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  • 5 Sep 2022 4:21 PM | Anonymous

    This online tool—called GFPGAN—first made it onto our radar when it was featured in the August 28 edition of the (excellent) Recomendo newsletter, specifically, a post by Kevin Kelly. In it, he says that he uses this free program to restore his own old family photos, noting that it focuses solely on the faces of those pictured, and “works pretty well, sometimes perfectly, in color and black and white.”

    The tool is incredibly easy to use. If you are accessing GFPGAN on your phone, you have the option of selecting a photo from your library, or taking a new photo to use. When we accessed the page on a laptop, the only option was choosing a file from your computer.

    Anyway, once you upload the photo, tap or click the green “Restore photo” button, and then wait for the final product. While the results aren’t instant, the restoring process takes roughly 15 to 20 seconds.

    You can read all about this useful piece of software in an article by Elizabeth Yuko published in the lifehacker web site at: https://bit.ly/3qbPHeH

  • 5 Sep 2022 4:15 PM | Anonymous

    It was the setting for “National Treasure,” the movie in which Nicolas Cage’s character tries to steal the Declaration of Independence. It has long been among the most trafficked tourist destinations in the nation’s capital.

    But what the National Archives and Records Administration has never been — until now — is the locus of a criminal investigation of a former president.

    Yet that’s exactly where the agency finds itself after sending a referral to the FBI stating that 15 boxes recovered from former President Donald Trump’s Florida home in January contained dozens of documents with classified markings.

    “I don’t think Donald Trump has politicized the National Archives,” said Tim Naftali, the first director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. “I think what Donald Trump did was cross red lines that civil servants had to respond to.”

    Those government workers operate out of the public eye, behind the marble façade of the Archives building in downtown Washington. It’s there, beyond the Hollywood plotlines, where a crucial component of the federal bureaucracy resides, with dozens of employees acting as the custodians of American history, preserving records that range from the mundane to the monumental.

    After the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, Congress passed a law in 1978 to ensure that all presidential records — written, electronic material created by the president, the vice president, or any other member of the executive branch in an official capacity — are preserved and turned over to the Archives at the end of an administration. The law states that a president’s records are not his or her own, but are the property of the federal government and must be treated as such.

    When a new administration begins, White House staff receive a brochure on the law and step-by-step instructions on how to preserve records. The preservation requirements cover a wide range of items, including presents and letters from foreign leaders. “There are no such things as mementos,” said Lee White, the executive director of the National Coalition for History.

    You can read more about the policies and requirements of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration  in an article by Farnoush Amiri published in the Associated Press at: https://bit.ly/3BglVvR.


  • 5 Sep 2022 4:02 PM | Anonymous

    Here is a list of all of this week's articles, all of them available here at https://eogn.com:

    (+) Finding Unmarked Graves with Ground Penetrating Radar

    COPYRIGHTS and Other Legal Things for this Newsletter

    Library Closures: Perhaps there is a Solution?

    Genealogy vs Family History

    US Life Expectancy Fell Nearly a Year in 2021

    Free U.S. Census Records for Labor Day: Learn Your Ancestors’ Professions

    Even Your DNA Isn't Your Own. The Government Can Take It Without a Warrant

    Summer Institute to Reconstruct South Carolina’s “Black Archive”

    New British Royal Air Force Records Are Now Online

    Roots Ireland Has Added 26,210 Historic Records From County Armagh Dating From the 17th to the 20th Centuries to Its Online Database

    Acting Archivist of the United State Appoints 2022–2024 FOIA Advisory Committee Members

    National Archives Head Says Agency ‘Fiercely Non-Political’ After Anti-Trump Accusations

    U.S. Government Asks Public for Input on Census Design for 2030

    Judge Finds Contradictions in Ancestry.com Complaint

    New Board of the International Confederation for Genealogy and Heraldry (CIGH) Elected

    Musselman Family Photographs Now Available Through Milner Library’s Digital Collections

    Australian Family Discovered as Rightful Recipients of $1.4 Million Inheritance

    Another One Million Newspaper Pages Made Free by the British Newspaper Archive and the British Library

    Findmypast Adds Thousands of Brand-New Yorkshire Records

    The Family History Show is returning to London this Month!

