Accentuate the Positive Geneameme for 2017

Geneablogger Jill Ball, of GeniAus, suggests that genealogists celebrate the positives for the past year. My 2017 successes are listed below:

1. An elusive ancestor I found was 5th great grandfather, Oliver Davenport. See Surname Saturday ~ Davenport of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

2. A great newspaper article I found was in the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal which mentioned my paternal grandparents before they were married.

3. A geneajourney I took was visiting Pittsburgh at the end of August for the FGS (Federation of Genealogical Societies) Conference, where I visited a couple of cemeteries, finding many of my maternal ancestors, as well as visiting the house my mother grew up in.

4. An important record I found was a marriage record for my 7th great-grandparents (John Davenport and Hannah Warren) from the Massachusetts Town and Vital Records. As I noted in this blog post, it's very important to look at the original record, especially in this database.

5. A newly found family member shared information about her branch of the Pyle family. She descends from William Scott Pyle, the brother of my second great-grandfather, James Pyle.

6. A geneasurprise I received was the death certificates for my great-grandparents, Lowell Copeland and Ethel May (Greeley) Copeland. They died in Princeton, New Jersey, and a friend in a local genealogical society happened to be researching in New Jersey and obtained digital images of these for me.

7. My 2017 blog post that I was particularly proud of was this one where I had to share that the daguerreotype I received last year from my second cousin was not an Alcott.

8. I made many new genimates who participated over the summer in the Boston University Certificate Program in Genealogical Research (OL24) with me.

9. A new piece of technology I mastered was the new color-coding feature in the new version of Family Tree Maker. I will be blogging about the discovery it helped me make soon.

10. I joined the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists) and the NEAPG (New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists) after I completed the B.U. Certificate Program in Genealogical Research.

11. A genealogy event from which I learned something new was the FGS Conference in Pittsburgh in late August. (See #3.) I attended a few sessions with a Pennsylvania focus where I learned about resources specific to Pennsylvania.

12. Blog posts that taught me something new were posts about DNA. A new-to-me blog is The DNA Geek. My other favorite DNA blogs can be found at my DNA Resources page.

13. A DNA discovery I made was the amount of DNA each of my sons inherited from their four grandparents. Again, another blog post that needs to be written!

Lowell Copeland

14. A brick wall I demolished was confirming the parents of my 4th great-grandfather, Noah Davenport. (See #1.)

15. A great site I visited was Dead Fred, where I found a photograph of my great-grandfather, Lowell Copeland (at right).

16. A new genealogy/history book I will enjoy is Val Greenwood's The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy. 4th Edition, which I received for Christmas and have yet to explore.

17. It was exciting to finally meet the many professional genealogists at the FGS conference (see #3) this summer.

18. I am excited for 2018 because I hope to have more time to research and blog about my more recent findings.

Thank you, Jill, for this wonderful idea and...

Happy New Year to all!

Daguerreotype ~ Not an Alcott

In August 2016, I shared images of this daguerreotype that my second cousin sent to me. I wrote two posts about it: Tuesday's Tip ~ Analyzing a Daguerreotype and (Almost) Wordless Wednesday ~ Is This Eliza May Wells?

The photographer's imprint in the lower left-hand side of the case: A. H. Knapp, 123 Wash. St., indicates that this was produced in Boston in the 1850s.

Even though I theorized that this was an image of our common second great-grandmother, Eliza May Wells, my cousin was convinced that it was an image of Louisa May Alcott's sister, Anna (Alcott) Pratt. (You can see an image of Anna here.)

It should be noted that Eliza and Anna and Louisa were related. Eliza's grandmother, Elizabeth Sewall May, and Anna's and Louisa's mother, Abigail May, were sisters: daughters of Joseph May and Dorothy Sewall. I explained the maze of relationships in my post: Cousin Louisa May Alcott.

On December 1, there was a newspaper article in the Boston Globe about another image of Anna Alcott Pratt that had come to light entitled: Never-before-seen photo of Louisa May Alcott’s sister found in old album. The article mentioned the name of the executive director of Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, Jan Turnquist. I contacted her through the website and she kindly replied with a phone call to let me know that no, this woman is not a member of the Alcott or Pratt families.

Therefore, until another images comes along to help us out, I'm returning to my original theory of who this is: my second great-grandmother, Eliza May Wells (20 Aug 1839 - 18 Sep 1880) who would have been 16 years old in 1855. She is the only woman in my database born between 1830 and 1840 who was likely to have been in Boston in the 1850s for a photograph.

