The following announcement was written by Findmypast:

Here’s a rundown of our five new US collections released by Findmypast this week – ideal for those tracing their US ancestry.

Pennsylvania, List of British Prisoners in the War of Revolution

Within this collection, you'll find British and German Hessian soldiers who were captured during the war, giving you an insight into their military experience. Information you may find alongside an ancestor's name includes their ship or unit, where and when they were captured, and occasionally extra remarks such as whether or not they were being considered for a military exchange.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Births and Baptisms

If you're looking into more recent US history, this collection contains over 117,000 Episcopalian births and baptisms from the late 1600s to the mid 1900s. The Episcopalian Church were of Protestant faith, and though they were governed separately, were considered to work in full cooperation with the Church of England. It is also possible that you may find those born outside of the US in parish records across England, Scotland and Wales. The information in this collection varies record to record, but will include a combination of event year (birth or baptism), full name, parents' names and parish, meaning you could discover more than one generation to add to your family tree.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Marriages

If you've found an ancestor in the previous collection, there's a high chance you'll trace them through our Episcopalian marriages, comprising an immense 153,000 records. These records will give you date of marriage, spouse's name, any witnesses to the marriage and often the person who officiated the ceremony.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Deaths and Burials

If you've traced your Episcopalian ancestors this far, don't stop now. Close their journey with a death or burial record. There are over 135,000 records in this collection, and you could find information ranging from place, parish, and death or burial year.

Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Congregational Records

You've discovered entire lifetimes in our new Episcopalian records, but what about their activity within the church? Have a browse through these congregational records to see what you can discover. The original Anglican congregations in Pennsylvania included Christ Church, Philadelphia (est. 1695), Trinity Church, Oxford (est. 1698), St David’s, Radnor (Est 1700) and St. Thomas, Whitemarsh (est. 1702). Originally, there was only one diocese throughout the entirety of Pennsylvania, but in 1865, the Diocese of Pittsburgh was established to encompass every parish west of the Allegheny Mountains. By 1910, there were several dioceses spanning across the state, and by the 1920s these dioceses saw a vastly increasing growth in population. The type of records will differ per collection, but you may be able to find registers of communion, vestry minutes, membership lists and administrative records.

Newspapers

Findmypast is offering nearly 132,000 new pages for you this week, including new London title the Lewisham Borough News. Have a read through the full list of new and updated titles below.

New titles:

• • Lewisham Borough News

Updated titles:

• • Aris’s Birmingham Gazette, 1741, 1746, 1761, 1772, 1791, 1798, 1800-1801, 1803-1804, 1808-1809, 1813, 1817
  • Black & White, 1901, 1903-1904
  • Bromley Chronicle, 1893
  • Bromley Journal and West Kent Herald, 1903-1904
  • Bucks Advertiser & Aylesbury News, 1836-1837, 1839-1840, 1843-1844, 1846-1850, 1852, 1856, 1866-1868, 1870-1871, 1873, 1875-1889, 1891-1895, 1898-1910, 1913-1919, 1922, 1925-1926, 1928, 1930, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1940, 1947-1950, 1952-1953
  • Chelsea News and General Advertiser, 1991
  • Derbyshire Times, 1910, 1913, 1916, 1918, 1927
  • East Galway Democrat, 1937
  • Munster Tribune, 1960
  • Ottawa Free Press, 1905, 1916
  • Sunday Sun (Newcastle), 1939, 1990
  • Wallington & Carshalton Herald, 1881

An Garda Síochána launched its Garda Centenary Online Photographic Archive 1922 – 2022 as part of its current centenary celebrations on the 13 July 2022.

In 2002, thousands of historical photographs captured by the formerly known Garda Photographic Section were discovered and work begun on their conservation and restoration.

When discovered, the images were on fragile glass plate negatives, mainly 6X4 inch in size having been placed in storage in 1979. It required painstaking work to digitise them and which culminates in today’s launch.

These significant photographs which document important periods both in Irish history and in the evolution of An Garda Síochána through the decades, are available to view online in one place.

This is the first time that the photographs will be available to and viewed by the public.

Over 700 photographs are contained in the collection.

It features a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of the force since the foundation of the State, from Vauxhall Victor and Model T Ford vehicles, to the evolution of the garda uniform and community engagement and training.

From the Civil War through to the 'Emergency Years', many significant events from the past 100 years are contained in the collection.

You can see the fascinating photographic collection here.