    Japan Declares 'War' on the Humble Floppy Disk in New Digitization Push


  • 5 Sep 2022 11:04 AM | Anonymous

    The following announcement was written by the British Newspaper Archive (part of Findmypast):

    After making one million historical newspaper pages free in 2021, a further one million pages are now free to explore

      • As trusted partners of the British Library, Findmypast are committed to making five million pages free over five years on the British Newspaper Archive and Findmypast
      • Free pages across 244 titles make history more accessible for everyone, with additions from the United Kingdom, Ireland and India
      • Discover political intrigue, scandal and real-life stories in black and white 

    This August, The British Newspaper Archive in partnership with the British Library, has made a further one million historical newspaper pages available completely free to the public, reaching a new total of two million free pages.

    Together, the British Newspaper Archive and the British Library are committed to releasing a total of five million free pages over five years, which can be accessed online on the British Newspaper Archive website and on Findmypast.

    Much of this content has been made available as part of several major digitisation projects based at the British Library: 19th Century Newspapers; Heritage Made Digital, which seeks to transform digital access to the British Library’s rare and early collections; and the Living with Machines research project, a collaboration between the British Library, The Alan Turing Institute and five partner universities, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) via UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Strategic Priorities Fund.

    These free pages, covering the years 1699-1900 across 244 titles, increase the accessibility of historical newspapers to more people around the world.  Researchers can browse the beautiful images of the Illustrated London Life, discover their Scottish roots in the Glasgow Herald, or explore the history of Ireland with the United Irishman. One particularly intriguing title is Berthold’s Political Handkerchief, famously printed on calico, a type of fabric, in order to get around paying the newspaper stamp tax of the time.

    Also included are Welsh language titles Y Tyst and Y Llan, 22,113 pages from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and 167,534 pages from Scotland, including the Edinburgh Gazette of 1699, the oldest newspaper digitised by the project so far.

    Other highlights of this year’s release include:

      • Friend of India and Statesman, 1852-1883 – published in Calcutta, this is another key title to support diverse research, continuing from the 2021 release of Royal Gazette of Jamaica and The Keys
      • Porcupine, 1800-1801 – its founder William Cobbett spent time in the United States in the 1790s and leant support to Alexander Hamilton’s Federalists. He was hailed as a ‘great British patriot’ on his return home
      • Francis’s Metropolitan News, 1895 – this family title showcased printer R.S. Francis’s ‘new style of illumination’, using blocks of colour to highlight sections
      • The Age, 1852-1853 – this title had a reputation for ‘scurrilous and satirical gossip’ about the celebrities of the day
      • The Anti-Gallican Monitor, 1811-1825 – this highly-divisive newspaper called for the assassination of Napoleon Bonaparte, and provides an intriguing glimpse into attitudes towards France at the height of the Napoleonic Wars
      • The Patriot, 1832-1866 – this paper represented itself as a moral and philosophical repository for political thought, with its editor Matthew Campbell Browne hoping to influence the reform of Parliament and an equal Representation of the People.

    Mary McKee, Head of Content Publishing at Findmypast said; "This is a fantastic free resource for all those wishing to delve into the past and uncover the colourful stories that bring it to life. Each page offers a snapshot of what life was like at that moment, documenting family stories, local legends and momentous events alike. For those uncovering their family history, you might be surprised to discover your own ancestors hiding within these pages. I’d encourage everyone to go and explore this collection online, on the British Newspaper Archive or Findmypast.”

    Xerxes Mazda, Head of Collections and Curation at the British Library, said: “We are delighted to be making a further one million pages from the British Library's newspaper collections available free to view online in conjunction with our digitisation partners Findmypast. Amongst the resources available we have released 245 regional newspaper titles from across the UK. Covering the years 1699-1900 and ranging from the Glasgow Herald and the Newcastle Courant to the Bristol Mercury and the Exeter Flying Post, these publications reflect the rich heritage of the UK’s media landscape and offer new opportunities for everyone to explore our collections from wherever they are in the world. 