Of course, she could be a collateral relative who may not be in my database.

William Scott Pyle's Oldest Son, James V. Pyle

My second great uncle, William Scott Pyle (1856-1906), shared in the success of the soap manufacturing company started by his father, James Pyle. In the 1905 New York State Census, 49-year-old William S. Pyle, with the occupation of Manufacturer, is living at number 3 East 53rd Street in Manhattan with his wife, Mary V. Pyle (age 45) and his two children, Mary V. Pyle (age 19) and William S., Jr. Pyle (age 17). The household also includes eight servants!

(I have cleared out the extraneous information to direct your view to this Pyle family's entry.)

1905 New York State Census, New York County, population schedule, Manhattan, p. 42, line 13, William S. Pyle; digital images, Ancestry.com (https:www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 June 2014).

I have previously shared that William Scott Pyle died on January 1, 1906, of cirrhosis of the liver. (I shared his death certificate here.)

Five years later, in the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, the widowed Mary V. Pyle is living in Mendham, Morris County, New Jersey. With her are her children, Mary V. Pyle, age 24, and William S. Pyle, age 21, and seven servants.

1910 U.S. census, Morris County, New Jersey, population schedule, Mendham, enumeration district (ED) 22, sheet 8B, dwelling 159, family 180, Mary V. Pyle; image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 June 2014); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 902.

This census asks the question "Mother of how many children / Number born / Number now living." This can be a helpful piece of information, letting us know if there are additional children we have not recorded. In this case, Mary reports that she gave birth to two children and two are living. However, this is not accurate, as there was an older brother, James Vanderhoef Pyle, who was born in November 1882 and died on 28 February 1887 of Diptheria.

Wordless Wednesday ~ William Scott Pyle (1856-1906)

In honor of a third cousin once removed who found me because of my blog, I am sharing this carte de visite of William Scott Pyle, my second great uncle (and her second great grandfather). He was the younger brother of my great grandfather, James Tolman Pyle.

The handwritten inscription is: Yours Truly W. S. Pyle.

The photographer was Julius Ludovici, who photographed in New York and Newport (which can be faintly seen in the lower right-hand-corner of the image).

There is no date on the back of the image, but based on the tie (wide and soft) and the white shirt, as well as a possible age of mid-20s, I wonder if this was taken around the time of his marriage in 1881, when he was 25 years old, or perhaps soon after.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Mother's Childhood Home

Last week I attended the FGS 2017 conference in Pittsburgh. The main reason I went was because it was being held in my mother's childhood hometown and I could visit my cousin, who shares an interest in family history.

Not only did my cousin and I visit Uniondale Cemetery, where we have many maternal ancestors (see my 2014 post Pittsburgh Burials at Uniondale Cemetery), but we visited the home where our mothers grew up. We knocked on the door and the current homeowners couldn't have been nicer, letting us explore the grounds, walk around inside, and take photos. (I have since shared some of my 1940s and 1950s photos with the homeowners, some of which I previously shared at Mount Royal Boulevard.)

This photograph of the house was taken about 1958-1959 when my grandparents were preparing to sell it:

This photograph of the house was taken almost sixty years later, on September 2, 2017:

The house was originally built in 1820, one of a pair of farmhouses built by brothers. It was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.

DNA Toolbox

I recently read a blog post (Linda Stufflebean at Empty Branches on the Family Tree) reminding me that it's useful to include a genealogy toolbox of online resources right on my blog. I have never done this for From Maine to Kentucky, but because recently, I've gotten more interested in DNA testing and analysis (and encouraging family members to test), I thought that a DNA Toolbox might be helpful for me and for my readers.

At the top of my blog, I have added the tab called DNA Resources. Right now, it includes links to my favorite genetic genealogy blogs, links to some online video resources, and links to all the posts I have written about DNA in my research.

I will add to this toolbox in the future when I find new resources for DNA.

If you have a great online resource for DNA, let me know and I will add it.

And if you're inspired to take an autosomal DNA test (where you can find out about your admixture, or ethnicity estimates AND you can see how much DNA you share with cousins and maybe even find new cousins), FamilyTreeDNA is having a Mother's Day sale where their Family Finder DNA test costs only $69. This price is good through this Mother's Day, May 14.

And once your results are in (from whatever test you have taken), please upload them to GEDmatch.com, where you can take advantage of other DNA analysis tools and find cousins who have tested at other DNA companies.

