2012.

Online Census Secrets presented by Allison Dolan, Family Tree Magazine Publisher will feature where to find free census records and what to expect when the 1940 census is released.

Nightly 1940 U.S. Census Webinar hosted by RootsMagic and Dear Myrtle April 2-6 to discuss first experiences in using the newly released records.

Help Index the 1940 U.S. Census

1940 U.S. Census Community Project website with links and helps for volunteers ready to index the census.

Practice Indexing the 1940 U.S. Census "with simulated material provided by FamilySearch. The Getting Started guide provides comprehensive instructions for downloading the indexing software.

The 1940 U.S. Census Stooges Style - No Census, No Feeling

The Three Stooges In No Census, No Feeling, Part 1

Those 1940 US Census Enumerators had a real job, just like Larry, Moe, and Curly, and they took it seriously.They needed a district map, detailed instructions, and a set of forms. They might have also needed comfortable shoes, lunch, and a thermos of hot coffee!

The Three Stooges vaudeville act broke into feature films in 1930 with Soup to Nuts, and continued to build in popularity throughout the '40s with the growth of the Hollywood movie industry. Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Curly Howard, and Shemp Howard all played in the act during the decade. In 1949 the team made their first appearance on the newest entertainment medium, the television, with a series of shorts for the American Broadcasting Network.

Larry, Moe, and Curly helped kick off the the 1940 census with their take on a day-in-the-life of a census enumerator for No Census, No Feeling, when they stop in at a society bridge club and take to the field of a college football game.

Join Larry, Moe, and Curly as ambassadors for the 1940 U.S. Census. Volunteer to index this newest resource when it goes online April 2, 2012, and help promote the community indexing project through social media and blogging. Visit the 1940 U.S. Census Community Project homepage to see how you can get involved.

The Three Stooges In No Census, No Feeling, Part 2

Sources:

Columbia Pictures, "The Three Stooges, No Census, No Feeling," YouTube, http://youtu.be/BiisT4YlfFo (accessed March 15, 2012).

Wikipedia contributors, "The Three Stooges," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Three_Stooges&oldid=480065545 (accessed March 15, 2012).

Robert Davidson, "No Census, No Feeling," The Three Stooges Online Filmography,  http://threestooges.net/filmography/episode/50 (accessed March 15, 2012).

As part of the 1940census.com ambassador program this blog post enters me into a drawing for an Amazon Gift Certificate.

Before the Archive: Trash or Treasure (continued)

A few people have asked me to share how I am working through the boxes from my aunt’s estate. I wish I had a magic wand to make the entire project easier and less daunting, but each unique situation seems to call for reworking and refining the process. What is working for me with this estate may not work for you, but I hope it will give you some ideas and encouragement for your own inherited archive.

This is what happens when you have to clear out a relative's home quickly.
The Stuff moves home with you. Here's Uncle Benny's pastor's desk and
Auntie's sewing box with the boxes brought home from her house.

The MOST IMPORTANT lesson I've learned is to ask youself, What is my main goal?

I tend to get easily distracted, and probably need to print the answer in large type and put in front of me on the work table. I forget that my goal is NOT to:

• Open a vintage sewing notions shop on Etsy
• Become an antique vendor at the local swap meet
• Become a five-star eBay seller
• Display a china teacup collection or Southwest art in my home.

Instead, I have to remember to focus on a workable goal for me, today.

My Archive Goal

• Collect and preserve MY family history — photos, letters, and documents from previous generations

• Collect and preserve OTHER family history — items from other families that could be returned

• Collect and preserve LOCAL history — photos, items, ephemera that tell the story of the community and could be donated to the local historical society

Staying focused on the goal is my greatest challenge in working with an estate.