    The British Newspaper Archive was created back in 2011, when Findmypast set out to digitise the British Library’s entire newspaper collection and open it up to the public as the British Newspaper Archive. Today, it contains over 56 million pages, and counting.

    And for anyone looking to explore more of the British Newspaper Archive, until 11 September get 20% off subscriptions using the code SAVE20.

  • 5 Sep 2022 10:44 AM | Anonymous

    The following is a press release written by the organizers of the Family History Show:

    The first London show in over two years is just weeks away! Many are looking forward to enjoying a great day out again, with the excitement of being able to listen to live talks and asking questions face-to-face to a range of experts and exhibitors. Following on from the success of the York show in June we are only too pleased to welcome everyone back on Saturday 24th September to The Family History Show at Kempton Park, London.

    Help ensure the future of family history events like this by voting with your feet and joining us!

    Packed with exhibitors attending from all over the UK, including family history societies and genealogy suppliers, this long-awaited chance to talk face-to-face with stall holders is a must for your diary. Watch a short video of our previous event here: https://youtu.be/5Fdd_69qzMI

    This event is not just for those who have London Ancestors – these family history shows will appeal to all family historians. Everyone is very welcome and there will be much to see throughout the day. There is plenty of free parking, refreshments will be available all day, you can talk with experts who can help with your research queries and watch FREE talks from a selection of expert lecturers.

    Interested in exhibiting? Contact us now as we only have a limited number of spaces left.

    If you can’t make it to our London show, then why not put this date in your diary? The Family History Show Online will be returning on Saturday 18th February 2023.

    Talks you can look forward to at the London show include:

    – I've got my Autosomal DNA results, What do I do next? - Debbie Kennett

    – How to research the history of the houses where your ancestors lived - Nick Barrett

    – Which website and why? - Jackie Depelle

    – Search Techniques to find your missing ancestors - Mark Bayley

    – New Hints and Tips 2022 - Keith Gregson

    – Fleshing out the bones - Records that reveal your ancestors lives - Mark Bayley

    Early-bird Ticket Offer

    Get your tickets online now and save up to 50%

    Buy two tickets for only £12, or single tickets for only £8 each. Tickets will be £12 on the door so make sure you book early!

    You’ll also get a free goody bag on entry worth over £8.

    Buy your tickets now at: https://thefamilyhistoryshow.com/london/tickets/

  • 5 Sep 2022 10:32 AM | Anonymous

    Ever wonder if a previously unknown "rich uncle" might pass away and leave you a fortune? It seems that happened recently to an Australian family (not to one individual) thanks to genealogy researchers.

    A Queensland family have been surprised to learn they are the rightful recipients of a $1.4 million inheritance.

    When Marcel died in 2018, he didn’t have a will, leading the NSW Trustee & Guardian on a worldwide search for the rightful recipients of his fortune.

    The NSW Trustee & Guardian said Marcel had developed dementia, but momentos he had kept over the years became clues in tracking down his family.

    The NSW government agency has a small team of genealogy researchers who have found more than 500 people from across the globe in the past 12 months alone.

    In Marcel’s case, their family tree search went as far as Paris before the team discovered eight nieces and nephews living in Queensland and Victoria.

    Years after losing contact, the family were shocked to learn they would share in the $1.4 million inheritance.

    You can read the full story written by Eliza Bavin and published in the Yahoo!Finance web site at: https://yhoo.it/3qdaTkw.


  • 2 Sep 2022 9:08 AM | Anonymous

    The following is a press release from Findmypast:

    Findmypast adds Sheffield court records and more this Findmypast Friday 

    Yorkshire, Sheffield Crime Courts and Convicts 1769-1931 

    New this week, this collection includes 206,000 records from over 162 years, with details from a variety of original documents transcribed by Sheffield Archives and Local Studies. Discover if an ancestor had a brush with the law. You may learn their age, the date of the event, and even clues on the infraction itself.  

    Yorkshire, Sheffield Social and Institutional Records 1558-1939 

    This new collection covers 381 years of history, and include details like lists of paupers between 1751 and 1808, removal orders between 1701 and 1844, and even corn loan guarantors from 1795. You’ll normally find names, ages, occupations, and even a few other details peppered in. 