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 3

After two days at NERGC of really exercising my brain (see Day 1 and Day 2), I decided to listen to some general-level sessions with particularly excellent speakers for my last day.

Elizabeth and Thomas

Thomas MacEntee, founder of Geneabloggers, spoke on Managing the Genealogy Data Monster, a topic that genealogists at every level can use at least some help with! Thomas is very organized, providing lots of wonderful suggestions on how to work with a research log, as well as sharing tips on file naming conventions. The main takeaway there is to just be consistent. (I've got some work to do...)  If you ever get a chance to hear Thomas speak, be sure to do so!

I then got to hear Diahan Southard speak on Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun. I had interviewed Diahan for this blog in February, so it was great to meet her and see her present in person. This was a class where attendees could login to their own AncestryDNA accounts and follow along as she explained how to pose a genealogical research question and begin to answer it using the searching and filtering features at AncestryDNA. I picked up a few tips and tricks in this session that I look forward to using!

After lunch, where we heard from Jane E. Wilcox speaking about Forget Me Not: Remembering Our Grandmother's Stories, I volunteered to help out at the booth for MSOG, the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists.

The exhibit hall at the conference was free and open to the public and I could see, especially on Saturday, that there were lots of visitors who came who were not registered for the conference.

Here is the MSOG booth at a rare down time that it was not full of people, either MSOG members meeting up or attendees looking to join this great group. Even if you do not live in Massachusetts, the membership is worth it (only $25 for a year!) because of the webinar series that is offered only to members. In fact, if you join now, your membership will be good through the summer of 2018.

I had to leave the conference before the end of Saturday, knowing that I had made many new genealogy friends, as well as renewing some friendships over the subject we all enjoy.

Looking forward to NERGC 2019 in Manchester, New Hampshire!

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 2

Friday was the second day of NERGC and was just as busy as Thursday. (See my Thursday summary.)

After a brief walk outside (it was a foggy morning so I didn't get to see the Connecticut River which divides Springfield from West Springfield), I started my morning with A Virtual Tour of New Hampshire's State Archives with Diane Gravel. Now I'm inspired to pursue my New Hampshire ancestors more deeply (and maybe break down my Thomas Wells brick wall there...).

Then I got to hear Marian Pierre-Louis talk about Breaking Down Brick Walls with Collateral Research. She has done this talk before, but she gets so excited sharing her finds that it's inspiring!

After some time exploring the exhibit hall, I attended the NEAPG lunch "Table Topics," where I sat at a table with others who are researching Connecticut ancestors. Now I'm excited to explore my ancestors in that New England state after hearing more about some great research repositories there.

After lunch, I heard from George Findlen, Ya Gotta Use ALL the Records, from Pam Stone Eagleson on Confronting Conflicting Evidence, and F. Warren Bittner on Complex Evidence: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters. These were all advanced-level sessions on understanding and evaluating evidence to come to a genealogical conclusion. My brain certainly was exercised this afternoon!

At this evening's banquet, I sat with two other eastern Massachusetts genealogists who are also taking the Boston University Certificate in Genealogical Research course this summer. Yes, my blogging may get even more sparse because this is going to be taking up much of my time in the next four months! The speaker was Kenyatta Berry, another wonderful host from Genealogy Roadshow.

One of the best things about genealogy conferences is meeting friends, old and new, who all share my love of genealogy! We learn a lot from each other.

NERGC 2017 ~ Day 1

I got to Springfield, Massachusetts, on Thursday in time for the opening session, which included hearing from Mary Tedesco (of Genealogy Roadshow). She is an engaging speaker.

At lunch, I finally got the opportunity to meet the founder of Geneabloggers, Thomas MacEntee, who spoke about privacy and genealogy and how the concept of privacy has changed over the centuries. (He recognized me and remembered my blogs!)

In the afternoon, I heard Carol Prescott McCoy speak about Finding Someone Who Eluded Census Records. She provided a good overview of census research and then offered some creative suggestions for finding those hard-to-find ancestors in the census (and some other census alternatives).

Jane E. Wilcox (of the Forget-Me-Not podcast) spoke about New York State Repositories, inspiring me to find out more about my ancestors who migrated through New York from New England to Illinois.

Brenda Sullivan, one of the Gravestone Girls, spoke about the history of graveyards and cemeteries (there is a difference) and what you can find out about your ancestors on a gravestone.

