The Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives staff are wrapping up their largest digitization project to date with the well-known photographs by F. Jay Haynes.

Haynes’ work is one of the foundational collections of the MTHS Photo Archives. Since the early 1980s, more than 6,000 original glass negatives (and associated reference prints) have been available to in-person researchers in Helena. 

“Haynes extensively photographed the development of the Northern Pacific Railroad and Yellowstone National Park from the late 1870s to the 1910s, including notable photography in Montana,” said Jeff Malcomson, MTHS photo archives manager. “The dream of widening the accessibility of these nationally significant photographs has long been a goal of the MTHS’s photo archivists. A grant from the Montana Legislature in 2021 through the Cultural and Aesthetic Project Grants Program helped transform this goal into a full-fledged digitization project.”

Haynes established himself in the photography business doing contract work for the Northern Pacific in the late 1870s as the railroad built across Dakota Territory. His work with the NP took him across the northern tier of the U.S. West through Montana. Haynes’ railroad photography is vital historical evidence of the effects of a major transcontinental railroad on several regions of the country, especially Montana.

However, Haynes is best known for his work in Yellowstone National Park, which he first visited in 1881. 

You can read the full story in the Montana State Government web site at: https://news.mt.gov/Montana-Historical-Society/Digitized-Haynes-Photographs-Provide-World-Wide-Access. 

For John Chewey, the sounds of the Cherokee language are the sounds of home. Growing up in Oklahoma as a member of the United Kheetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, everyone in his household of 10 spoke the language. But Chewey knows that’s not the norm for most members of the Cherokee Nation.

With only about 2,000 native Cherokee speakers, many of whom are in their 70s or older, Cherokee, like many indigenous languages, is in danger. But members of the UKB, in collaboration with Northeastern University, are fighting to make sure their language persists for generations to come.

Housed at Northeastern, Cherokees Writing the Keetoowah Way, a potentially life-changing digital resource, aims to help ensure the Cherokee language persists. CWKW, a product of Northeastern’s Digital Archive of American Indian Languages Preservation and Perseverance, brings to life historic Cherokee documents––from prison letters to myths––by translating them into English and integrating them into Cherokee language lessons that can be used by speakers of any skill level.

You can read more about this interesting project in an article by Cody Mello-Klein published in the  Northeastern web site at: https://news.northeastern.edu/2023/06/27/cherokee-language-lessons-translations/. 

From: https://www.makeuseof.com/rss-reader-apps-news-feeds/: 

When it comes to RSS readers, the conversation usually boils down to Feedly vs. Flipboard. But there are several other new options worth checking out, as they enhance your feeds with AI summaries or algorithms to arrange data by your reading habits or give you minimalist and privacy-friendly options.

The following is a press release written by the Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive:

The new and improved website, where hundreds of clips of historic ultrarare footage are readily available, brings users a range of UX novelties and advanced search tools. Visit: https://jfc.org.il/

JERUSALEM, June 26, 2023 -- Two years after its initial launch, the Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive website – where hundreds of digitally restored Israeli films and archival footage clips have been made accessible to the general public – has had a makeover and is now relaunching a new and improved version, complete with a range of user experience (UX) upgrades and advanced search tools for viewers everywhere.

‏‏Sallah Shabati Directed by Ephraim Kishon, courtesy of United King Films

Highlights of the new online features include browsing by theme, genre, individuals, etc. Additionally, viewers will now be able to watch films directly from the homepage with just one click, and will also have the option of accessing all available content – be it Israeli narrative, artistic, or historical films – unsorted into unique categories, which would lend itself to comprehensive unified and free text search options, a smart search feature with a variety of refining filters, and lots more.

The new version of the website is going live a little over two years since the original launch of the archive's far-reaching digitisation scheme that has delivered to the general public a treasure trove of historical archival footage of the land from well over a century ago, as well as a wide variety of Israeli films, local newsreels, and so much more. Since launching, the website has attracted widespread interest with over 1.6 million users worldwide who have since visited, and a total of 2.4 million online hits. The new and improved site offers a wholesome streaming experience, complete with a wealth of Israeli films of unparalleled sound and video quality, alongside an advanced search engine which offers seamless access to tantalising pieces of history and film.