    Yorkshire, Sheffield, Asylum & Hospital Admissions & Subscriptions 1748-1937 

    The last new collection this week covers nearly 200 years, with records such as admission registers and casebooks. Depending on the record type, you’ll typically see an ancestor’s name, birth year, event year and occupation.  

    Newspapers 

    Explore 10 new titles this week and 28 updated titles. 

    New titles: 

    ·         Chicago Citizen, 1890-1897 

    ·         Derby Exchange Gazette, 1861 

    ·         Falkirk Express, 1882 

    ·         Harrogate Advertiser and Weekly List of the Visitors, 1865, 1877, 1880, 1889 

    ·         Liverpool Shipping Telegraph and Daily Commercial Advertiser, 1846-1849, 1851-1872, 1874-1876, 1880, 1885-1897, 1899 

    ·         Loughton and District Advertiser, 1887 

    ·         Medway News, 1994 

    ·         National Advertiser and Edinburgh and Glasgow Gazette, 1848 

    ·         National Independent and People’s Advocate, 1878 

    ·         Plymouth Mail, 1861 

    Updated titles: 

    ·         Aberdare Times, 1892 

    ·         Belper Express, 1995 

    ·         Birmingham Mail, 1979-1980, 1982-1985 

    ·         Blackburn Standard, 1897 

    ·         Brentwood Gazette, 1994 

    ·         Bridport News, 1882-1883 

    ·         Cambridge Daily News, 1999 

    ·         Cambridge Weekly News, 1994 

    ·         Cannock Chase Post, 1994 

    ·         Haverfordwest & Milford Haven Telegraph, 1889 

    ·         Hertford Mercury and Reformer, 1999 

    ·         Hull and Eastern Counties Herald, 1877 

    ·         Leicester Daily Mercury, 1980, 1982-1987 

    ·         Liverpool Mail, 1875 

    ·         Nottingham Evening Post, 1999 

    ·         Pembrokeshire Herald, 1854 

    ·         Rhondda Leader, 1995 

    ·         Ripley Express, 1995 

    ·         Rugeley Mercury, 1995 

    ·         Runcorn Weekly News, 1999 

    ·         Sandwell Evening Mail, 1980-1984 

    ·         Sports Argus, 1994 

    ·         St Neots Town Crier, 1998 

    ·         Surrey Herald, 1994 

    ·         Thanet Times, 1995 

    ·         Torbay Express and South Devon Echo, 1924, 1941-1945, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1983-1988 

    ·         Waltham Abbey and Cheshunt Weekly Telegraph, 1893-1894 

    ·         Wells Journal, 1991-1999 

  • 2 Sep 2022 8:50 AM | Anonymous

    Liz Terwilliger has written a disturbing article that has been published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette web site. She writes:

    "Did you ever spit into a plastic tube and mail it in to learn if you really have Sicilian blood, or Moroccan ancestors? Ancestry investigations for fun, right? Fun, except when the information from that DNA is shared without your knowledge.

    "Ancestry.com, one of the largest repositories of personal DNA data, publishes transparency reports periodically, outlining their response to governmental requests for an individual’s data. In a recent report, the company admits they will supply your DNA to the government with “a court order or search warrant.”

    "23andMe, another popular DNA ancestry site, is even more vague in the privacy statement on their website. They won’t release individual data unless 'required to do so by court order, subpoena, search warrant or other requests that we determine are legally valid.'"

    There is a lot more to Liz Terwilliger's article. You can read the full article at: https://bit.ly/3BidpMZ

    Note: Liz Terwilliger is a founding member of Reform Congress, a national nonpartisan movement or responsible representation. She is running for congress in Pennsylvania’s District 9.


  • 1 Sep 2022 6:33 PM | Anonymous

    WARNING: This article contains personal opinions.

    One sad fact is that many genealogy libraries are closing. The closure of any library is always sad news, of course. However, I also see a solution and perhaps even a ray of sunshine in such announcements.

    Most libraries close simply because of financial difficulties. It costs a lot of money for buildings, heat, air conditioning, electricity, and employees' salaries. Oh yes, there is also a major expense for books and other materials that are the primary purpose of a library.