All of these speakers are worth learning from if you ever get a chance to hear them speak.

After supper, I joined other genealogy bloggers in an informal SIG: Special Interest Group meeting where we chatted about our blogs and encouraged a few attendees to start their own blogs. It was great to finally meet in person Marian Burk Wood of Climbing My Family Tree and John Tew of Filiopietism Prism, as well as see longtime blogger friends, Heather Rojo of Nutfield Genealogy, Sara Campbell of Remembering Those Who Came Before Us, Cindy Shenette of Heritage Zen, and Pam Carter of My Maine Ancestry.

Six Years of Blogging!

This is blog post 392 over the past six years. Although I have slowed down, I hope to continue with at least two to four posts a month.

As I recently noted in a comment on another geneablogger's post about the slowing down of genealogy blogging (see Julie's Genealogy and History Hub), it was easier to blog when I started this blog - sharing census records and some of the many photographs was relatively easy and fun.

Now that I spend my genealogy time exploring my DNA matches and trying to contact them, I don't manage to find as much time to write blog posts, unless I get really excited about a new discovery.

Some of my favorite blog posts from the past year include:

Dad's Pet Goat

From July 2016: Dad's Pet Goat - This is now the fifth top-viewed post of all time on this blog.

From September 2016: David Freeland - 4th Great-Grandfather - I confirmed his burial location this year, as well as expanded the branch of his family tree with more descendants!

A follow-up to my November 2016 post about the Short Snorter with my Dad's signature - one of my brothers purchased it to give to another brother so it is now in the family!

From December 2016: DNA ~ Visual Phasing is one of my favorites of the year (for the DNA geneageeks in my audience). I have almost completed this project for all the chromosomes for me and my two brothers. I hope that known family members who have tested at AncestryDNA will upload their DNA to FamilyTreeDNA or GEDmatch which both have chromosome browsers. This will help me to fully complete this project and help me figure out how I am related to the genetic matches who contact me.

From March 2017: I Found My Great-Grandfather on DeadFred!

Looking ahead, I have taken advantage of the DNA sales going on right now and have purchased DNA tests for my sons. (Son #1 actually asked about it!) With three of their four grandparents having tested, it will be interesting to see how much DNA they share with each grandparent and with their uncles!

Next week I will be at NERGC and I will blog about it. (To get in the mood for NERGC, see my interviews with The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor and Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard.)

Thank you for continuing to read my blog and I hope to keep sharing family photos, family finds, and educational DNA posts.

Searching for Adsit in The Courier-Journal

Newspapers.com just updated its collection of issues from The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY). (Click on the image to go right to searching this newspaper. This is a subscription website.) My great-grandmother was born in Kentucky and I have found her in this newspaper in the past. (See Bowmie Ashby's 1890 Wedding.)

The update includes issues into the 21st century with the Newspapers.com Plus subscription, but I haven't found any close relatives much past the following 1918 find.

Since I am easily distracted into doing newspaper research, I decided to see what I could find by searching on Adsit, one of my more unusual ancestral surnames.

AncestryDNA Genetic Communities

AncestryDNA released a new feature this past week: Genetic Communities. They have put together a short video at YouTube that introduces this new feature.

Other genealogy bloggers with particular expertise in DNA have shared information about Genetic Communities:
Blaine Bettinger: AncestryDNA’s Genetic Communities are Finally Here!
Roberta Estes: Genetic Communities
Kitty Cooper: Genetic Communities at Ancestry are live

When I visit my AncestryDNA page, the page has been slightly reconfigured with part of the page displaying the following image:

When I click on "View Your Genetic Ancestry," I can explore my ethnicity estimate (which I wrote about here and here) and explore my genetic community. (I only have one right now, but hope there will be more.) The ethnicity estimate displays deep ancestral roots, going back thousands of years; genetic communities suggests where ancestors may have come from within the past 200-300 years.

I Found My Great-Grandfather on DeadFred!

DeadFred is a "genealogy photo archive," a website where people upload old photos to connect them with family members. Visitors can easily search to see if they recognize anyone and request that a photo of a relative be mailed.

I have known about this website for a long time and every once in a while, will check to see if one of my relatives has a photo there. Last week, I was reminded of the site and entered a few family surnames into the search box. Imagine my surprise when I found one identified with the name Lowell Copeland!

I contacted the person who posted the photo and he mailed it to me. When I asked him where he found the photo, he wrote: "Found 7+ years ago in an antiques mall in Berkeley Springs WV." (I have no idea how it got to West Virginia!)