On June 30, 1922, a calamity occurred for the people of Ireland: in the opening engagement of the Civil War, a massive explosion and fire in the Four Courts complex in Dublin destroyed seven centuries of Irish archives in the Public Records Office of Ireland. The new Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland is a 21st century project to replace what was lost 100 years ago.

n the aftermath of World War I, with home rule for Ireland never closer following the Easter Rising of 1916, Irish republicans had battled the British to a stalemate in the War of Independence, a guerilla conflict from January 1919 to July 1921. There had been support for independence throughout Ireland, particularly in the south and west. However, in the north, many Irish Protestants did not want independence from the United Kingdom. The UK Parliament had passed the Government of Ireland Act in 1920, foreshadowing the partition of Ireland into two entities, both within the British Empire; it came into force in May 1921. Tense negotiations from October 1921 led to the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December, a compromise which confirmed the two entities: the Irish Free State composed of 26 counties, with a dominion status comparable to Canada’s, and Northern Ireland, six counties remaining part of the UK proper. Many, likely most, Irish considered the compromise the best deal to be obtained from the British and wanted peace. However, many others felt the treaty fell short of the cause of complete independence for the island of Ireland, and wanted to continue armed conflict. As British garrisons were evacuated from Ireland, brothers in arms who had fought them for independence prepared to fight each other over whether the partition of Ireland should be allowed to happen.

You can read much more in an article by Sean Daly that is published at: https://bit.ly/3PeEOUA.

People who believe they are descendants of victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre can now provide genetic material to help scientists when they begin trying to identify remains of possible victims.

Danny Hellwig, laboratory director with Intermountain Forensics, said Wednesday that researchers are not ready to begin trying to match DNA for identification, but an outpouring of requests from local residents on how to provide genetic material led them to begin the process of accepting donations.

“That’s what prompted this,” Hellwig said. “We didn’t expect the amount of support and willingness to help... people have jumped out of the woodwork” to offer their DNA for testing.

Black people who had ancestors in Tulsa in 1921 are sought, Hellwig said.

“What we need is to populate these databases with family lines” of direct descendants, making identifications of the remains possible within days, Hellwig said.

You can read more in an article at: https://bit.ly/3aB9H6i.

The Kentucky Genealogical Society is offering a special eight part webinar series throughout the month of August completely focused on researching Kentucky ancestors. Researching Your Kentucky Ancestors: From the Mountains to the Mississippi is being offered virtually. It will be recorded if you are unable to attend the live event.

To learn more, see a program line-up, or register, visit: www.kygs.org. 

The following announcement was written by the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG):

Registration for SLIG and Academy 2023 Opens July 16 The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) wishes to announce registration dates and times for SLIG and Academy 2023. SLIG 2023 registration opens July 16, 2022 at 10:00 am MDT. The registration web address is https://registration.ugagenealogy.org/ View course outlines and videos for SLIG 2023 here:  https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=641   Academy 2023 registration opens July 16, 2022 at 2:00 pm MDT. The registration web address is https://registration.ugagenealogy.org/ View course outlines and videos for Academy 2023 here:  https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=643 Tips for preparing for a smooth registration process: Join UGA or renew your UGA membership at least two days before registration so the system has time to update and correctly apply the UGA discount to your order. Create or login to your SLIG registration account—this is different from your UGA account—at least 24 hours before registration. Please confirm that your information is still current (name, address, phone number, email address, etc.) and update as necessary. Review these SLIG policies you must agree to when registering: Code of Ethics and Conduct: https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=573 Privacy: https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=574 Registration and Cancellation: https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=575 Waitlists: If your desired course sells out before you complete your order, you will be automatically waitlisted and sent back to the course selection page where you can choose another course to register for. After placing an order, you may add yourself to the waitlist for another course in the registration dashboard. Interested in taking more than one Academy course? On the day of registration, you may register for only one course. Please email the registrar to request the opportunity to enroll in an additional course at registrar@slig.ugagenealogy.org. Beginning July 18th, the registrar will review those requests on a case-by-case basis. If your desired second course sells out, please put yourself on the waitlist right away in case your request is approved. Thanks in advance for your willingness to help share news about SLIG events!

The following announcement was written by Getty Images, Inc.:

Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, today launched the Black History & Culture Collection (BHCC), an initiative created to provide free non-commercial access to historical and cultural images of the African/Black Diaspora in the US and UK from the 19th century to present day. The collection aims to grant access to rarely seen images for educators, academics, researchers, and content creators, enabling them to tell untold stories around Black culture.

The collection is available for projects focused on education around the histories and cultures of the African/Black Diaspora, dating back to the 1800s. Content created from the collection by partners must not produce revenue and/or be included in any revenue driving advertising or marketing.

The Black History & Culture Collection was carefully curated from content owned by Getty Images, in partnership with internationally recognized researchers, historians and educators, including Dr. Deborah Willis of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Jina DuVernay of Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Tukufu Zuberi of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Mark Sealy MBE and Renée Mussai of Autograph.

