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Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
| IN THIS ISSUE: |
| SoG Bookshop Is Now Online First Steps in Genealogy FGS Society Hall Launched Ancestry.com Adds Dynamic Letter Writing Sony Mavica FD71 Digital Camera Old Diary Found With Internet Assistance Home Pages Highlighted |
| September 21, 1998 |
This week the Society of Genealogists in London opened an online branch of its bookshop. It is now possible to look through the catalog of publications and to even make purchases via the World Wide Web. You do not need to live in England to make purchases; they ship anywhere in the world. If you have an interest in UK ancestry, you may be very interested in looking at this catalog. The SoG bookshop reportedly has the widest range of British genealogy publications anywhere. Their catalog includes nearly 2,000 different books, booklets, leaflets, microfiche, computer programs and other items. All of them are in stock and ready to ship. The Web version of their catalog shows information on the title, author, contents, a thumbnail illustration, and price of each item. I took a look at their offerings this week; there are far too many groupings for me to describe here. The catalog is divided into more than 100 categories by subject matter and area. There are divisions for every area of the UK, along with sections for army records, bankruptcy documents, census records, and heraldry, just to name a few. There are even a few sections for non-UK books, such as France, Germany and other European countries. You will also find sections that list computer software for sale or blank charts you can fill in yourself. I randomly selected Nottinghamshire and found the following list of items for sale:
The above list is an example of the books and microfiche available. The above prices do not include shipping charges. You can view the catalog with any Web browser, including the 16-bit versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer. However, in order to use the online ordering system, you must have a browser that uses 128-bit encryption and supports Java applets. These requirements mean that you must use one of the later 32-bit versions of Netscape or Internet Explorer. As a result, anyone using Windows 3.1, MS-DOS or an older Web browser on any operating system can look at the catalog but will not be able to make purchases online. The bookshop will accept orders by other means, including e-mail, letters or FAX. Keep in mind that e-mail is not encrypted, and theoretically, credit card information could be intercepted by unscrupulous parties. If you have concerns about security, you might want to avoid e-mail although I must say that I have sent credit card numbers by e-mail for years and have never had a problem. Orders can be accepted with payment by Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Switch cards. To see the Society of Genealogists bookshop, point your browser to: http://www.sog.org.uk/bookshop
I had a chance to look through a great new book this week. "First Steps in Genealogy" by Desmond Walls Allen is subtitled "A Beginner’s Guide to Researching Your Family History." I found that subtitle to be accurate; this is a tutorial aimed at the newcomer. It covers all the important subjects that a newcomer should learn but does not go too deeply into any one topic. Desmond’s genealogy credentials are impeccable. She is a professional genealogist, a columnist, and a past or present officer of a long list of major genealogy societies. She also is well known as a lecturer at many genealogy seminars and conventions. I have attended her talks and find that her combination of expertise and humor makes for delightful listening. As I read through the book, I found that her style of writing is similar. I didn’t see much humor, but she certainly makes the topics interesting. Each subject is discussed clearly and quickly; the text never gets bogged down in detailed trivia. And maybe there was a bit of humor in the chapter titled "Raiding the Refrigerator" where Desmond talks about searching through records at home that are in "cold storage." The chapters in "First Steps in Genealogy" include:
The book ends with a rather complete index. If you are looking for a beginners’ book or if you know someone else who is looking for one, you might look at "First Steps in Genealogy" by Desmond Walls Allen, published by Betterway Books. You should be able to order it from any bookstore if you ask for ISBN 1-55870-489-2. This 128 page paperback retails for $14.99 although the discount stores will probably sell it for less. I was surprised to see this book appearing this week and especially surprised to see the publication date listed as first printing, August, 1998. This must be based upon a manuscript that Desmond Walls Allen wrote some months ago. As I wrote in March 1998 newsletters, she was hospitalized for several months battling leukemia. While writing this article I received an update on Desmond’s medical condition. The news has sometimes been bleak over the past six months, but this week’s report contained great news. Desmond has been at home for a while and is recuperating. The medical team has not found any cancer in her tests for a couple of months, so they consider her cured of the leukemia but with a long recovery from the treatments ahead of her. It will probably take a year or so to get her strength back. But the news of her recovery is good news indeed.
This week Ancestry.com opened the FGS Society Hall to benefit the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) and its members. Quoting from the announcement:
I will add one question: Is your local society represented in this section? If not, it should be. This is a chance for your society to have a free Web page. If your local society does not already have a presence on the Internet I would suggest you carefully evaluate this quote from the site:
- Ancestry.com Adds Dynamic Letter Writing Another new feature recently added to the Ancestry.com website is the capability to dynamically write letters addressed to the Social Security Administration asking for copies of records. Quoting again from the website:
For more information, visit: http://www.ancestry.com/ssdi/q01hlp.htm
- Sony Mavica FD71 Digital Camera One new toy that I have been using for a few weeks is a Sony Mavica FD71 digital camera. I took it to the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in Cincinnati, to my sister’s and brother-in-law’s wedding anniversary party and to a family reunion. This camera has now taken a couple hundred pictures, and I have a growing collection of floppy disks containing graphics files.