When I inherited my grandmother’s trunk, the contents had already been sifted so many times that everything left had value to our family history. With my aunt’s estate, the opposite is true. Auntie carefully preserved everything, from her grade school report cards to the first rose presented by her future husband. What to save? What to toss? My aunt and uncle had no children, but it seems callous to just throw away these things that were once so important to someone I loved. So, I stop and read a few notes (who, what, when, why) and something shifts in my understanding of that young girl in 1954. Maybe all these little collections and scrapbooks and tidbits were never intended so much to be immortalized and saved, as they were her own way of trying to make sense of her feelings and the events in her life. It’s certainly a time-travel snapshot of her life. If I were writing a biography of my aunt’s life or even a novel, these boxes would be a research dream come true. But, I’m not (at least, I don’t think I am, today).

This past weekend I spent several hours working through boxes. You can see from the Before photo that I have several boxes overflowing with papers and things.

My basic method was to go through the contents of each box at a large worktable to gauge the overall scope of the collection.

Collection Overview

• 12 High school and college yearbooks

• Packet of school report cards, grades 3-12

• Packet of letters from young man in Texas

• Loose letters and cards from family and friends all over the world

• Church records, visiting books, tracts, etc.

• School district employee directories 1975-1991

• 1 box of congratulation cards and mementoes from high school graduation

• 1 box of congratulation cards and mementoes from college graduation

• 1 large stationery box vintage shower cards

• 1 large vintage candy box with cards and dried flowers

• 3 photo albums• 2 notebook diaries from my uncle before and after his heart surgery

• 1 large box loose vacation photos, mostly scenery; film developing envelopes

• Wall calendars from 1958 to present, each date filled in diary-style

• Pocket calendars from 1975 to present

• Household files

• Employment contracts, paystubs, manuals

• Two address books

• 15 Bibles with personal notes on end papers and margins

• Large box of craft and quilting patterns

• Scattered vintage office supplies

• Vintage blank greeting cards

Now that I have an idea of the kind of material my aunt saved, I am working out an overall plan:

Next Steps

My goal is to collect and preserve family history and local history material, however, I really do like a lot of the vintage ephemera Auntie saved over the years, so I am giving myself permission to save some of the best for my own craft projects!

1. Contact local historical society about donating high school memorabilia, church records, school district directories.

2. Contact college about donating yearbooks and other mementos. Alternate: donate yearbooks to e-yearbooks.com for scanning.

3. Sort vacation photos; save a few with people; discard scenery.

4. Donate craft patterns to thrift shop.

5. Save best vintage cards for my projects.

6. Go through high school, college boxes; save diplomas to scan.

7. Collect vitals; birth, marriage, certificates, obits from newspapers, old funeral programs.

8. Save packet of letters from Texas boy; possible return to family?

9. Remove best photos from magnetic album

10. Save address books

11. Bibles?

Throw Away/Give Away

Misc. Correspondance

Magnetic photo album (scan pages, remove best photos)

Old calendars

Old greeting cards

Vintage office supplies

Old home insurance policies

Property purchase and sale records (keep Bill of Sale with address)

Employee records (keep salary record)

Teacher cards from students

At the end of the day I had filled two large Recycle Bins with paper trash, and was left with six boxes --

After

Vitals and Family History - keep

Photos - keep

Vintage - keep for projects

High School, Church History (Bibles) and Local History - donate?

College - donate?

Orphan Letters - research and return

Working through my aunt's things has been much more difficult than I expected. She was a very private person, and I think that many of the things she preserved were truly for "her eyes only." I also know that she would never want to create a burden for her family. I'm comfortable sharing the more public memorabilia she collected by donating it to the historical society or preserving it in my own Family Archive, but other things I've decided to respectfully destroy in honor of her privacy.

Some people may disagree with this arrangement; they might argue that anything and everything is public property after someone dies. I suppose it's a good lesson to all of us about the things we choose to keep or discard. One never knows who might read those letters or diaries or where they might finally come to rest.

My Needs and Wants for Genealogy Database Software; How Well Does Family Tree Maker Mac2 Measure Up?

The current discussion -- Nolichucky Roots, Genea-Musings, Marian's Roots and Rambles -- of database programs and research workflows prompted me to chime in with my two cents. Why use genealogy software? Mostly, to collect and organize my research in one place. The alternative in my world is utter chaos.