As part of the comprehensive digitisation and restoration project, hundreds of narrative and historical films that spent years and years boxed up in the archive's basements, were added to the website's online catalogue and made available for streaming, free of charge. To mark the launch of the new website, a wealth of new content has been added including 31 new film titles, 136 historical clips of archival footage, and three brand-new collections: Tel Aviv by Night, Israeli Film of the 1960s, and Jerusalem in Film.

Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive CEO, Roni Mahadev-Levin: "we're delighted to be launching the archive's new and improved website that will go even further towards extending the reach of the archive's online content to the general public. Thousands of films that comprise a major part of the history of the Land of Israel were previously all but inaccessible to the general public, and now; thanks to [the archive's] digitisation scheme and the website's relaunch, the public may browse and search through the range of content and footage with greater ease and convenience. We are witnessing the vast interest in our online catalogue shown by countless viewers, and with the launch of the new website we truly believe that we'll be able to extend our reach even further to greater audiences both locally and globally."

Director of Online Public Access, Hilla Shitrit: "we were thrilled to realise that Israeli audiences had a genuine appetite for watching recent history in moving images. Of the 10,000 available clips of historical archival footage, not one has yet to be viewed. Of course, we appreciate that everyone will have their own unique interests. This is also very much the case with Israeli films where there are those who'll be streaming the popular classics, but also those who will actively seek out everything that for decades had been inaccessible and unavailable to viewers. Now, as the demand continues to grow, we couldn't be more excited to bring users a brand-new version of the website, and we hope that the fun and rewarding viewing experience we have in store for them makes the website that much more popular amongst audiences."

About the Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive

The cinematheque's Israel Film Archive is home to hundreds of film collections chronicling Israel's history since the advent of the film camera in the late 19th century. The collections feature a breadth of content including narrative and documentary films, newsreels, public infomercials, home videos, and lots more. The platform was created with the patronage and support of the Jaglom Foundation, the Beracha Foundation, the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, the Landmarks Programme, the Department of Culture and Sport, the Jerusalem Development Authority, and the Israeli National Lottery (Mifal HaPais).

The Jerusalem Cinematheque's Israel Film Archive's innovative platform offers a number of VOD streaming options, a variety of tools to enhance and enrich one's viewing experience, a footage search option by year / landmarks on an interactive map / location / theme / individuals, etc. The website's search feature is available in English and in Hebrew at http://jfc.org.il.

A new study on French Canadian populations incorporates genealogical records to provide an accurate map of genetic relatedness.

The study offers insight into the complex relationship between human migration and genetic variation, using a unique genealogical dataset of over five million records spanning 400 years to unravel the genetic structure of French Canadian populations.

The team developed a new method to simulate genomes based on a population scale genealogy dating back to the arrival of the first French settlers. By comparing the simulations to real genetic data, they were able to prove that the genetic structure of this population was encoded within its genealogy.

“It is the first genetic study, in any worldwide population, that incorporates genealogical records to provide a strikingly accurate map of genetic relatedness at the population scale,” explains Simon Gravel, associate professor in McGill University’s department of human genetics and an author of the study in Science.

The dataset was used in part to investigate how certain historical events and landscapes have influenced the genomes of French Canadians today. The study highlights the relationship between river networks and genetic similarity, as European colonial history was marked by a rapid expansion of borders along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries.

“This study tells the genetic story of French Canadians, showing that their population structure today is not a result of ancestral French population structure, but rather one that has been shaped by events in North America over the past four centuries,” says Gravel. “We were even able to tie a meteor impact crater in the region of Charlevoix to the appearance of a founder effect observed in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.”

You can learn more in an article in the futurity.org web site at: https://www.futurity.org/french-canadian-genealogy-genetic-variation-2926872-2/.

Hundreds of genealogists from the U.S, Great Britain, and all over the world are expected to descend on London, England for the 43rd Annual IAJGS (International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies) International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Sunday, July 30 to Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. The conference hotel is a stone’s throw from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

This is the first time since 2019 that the conference will be held in person and the first time since 2001 that professional and amateur genealogists will have gathered in London.

Registration is now open. Details are available on the Conference website at www.iajgs2023.org

The conference will feature more than 100 speakers, with more than 200 sessions covering virtually every aspect of Jewish genealogy. Programs at the conference will be geared for first-timers to conference veterans, and will include lectures, lunches, computer labs, and networking through Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Birds of a Feather (BOFs) sessions. An Exhibitor Hall and Resource Room will include genealogy experts, mentors, and archivists for a one-stop research experience at the conference site.