“Getty Images is committed to making this historical content accessible to ensure a more authentic representation of world history and drive more meaningful dialogue.”  said Cassandra Illidge, Vice President of Partnerships at Getty Images.  “This collection was curated in partnership with a roster of prestigious historians and educators with the goal of providing unfettered access to historical and contemporary imagery which will help content creators who have been seeking an inclusive visualization of history.”  

“Getty Images visual archive can provide a unique look into the past and bring untold stories to the present,” commented Ken Mainardis, SVP of Content at Getty Images. “With the launch of the Black History & Culture Collection, we are proud to be able to unearth and open-up access to content previously unavailable or hard to find, facilitating the better telling and understanding of Black history through our visual content.”  

Getty Images has partnered with many organizations and educational institutions, including Ohio State University, Black Archives, Radiate Festival, Black History Walks, and others who have already used the collection as part of educational curriculum, exhibitions, and dialogues surrounding vital events from the past, from well-known to previously unseen or untold. To help launch the collection, Getty Images worked with several influential Black voices, including Alexander Amosu, Wunmi Bello, Joshua Buatsi, Tiffani McReynolds, and others to share their own perspectives on pieces of history uncovered within the collection itself. 

“To be involved with the Black History & Culture Collection and work so closely with reframing access to these images made a tremendous impact on me personally and professionally,” said Dr. Deborah Willis, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, one of the experts to help curate the collection. “It offered me ways in which to guide my students’ research projects and to show how the Black History & Culture Collection is an active/useful archive that can be used by artists, scholars, families, politicians, and students to recontextualize the past and give new meaning to images that have been largely unknown or underused.”

The Black History & Culture Collection is part of a wider program of activity Getty Images has made toward anti-racism, inclusion, and dismantling discrimination. In 2021, the company established the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), supporting the digitization of archival photos from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Learn more about the collection, launch partners, curators, and content at: https://www.gettyimages.com/corporate-responsibility/bhcc.

It wasn't all that long ago that engineers, astronauts, mathematicians, and students proudly carried the original pocket calculator. I had one and thought I was proficient at it. Sadly, I misplaced it years ago.

The slide rule was a simple device with one sliding part that could do complex mathematical calculations in moments. Multiplication, division, roots, logarithms, and even trigonometry could be performed with ease. But as technology marched forward with sophisticated computers and graphing pocket calculators, the lowly slide rule was forgotten.

Much of the engineering of the world we live in was designed with the use of slide rules, and yet they are almost forgotten today. Do you have a teen-aged child or grandchild? If so, ask him or her what a slide rule is. I suspect he or she won't know.

Wikipedia states that William Oughtred and others developed the slide rule in the 17th century, based on the emerging work on logarithms by John Napier. The online encyclopedia then goes on at length to describe the history, use of, and eventual obsolescence of the slide rule. You can read the article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slide_rule.

Want to amaze your grandchildren? Buy a slide rule to show them. You can also keep it for nostalgia reasons. Slide rules can still be purchased from a number of vendors for about $20 or so if you start at https://bit.ly/3AHPZRb.

No batteries required.

Looking for a reliable online service where you can back up, store, and share your photos? Amazon Photos is one option worth considering, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime (Opens in a new window) subscriber, or you're looking for a good Google Photos alternative.

With Amazon Photos, you can back up and share your photos in the cloud, view photos by people and places, create albums, and play slideshows. Access it on the web, through a desktop app, or from the mobile app. Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage for free.

Amazon Photos makes the most sense for Prime members, but non-subscribers can tap into the service as well, with 5 gigabytes of free photo storage. Storage plans (Opens in a new window) then start at $1.99 per month for 100 gigabytes ($19.99 per year), move to $6.99 per month for 1 terabyte ($59.99 annually), and continue on up from there. You can pay for storage as you go and cancel your plan at any time.

You can read more in an article written by by Lance Whitney and published in the PCMAG web site at https://bit.ly/3O4mjAL

As a longtime public servant in Thurston County, Heather Hirotaka is used to preserving history, not making it. But that’s what Hirotaka did earlier this month, when Secretary of State Steve Hobbs appointed her as the next Washington state archivist, the first woman to ever hold the position.

In that role, Hirotaka will oversee the Washington State Archives, which collects and preserves the state’s historical records and makes them available to the public. The archives have branches in Bellevue, Bellingham, Ellensburg, Olympia and Cheney, which is the first state archives branch in the country dedicated to the preservation of electronic records.

Hirotaka said she is honored to be the first woman in the role, and that it’s incredible to think that it’s taken this long to have a female state archivist.

“I think that as a female, sometimes there are opportunities to see things a little bit differently, and to see things from maybe a different perspective,” Hirotaka said.

You can read more in an article written by Nick Gibson and published in The Spokesman-Review web site at: https://bit.ly/3P04TGA.