Every once in a while I get a bug to try something new in world of genealogy database software. The itch usually starts because I'm frustrated by my computer equipment or software features (or lack therof), but sometimes I'm just curious to see what's new. At RootsTech I heard considerable buzz about the new Family Tree Maker Mac 2 withTreeSync, and I've been trying out the latest version for the past six weeks or so.

I'm ambidextrous when it comes to computer platforms, but switched my main home system from PC to Mac just over a year ago. I like the seamless integration with my iPad and the zippy start-up. I don't like the limited software selection. I know I could run some of my old Windows favorites but then I'd have to buy and install Windows which I'd like to avoid.

On my PC systems I've used Legacy Family Tree (Version 4, 2003 through Version 7), Personal Ancestral File, and Roots Magic 4. On the Mac, I've run Legacy and RootsMagic via CrossOver and the native Mac version of Reunion 7. Each program has features I like and some I don't like.

Whenever a genealogy blogger mentions trying out a new database I'm keenly interested to see how it works out. Usually, there's a flurry of set-up and training, and sometimes an informative follow-up post or two. It's helpful when bloggers share their software experiences, workflows, and workarounds like Randy Seaver's multiple series on genealogy software, or Amy Coffin's fresh start, or Marian Pierre-Louis' Genealogy Software Upheaval.

Before installing Family Tree Maker Mac 2, I had a good idea of what features were most important to me. I'm fine with using GEDCOM exports to move my data to another program to take advantage of a special report or chart, but overall I think that using my MAIN database should be a relatively painless experience.

What I Need in a Genealogy Database Program

1. Intuitive Interface - a Windows program should use Windows-like commands; a Mac program should use Mac-like commands.

2. Training - I really need/want training. I don't want a Help-driven user guide that begins with an overview of the main screen and ends with a chapter on Troubleshooting, with a note to "visit our helpful forum if you have any questions." I want Step-by-Step tutorials on how to enter an person; how to add a marriage; how to add/edit a source. I don't care if the training is online as a webinar or a YouTube video, or driven by screen-shots in an e-book. I want some guidance.

3. User Base - Money talks. Software developers are not making their product without the hope of a profit. They need users who will bring in more users. To my mind, many happy users is a reflection of a responsive product team working to keep people on board with their software. I look for an active user base AND a responsive development team. When a product developer relies too much on users for training and help for newbies and provides little in the way of updates and company/customer interaction, I can't help but think that the company doesn't care much about keeping me as happy user.

You might notice that I haven't even gotten to the genealogy part yet.

I figure that if the program is counter-intuitive, lacks instruction, or produced by a company that doesn't communicate with its users, I may not want to go there at all. Fortunately, a bit of web research and playtime with a trial version will usually illuminate how a program addresses 1-2-3. Then, I look my next requirements:

4. GEDCOM - Will the program export and import basic names, birth, death, marriage, and notes?

5. Notes - Is there an easy-to access Notes Field? (see more on this below)

If I get this far with a program I'm ready to take it for a test drive and take in that new car smell.

What I Want in a Genealogy Database Program

6. Ease of Use - Ok, now I have viewed a few tutorials and understand how to enter data, enter an event and source; but how easy is it to accomplish this task? How many clicks does it take? How long in seconds, minutes? Are keyboard shortcuts straightforward?

7. Ahhh, Sources - At the least, the software should turn out Chicago-style source citations; at the best, Evidence Explained-style. Either way, I don't want to have to look up every source in EE just to figure out how to enter the information in the source template. I realize that many genealogists work around this problem by keeping a separate source log using their own individual (EE or other) templates. But that's one more list to maintain. I shouldn't have to give up one of the key features of using genealogy software because it's awkward to use the sourcing feature.

8. Reports - I need the basics -- Family Group Sheet, Pedigree Chart -- but it sure would be nice to have a timeline, more relationship charts, and some other choices.

9. iPad/iPhone App - I want to be able to take my data with me for review, and I'd really like to be able to edit on my mobile app.

10. Pretty Factor - It's easier to stare at a good-looking computer desktop than an ugly cluttered one.

Other genealogists probably rate their database needs/wants differently; that's okay. I used to input data in the appropriate event/fact fields with corresponding sources but I discovered that GEDCOM doesn't always play nice moving between programs. One field that does seem to move seamlessly, however, is the plain vanilla Notes field.