The photographer is Ritz & Hastings, at 147 Tremont St. in Boston. The website Broadway Photographs has a page about this photographer which helps me narrow down the date of the photo to 1882-1884, when Lowell Copeland was 20-22.

As far as I know, Lowell Copeland did not attend college. His brother, Charles Townsend Copeland (Copey of Harvard), graduated from Harvard College in 1882, so perhaps this photograph was taken on a visit to Boston for his brother's graduation.

On the back, the name is written in distinctive handwriting, but I have not found this handwriting in my other records.

Besides the fact that Lowell Copeland is a relatively uncommon name, I recognized him because of another photograph that I have which was taken a few years earlier.

Surname Saturday ~ Davenport of Massachusetts and Rhode Island

My earliest known Davenport ancestor is Thomas Davenport, who was in Dorchester, Massachusetts, by 1640, when he became a church member. He was married by 1643, as his oldest child was born in December of that year. His wife's name was Mary, but I have not found confirmation of her surname.

According to the Dawes-Gates genealogy, Thomas Davenport appears in plenty of early records, including several land purchases, in 1653, 1659, and 1665. Records also indicate that he served as a fence viewer, assisted in laying out a "highway" in 1677, and served as a constable for a few years.

His property was near Mount Bowdoin, seen in the middle of the map at right (courtesy of Wikipedia).

Thomas Davenport and his wife Mary had ten children: Sarah, Thomas, Mary, Anna, Charles, Abigail, Mehitable, Jonathan, Ebenezer, and John. His oldest son Thomas died on December 19, 1675 fighting in King Philip's War.

He died on November 9, 1685. His will was proved on February 4, 1685/86, but his estate wasn't settled for another 35 years, after the death of his administrator, his son, Charles.

I descend from his eighth child and third son, Jonathan.

Tuesday's Tip ~ Massachusetts Town and Vital Records at Ancestry.com

I have been researching my Davenport ancestry and have gotten back to 17th century Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Ancestry.com has a very useful database called the Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. From the description of the database:

Massachusetts boasts some of the oldest and most extensive records in the United States, and some documents in this database go back to the colony’s earliest days. They were made more readily accessible through the efforts of Jay and DeLene Holbrook. About 30 years ago, the Holbrooks began filming vital and town records in Massachusetts. To date, the Holbrooks have visited 315 of the state's 351 towns and cities and filmed their records collections.

I am looking for the marriage record for my 7th great-grandparents, Jonathan Davenport and his wife Hannah. I found four versions of their marriage record in this database because it had been copied several times. I am guessing that the first image is the original. The last one was obviously created in the 20th century.

Dorchester Births Marriages, Deaths, 1646-1682

NERGC Interview ~ Diahan Southard

The 14th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts from April 26-29. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount!

Several New England Geneabloggers were invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Your DNA Guide, Diahan Southard.

Following are the questions I posed and her answers:

Elizabeth Handler: What got you interested in genealogy and how long have you been doing it?

Diahan Southard: Genetics actually got me interested in genealogy. It started back in college in 1998 when I first heard the idea that we could create a database of genetics and genealogy that would help us identify how we were related to others, and help us find out where in the world we came from. That project eventually became the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF), the first of its kind.

EH: Your bio says you have spent 15 years in the genetic genealogy industry. I didn’t realize that genetic genealogy was even a “thing” in 2002. What did you do in the early years?

DS: In the early years I worked for SMGF in various capacities. I spent a good deal of time working for their for-profit arm, called Relative Genetics. I did everything from the actual lab work, to the computer analysis, to sales and marketing, to training the executive team (a bunch of business guys) on what exactly DNA had to do with genealogy.

EH: One of your sessions at NERGC is “Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun” (a great title). Can you share anything about this session?

DS: I am always excited to break out of the traditional lecture mode. It is so much more fun to have hands-on, real life experiences. I find that even if you pay very close attention in a lecture and take copious notes, when you get home and look at your computer and your actual results, things just look different. So here is a chance for you to sit down with your own results and do as I am doing - and ask all of your questions along the way.

EH: Many genealogists will recognize you from Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems podcast, where you explain various DNA concepts in easy-to-understand segments (pardon the pun). When and how did you start participating in her podcasts?