Conference track themes are: Commonwealth Track, Jewish Communities Worldwide and the Shoah, Migration, Methodology, Technology/Computer Labs, DNA, and Storytelling. Presentations will be 45 minutes, with 15 minutes for Q & A. In addition, non-traditional presentations will include Computer Labs, Panels and Short Sessions.

“We are excited to be able to have an in-person conference once again and host it in an international city,” said Chuck Weinstein, lead conference chair.

The Conference is hosted by IAJGS, an umbrella organization of nearly 90 Jewish genealogical organizations worldwide. The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (www.jgsgb.org.uk) is the local co-host. Leigh Dworkin, chairman president of the Great British Society, is the conference local co-chair. “We are excited to be hosting this year’s conference in London for the first time since 2001. As an international city with a vibrant Jewish history and population, London offers genealogists a wide array of resources such as archives, museums, libraries, synagogues, and cemeteries relevant to furthering visitors’ family history research.” 

The IAJGS coordinates and organizes activities such as its annual International Conference on Jewish Genealogy and provides a unified voice as the spokesperson on behalf of its members.

The IAJGS’s vision is of a worldwide network of Jewish genealogical research organizations and partners working together as one coherent, effective and respected community, enabling people to succeed in researching Jewish ancestry and heritage. Find the IAJGS at: www.iajgs.org and like us on Facebook at – www.facebook.com/iajgsjewishgenealogy

The JGSGB aims to promote and encourage the study of and research into Jewish Genealogy and is the only Jewish Genealogical Society in the United Kingdom.

Find us at www.jgsgb.org.uk, on Twitter at @JewishGreat, or on Facebook at – www.facebook.com/groups/JGSGB

This class will be held virtually. Anyone can attend from anywhere in the world (via Zoom) although you will need to pay attention to time zones:

Join the Royal Gorge Regional Museum and History Center for another excellent virtual genealogy program presented by Terri Meeks.

Are you buried in paper or faced with conflicting information? Do you lack organization? Terri will provide tips to help you recognize pitfalls and suggestions to eliminate some of the confusion. This program is free and open to the public but registration is required at museum.canoncity.org and click on events or calendar to register for the event. Please register online or contact the museum for more information. This program will be held over Zoom from 9-10 a.m. on July 8. The program is free and open to the public but online registration is required.

The Museum and History Center is located in the City of Cañon City’s former Municipal Building at 612 Royal Gorge Blvd. The Museum and History Center hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Wednesday through Saturday.  

For more information, call the museum at (719) 269-9036 or send an email to historycenter@canoncity.org.

MyHeritage has made a rather noteworthy announcement:

"We’ve been adding historical records at such a remarkable pace, we’ve decided to split our monthly post into two installments! In the first half of June 2023, we added 19 collections and 18 million records from Belgium, France and the United States. The collections include birth, marriage, death, obituary, and census records."

The announcement then goes on and on and on listing all the recently-added record collections. Rather than duplicating the list here, I will simply refer you to the full list in the MyHeritage Blog at: https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/06/19-historical-record-collections-added-in-the-first-half-of-june-2023/.

Can your blood type increase your chance of developing COVID? An article by Erin Prater published in the Fortune web site suggests that those with Type A blood might be at an elevated risk compared to those with Type O. 

If you have type O blood, thank your ancestors. They re the ones who gave you the blood type.

The article may be found at: https://fortune.com/well/2023/06/27/which-blood-type-greater-risk-getting-covid-19/.

I found an interesting article by Cheryl Winn-Boujnida, published in TheConversation web site:

In 2019, Doreen Rosenthal and I surveyed 775 Australian hobbyist family historians to examine their motivations.

They were adults aged between 21 and 93, but most were older and the median age was 63. The majority (85%) were women. This seems to be typical of hobbyist family historians. Women often take on the role of “kin keeper” – and have the time to devote to it when they’ve finished rearing children and have retired from paid work

Most family historians are older women. 

Survey respondents described why they were passionately engaged with their hobby – and how it made them feel. Some 48% “sometimes” felt strong negative emotions about what they found, while 15% did “often”.

There were five common distress triggers.

You can read the full article at: https://tinyurl.com/4h6s9m83.