Notes on Notes

The genealogy instructor was right! She insisted students use the Notes field to keep all data chronologically listed -- source first, followed by detail and analysis. I discovered when I moved my file from LegacyFamilyTree to RootsMagic to Reunion to FamilyTreeMakerMac2 and back to Legacy that the Notes field carried the information every time. It messed up formatting like boldface and italics, but all the data moved quite well.

Of course, the downside of this workaround is that you can't take advantage of the wonderful features like the timeline, bibliography, custom charting, and much more offered in newer programs. But for basic research, the Notes field is King for transfer-ability.

I keep hoping that I'll find a native Mac program that fulfills my database needs as well as my wants, because I'd really like to easily enter data in the event/fact fields and use some of these great software features. My trial run with Family Tree Maker Mac 2 shows that it has an edge on the competition in some unexpected areas. For my review I'm focusing on my personal list of needs and wants, and hope that this will be helpful. I decided to grade each feature according to how well it met my expectations (see above) based on old-fashioned academic grades.

Needs -

1. Intuitive Interface - The main windows are straightforward and Mac-like. Click on something and a window opens where you enter data or have more options. (A)

2. Training - Where's the training? The Help Menu offers FTMM2 Help, Online Help, and a Companion Guide. It took me quite a bit of looking around online to find the tutorial section; these are mostly for the Windows version, but it wasn't until I watched a few that I realized they applied to the Mac version too. It would be helpful to have a link to the online videos in the Help Menu. I found the data entry and source entry tutorials (WIN only) to be too basic. There's a lot more to this topic and I wish the video had covered more. As much as I appreciate and use their helpful sites, I shouldn't have to rely on Russ Worthington or Ben Sayer for training. (C)

3. User Base - Will Ancestry's large user base help keep FTMM2 growing and improving? If the popularity of the iPad is any indication, iOS apps and Mac computers are poised for growth and Mac users will gravitate toward a well-supported product. (A)

4. GEDCOM - So far, so good. I've exported a GEDCOM back to Reunion without losing Notes, and that's my main interest. The GEDCOM transfer also moved basic events but the sources were converted to Free Form. Weird. (A, met my very minimal requirements but could be better)

5. Notes - Like the Note Field access from Person Tab. Easy to use with adjustable font size (a real PLUS). Wish the same Notes Field could be available on the Family Tab when person is highlighted. (A)

Wants -

6. Ease of Use - Overall, easy. I really like the main screen that puts index, tree, parents, children, and facts all in one view. To enter new fact requires 3 clicks to get a data entry window; not bad. The Merge Info and Tree Sync features to add sources and information directly from Ancestry.com is a huge timesaver and can't be undervalued. I did not have any problem with this feature; the only thing I don't like is the Ancestry-styled source citations which come along for the ride. I think there may be a way to customize this, but I haven't figured it out yet. Keyboard shortcuts aren't working for me; I must need to turn them on somewhere. Also like the mini tree in person view; would like ability to resize mini-tree window so that I could see more of it in this view. I wonder if the developers would take that as a User Request :>) (A)

7. Sources - Ugh. I have real difficulties with the Source capabilities of the program. Awkward and confusing nomenclature in the Companion Guide make it hard to understand. The terms Source and Source Citation are used in a unique FTMM2 definition that is counter-intuitive to the academic understanding of documentation. Sources are listed alphabetically making it cumbersome to find specific sources. Evidence Explained style is a good start but overall more support needed for this feature. (C-)

8. Reports - All the basics plus some very attractive extras, especially in charts and timeline reports. (A)

9. iPad/iPhone App - This feature is a deal-breaker. The mobile Ancestry app is visually appealing and easy to share with relatives, it's easy to do look-ups on the device, and with the TreeSync feature I can edit and add from anywhere. (A+)

10. Pretty Factor - Clean, crisp interface makes it a pleasure to spend time in FTMM2. (A)

Summary

My very personal evaluation highlights some of the reasons I wanted to try Family Tree Maker Mac 2. It's relatively intuitive and easy to use, especially when it comes to integrating Ancestry.com content with a personal database. This timesaving feature is unique among all database programs; clearly the developers at FTM were listening to what users wanted and willing to develop those features.