    Smaller libraries typically serve a limited number of patrons: only those who live somewhere near the library and can use the library's facilities without spending a lot of time and money in travel, hotel rooms, restaurants, and more in order to use the facility. When it comes to attract visitors to a library, geography is perhaps the biggest impediment of all.

    In contrast, let's consider online libraries.

    Scanning all the books and taking digital photographs of other items in a library costs money for the labor and scanners. (High-end scanners are often rented, not purchased.) However, those expenses usually are paid back once the library closes and stops paying for the building, heat, air conditioning, and electricity. The savings typically outweigh the earlier expenses.

    Admittedly, even an online library has to pay for web servers, employees to keep the servers running, other employees to run the library and continue to add new material to the holdings, administrative expenses, and more. However, these new expenses usually are much lower than the cost of running a physical library.

    The second advantage of an online library is undoubtedly the biggest: patrons are able to "attend" and use the library's materials regardless of location. The closed library no longer is restricted to serving patrons who live within a limited distance. Most of the online libraries serve would-wide users.

    I well remember the FamilySearch Library's decision some years ago to digitize. (That Library also remains open and available to walk-in visitors in Salt Lake City.)

    The senior management of the FamilySearch Library had been considering digitizing the library's holdings for some time. There were many issues to be considered, but one relevant to this discussion was the thought "if we place everything online, nobody will come to visit in person anymore."

    You probably know the rest of the story. Management launched a huge digitization effort. The effort has consumed years and is still ongoing. Usage of the library mushroomed! Instead of serving thousands of people every year, the FamilySearch Library almost immediately was serving millions, both online and in person..

    As to in-person visitors, the Family History Library now has many more in-person visitors than ever before in history. In short, that library is now more popular than ever before, both in-person and online. I believe there are multiple reasons for that success but obviously the online access to the library’s holding was never an impediment.

    Will smaller libraries have the same success? Will a small library become an instant success when going online? I don't know the answer to those questions. Indeed, there are many factors involved. However, I know that I frequently access online libraries that are thousands of miles from my home. You can do the same, if that library’s holdings are available online.

    I also realize that handling a printed book, especially an older volume, is somewhat emotionally satisfying. You can never appreciate the smell and feel of a digital image of an old book. However, I would consider that to be a minor drawback when accessing distant books and other material of interest that have been housed in a distant library.

    And, yes, I will pay a few dollars for access to a library that is available across the country or even across the world, instead of paying travel expenses for an in-person visit.

    Converting to an online library or perhaps to a combined online and in-person facility involves many decisions, none of them simple. Indeed, there will still be financial issues: will patrons pay a modest fee to remotely access a library's facilities? Can modern books still under copyright be made available? (Yes, all major city libraries already do that. Ask any librarian.)

    In short, perhaps everyone should see challenges as opportunities. In the 21st century, libraries do not have to be large, physical buildings.

    What is more important: housing physical books or satisfying the needs and desires of worldwide patrons?


  • 1 Sep 2022 9:40 AM | Anonymous

    I doubt if this will aid many genealogists in their research but, if you are one of the few, this will probably be one of the greatest online assets you ever found.

    In a recent addition to Milner Library’s digital repository of historical circus materials, a singular collection of photographs and ephemera relating to the Musselman family and their long-running trapeze act has been scanned and made available online for public research. The collection includes photos of the family both on and off the trapeze, offering an intimate glimpse into the life of a troupe that was different from most.

    The Five Fearless Flyers pose for a group shot circa 1933. From left to right: Maxine Musselman, Clayton Behee, Frances Musselman, Eddie Ward, Jr., and Robert Musselman.

    Milner’s Special Collections department has amassed a world-renowned collection of circus artifacts from costumes performers wore to heralds which advertised upcoming performances. Many of these pieces are now decades or even centuries old, which raises concerns about the inevitability of physical deterioration. Archival storage of the artifacts can stave off this process but leaves them out of reach to those who aren’t able to visit in person. To address these issues, the Milner Library Digitization Center has undertaken converting some of these physical relics into high-resolution digital surrogates. This process ensures the treasures are eternalized in their current condition and free to access via the library website.

    You can read much more at: https://bit.ly/3e8Q07n.


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