I previously have been using a Casio digital camera. While the pictures are good, I found a number of shortcomings. The pictures are small, and there is no flash. I also found the process of attaching cables and copying files to be awkward. That was especially true when visiting a relative last year; I wanted to give him a copy of the pictures I had just taken. I even had the necessary cable with me. But, alas, the software that needs to be loaded into the computer was back home. The Sony camera stores images directly onto a floppy disk in JPEG format (BMP is optional). You can quickly remove the diskette, insert it into any PC or Macintosh, and then view the images with almost any graphics software. You can even use a Web browser to view JPEG files. It couldn’t be simpler. I had been evaluating the different cameras for some time and eventually decided to purchase the Sony FD7. I went to the local computer store and found that FD7 cameras were selling at a discount as the store was trying to clear out inventory. Right beside it was a newly introduced model FD71 at the same price formerly charged for the FD7. The differences in the two models are rather significant. Even though you can still buy the older model for $100 less, I’d suggest you spring for the latest version. Here are some of the features of the FD71 that I found to be significant:
On the downside, the FD7 and FD71 cameras are also the largest cameras on display at the local computer store. This may be a significant factor if you want to stuff the camera into a pocket as the Sony units probably won’t fit. If you stack five CD jewel cases, that stack is about the size of a Sony FD71. The earlier FD7 was still a bit bigger than that. Another downside is the picture quality. The Sony takes nice pictures, better than many of the cheaper digital cameras. They are great for viewing on your screen or printing in a family photo album. You can even use them on your personal Web page. But none of the consumer-grade digital cameras come close to the quality of 35-millimeter film. It is a bit frustrating to spend $700 on a camera only to discover that the $50 camera you keep in the closet takes better pictures! To be sure, the digital camera is faster, has lower "film" costs and offers more flexibility in a digital environment. The Sony Mavica FD71 retails at $799 but the normal "street price" seems to be $699. If you would like to see what some experts have done with the Sony Mavica FD7 and FD71 cameras, look at the Mavica WebRing List at: http://mavicausers.org/MavicaRingList.html. Sony has information on their cameras available at: http://sel.sony.com
- Old Diary Found With Internet Assistance On September 4, Cory Luxmoore took a taxi to his hotel in Philadelphia, walked in the door and then realized that he had left his ancestor's 190-year-old journal on the back seat of the cab. The cab pulled away before Luxmoore realized his error. The diary contains notes on meeting George Washington and many other figures in Philadelphia's history. It was one of several diaries kept by Deborah Norris Logan, known as Saucy Debby to many Philadelphians, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Luxmoore said that Mrs. Logan met some of the great men of her day, but was not always impressed. She wrote that George Washington mistook her for "the wife of a Frenchman" and praised her excellent command of the English language. She also wrote about British troops burning Washington D.C. during the War of 1812, and President James Madison on horseback "perfectly shaking with fear." The diary remained in the family for 200 years. Luxmoore, a resident of Dorset, England, was in Philadelphia to donate it to The Library Company. The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded in 1731 as the first lending library in North America, helped Luxmoore scour the city for the lost document, said to be worth as much as $15,000. The company offered a $1,000 reward for the diary’s return. This past Monday janitor Tom Brennan was cleaning the lobby of an apartment building in another part of Philadelphia when he noticed a green backpack sitting on top of a radiator. Inside the backpack he found the old diary although he did not know at the time that others were looking for it. He showed the diary to his boss, an art collector who realized there was something "special" about this frayed, handwritten diary. The boss read the name Deborah Norris Logan in the diary and started searching on the Internet for information about her. Within minutes he found news stories about the missing diary and the reward offered. The two men then contacted The Library Company. On Friday, Sept. 18, janitor Tom Brennan received a check for $1,000 and a handshake from a very grateful James Green, associate librarian of The Library Company. "I hate to use this word, but this is almost 'miraculous'," said Green. "It's certainly like nothing else I've ever been mixed up with."
The following is a list of some of the genealogy-related World Wide Web home pages that have been listed recently on http://www.rootscomputing.com. Some of these sites may charge a fee for their services:
To submit your new genealogy-related home page to this newsletter, enter the necessary information at: http://www.rootscomputing.com/register.htm. Due to the volume of new Web pages submitted, I am not able to list all of them in the newsletter.
If you would like to submit news, information or press releases for possible inclusion in future newsletters, send them to roots@compuserve.com. The author does reserve the right to accept or reject any articles submitted.
DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is being written and sent via e-mail at no charge. I expect to write one new issue on a more or less weekly basis. However, life sometimes interferes, and the need to earn a living may create an occasional delay.
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I decided to purchase the Sony simply because of one feature: It is the only digital camera anywhere near my price range that directly stores images onto a floppy disk inside the camera. All the other digital cameras store their images in memory. You then either copy the files across a connecting cable or else you remove a memory card and insert it into a PC or Macintosh that can accept the card.