I find the biggest drawback is the lack of Mac-specific tutorials and the awkward Source features. Other reviewers have focused on FTMM's different features and been very helpful in evaluating the program overall. I've found that the Windows tutorials and reviews often highlight similar situations on the Mac side.

With it's established user base and Ancestry.com connection, FTMM2 has an edge on the competition. Whether or not they can maintain that advantage will depend on how well they respond to user requests and continue feature development.

I plan to spend more time with the program and may find easy answers to some of the difficulties I addressed in this review. I'm sure I still have much to learn beyond my six-week introduction. What about you? What do you look for in a genealogy database program? If you use Family Tree Maker for Windows or Mac, what's been your experience overall? Does the program meet your needs?

Disclosure: Ancestry.com provided me with a review copy of Family Tree Maker Mac 2.

"Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash" Book Review

I know, and you know, it doesn't make any sense to feel guilty about throwing away a 60-year-old plastic wedding topper coated with icing from a long-gone wedding cake. But, I do. Feel guilty.

So, when I heard of a book titled, Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash, by professional organizer and senior move specialist Vickie Dellaquila, I thought it must be written for someone like me who needs a self-help group for estate excavations.

Downsizing and organizing a personal estate has been on my mind a lot lately as my sister and I make decisions about our aunt's personal property, what to save, what to toss, what to give away. It's an exhausting experience and every "workday" leaves us feeling physically and emotionally drained.

Anyone who has helped a parent downsize their possessions or clear out a family home for an estate sale might recognize the triad of sadness, guilt, and frustration. I stop and think about every matchbook, every ticket stub; my sister calmly drops the stuff into the trash. What looks to me like a story hidden inside stack of receipts (Now, why did she save these? What did she buy? Was this something special?), my sister sees as "Trash."

And what about things that were clearly not meant to be found? Better those had been tossed away many years ago.

Dellaquila works with people in all stages of life, but her work with seniors downsizing their belongings offers practical tips for anyone dealing with an estate or looking to pare down their possessions and simplify their life.

Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Seniors Downsize, Organize, and Move is written workbook style with personal anecdotes and advice for all phases of downsizing from the initial decision to relocate, to organizing the move, and then to getting settled in a new home.

She explains how to find and work with a senior move manager, as well as what to expect from the relationship. Dellaquila also offers practical solutions for clearing away unwanted possessions and personal reflections on what has (and hasn't) worked for many of her clients. Her positive approach and nonjudgmental attitude make this workbook a good coaching tool for anyone seeking help in downsizing.

While the book is directed at for seniors (and adult children) considering this change, the author also shares ideas useful for anyone caring for family memorabilia --

"Some people need to organize the accumulation of their lives before they can decide what to keep or give away."

This seems to be especially true for family photos, letters and documents. When these family memorabilia is organized it becomes more valuable; photos can be digitized for a slideshow, letters can be passed on as a collection or returned to the sender with a note, "Please take no offense, as I am lightening my load all around. Hold onto them if you like, read them, and let them go if you like."

"If you can't bear to part with a 40-year old high school letter sweater or wedding gown, cut out a swatch of it and frame it with articles about the football game or the wedding invitation."

"Toss the everyday tableware and start using the 'good stuff'…"

For genealogists and family historians, the photos, letters, and documents are only a part of our ancestor's personal possessions. Before we find ourselves with boxes of family history we will be called to make decisions about the bits and pieces of someone else's life. Dellaquila's book is a good reminder that we can make things easier for our descendants by making those decisions ourselves about our own possessions.

Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Seniors Downsize, Organize, and Move by Vickie Dellaquila. Mountain Publishing, 2007. 155pp. Available from www.OrganizationRules.com. 

Disclaimer:  I was provided with a review copy of this book.

Lessons from the Archive: Just Say No to Tape (Not-so Wordless Wednesday)

Adhesive tape from 1949 is causing some Un-Happy Days in the Archive today.

Most of my relatives seem to have used either glue or corner hinges to attach photos to their album pages. Aunt Frances was the exception with this 1949 scrapbook of newspaper clippings from her senior year. You can easily see the damage caused by clear adhesive tape.

Few of these articles feature my aunt, but they do share the times and fashions. This could almost be on the set of "Happy Days."

I am scanning any pages that include Frances Brown, and setting aside the six-pages of scraps with Auntie's high school memorabilia. They would be perfect for an Auntie Smashbook!

Join Up and Serve (Help Index the 1940 US Census)

The 1940 US Census will be released in only a few short weeks. It's the first census where my parents are listed, and I am excited to see how their household is portrayed in that federal project. Unlike census records now available at online sites, the 1940 US Census is not yet indexed so it will take some special tactics to find our ancestors' listings.

Fortunately, a massive effort is underway to bring make these records more accessible through a searchable index, and YOU can help. Anyone with an internet connection can participate in the indexing project by registering and joining in. I've indexed records at the FamilySearch website as part of an assignment for an online genealogy class and I found it to be easy to do and rewarding.

Online census research has become a first-stop for so much genealogical research that it feels good to be contributing toward the "research pool" of the future. You can find out more information and register to join the indexing project at the 1940 US Census Community Project Website.

Before the Archive: Trash or Treasure

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time with the bits and pieces of other people’s lives. There’s no Archive, yet, of my late aunt’s family papers. Mostly, I’ve been carefully sifting boxes papers, files, books, and odd little things. Before deciding what to save and what to get rid of, I have to look at everything.

I recently worked on a webinar with Allison Stacy Dolan at Family Tree Magazine featuring the 24 boxes of family papers she inherited from her grandmother. Allison’s challenge was similar to mine, but her grandmother had already completed Stage One Triage with the material when she decided what she deemed “family history” and worth passing on to Allison. The boxes appeared to contain genealogy research, photos, letters, and memorabilia, exclusively. Allison’s grandmother was, after all, downsizing her home, and probably kept many other items for her personal use.

In contrast, most people who inherit an estate and have an interest in family history find that they have to create a Family Archive from the treasures they find mixed in with the bits and pieces of everyday life.

My aunt had given me only one small box of photographs belonging to my grandfather. We looked at them briefly sitting in the car one day last summer; she didn’t have the time or energy to spend more time with them. A few months later, she passed away and my sister and I found ourselves left with a house filled with the paper trail of our aunt’s life.

I’m finding that this situation might be the fairly common. It’s the side-story to the old “death and taxes” joke. When someone passes away, someone has to pay the taxes and tidy up the things left behind.

My aunt lived most of her life in Orange County, California, about 30 miles from my home in Pasadena. In Southern California, we measure distance by drive-time, not miles, and the drive can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. To cut down on the time I’d need to spend at my aunt’s home as we cleared it out for sale, I decided to box up anything personal and bring it home to go through later.

My sister is the get rid of it type, so she was happy to send it off with me. I’m the saver type and came home with more than just paper in the boxes. I have crates of vintage dishes, sorta cool office supplies, 50’s linens, and lots and lots of paper. This is making for some interesting discoveries.

However. . . I’m supposed to be looking for family history materials, not getting nostalgic about teacher valentines, old yearbooks, or Bible bookmarks.

Focus. . . I need to print this word in big letters and hang it over the pile of stuff.

So here I am with all this stuff. Some days I feel like I’m living in the archives. We have an office in our basement that is filled with all the boxes and stacks of stuff. It’s depressing. I am determined to work my way through the mountain, and as the weather begins to warm up here in Southern California I am spending more time sorting and organizing. This isn’t the first time I’ve faced this task, unfortunately, and I’ve learned something each time I work with a new estate, locating and saving things for a Family Archive. I’m sure I’ll learn even more this time around. What about your archive? Did you inherit it as Family Archive, or did you inherit an estate filled with treasure (and trash)?