DS: Isn't Lisa the best!! She and I are so similar in our style, enthusiasm and passion that when we first met at the Florida Genealogical Societies Conference in the spring of 2014 we knew we were meant to work together. That very day, when the conference was over, I sat down with Lisa and Sunny and we talked about all the fun ways we could combine our talents to create fun and easy to understand content for other genealogists. We decided right away that I would blog and podcast for her, and that I would write DNA quick sheets that she would publish. This partnership has far exceeded my expectations and I continue to learn and benefit from Lisa's knowledge and expertise. When I grow up, I want to be just like her!

EH: Have you attended NERGC in the past? What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2017 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?

DS: I have, actually! It was many many moons ago. It was when I was working for Relative Genetics, I believe, and I came to NERGC to man a booth and talk to genealogists about this new thing called Genetic Genealogy. I just love the northeast and its natural beauty. I am excited to see real Spring, since here in Florida we kind of skip over that season.

Diahan will be teaching the following sessions at the conference:
Your DNA in Action: Real Time, Hands-On Fun (Saturday 10:00-11:00 a.m.)
Your DNA and Your Origins (Saturday 3:15 - 4:15 p.m.)

She is also teaching "Five Tips to Make Sense of Your DNA Testing" at the Pre-Conference Beginning DNA Day, which will be on Wednesday, April 26, and requires an additional registration. The conference brochure suggests that you register early for this Beginning DNA Day because seats are limited.

NERGC Interview ~ Maureen Taylor

The 14th biennial New England Regional Genealogical Consortium will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts from April 26-29. Visit the website for all the conference information and register before February 28 to get the early bird discount!

Several New England Geneabloggers were invited to interview some of the speakers and I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective.

Following are the questions I posed and her answers:

Elizabeth Handler: Please share some of your background that has given you the experience of being able to analyze family photographs.
Maureen Taylor: I began my career in the Graphics Department of the Rhode Island Historical Society. The collection consisted of all sorts of non-print materials including photographs. Advanced study through workshops increased my knowledge of pictures. Genealogists would come to the library to research their family but never asked about any possible pictures of their ancestors. I worked to change that.

I’m always reading about old photos, attending conferences and talking to colleagues. Plus I seem to be addicted to collecting images as well. <LOL> There is no end to the fascinating details present in pictures. Everyday is a new experience. Every new picture brings a piece of history to light.

EH: You have written many books, including two books with photographs of Revolutionary War Solders: The Last Muster, volumes 1 and 2. Are you still receiving more photos of these 18th century individuals? Is a volume 3 in the works?
MT: When I began searching for these photos I thought there couldn’t be too many of them in the world. Was I wrong! Yes, I’m planning on a volume three. A big thank you to everyone that brings these images to my attention. So far I’ve found more than 200 pictures (photographs and engravings based on pictures).

EH: I love your books that include pages upon pages of old photos. Are most of the photos yours or have you had success with getting people to share photos with you (like I did in your Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats book)? [Note: I shared two photos with Maureen for this book. I recently blogged about them here and here.]
MT: I’ve been collecting images for about 20 years. Occasionally a collector will share images with me for a book when I don’t have a suitable picture in my collection. That happened with Bonnets and Hats. A collector I know shared several pictures of men in interesting hats! I have a file on wedding images and over the years many people have sent me pictures for that project. Now all I need is more time to put it together.

EH: How long do you spend working with a client on analyzing an old family photograph? Or is it completely different for every client?
MT: Clients that sign up for consults receive my expertise in a fifteen minute conversation. What’s not covered it that short block is the time I’ve spent getting ready for the call researching details and verifying the details in their family history. The amount of time I spend on each picture depends on the images.

EH: How many times have you attended NERGC?
MT: I think I’ve only missed one!

EH: What are you most looking forward to at NERGC 2017 (besides enjoying the company of hundreds of other genealogists)?
MT: I love reconnecting with all the people I’ve met over the years. There is a nice energy to regional conferences. It’s like a big family reunion! Can’t wait for it.

In addition to having a booth at the Exhibit Hall, Maureen will be teaching the following sessions at the conference:
Fashion Clues to Understanding Who Your Ancestors Really Were (Friday 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.)
Workshop: Photo Detecting 101: Photo Identification Tips and Techniques (Friday 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.)

Wordless Wednesday ~ Two Unknown Men, Tintype

This tintype is about 3" x 4.25". I know it came from my mother's family, but I don't know for sure which grandparent it came from, so he could be a relative on the Copeland or Greeley line (my grandfather) or the Hunter or Lysle line (my grandmother).

Wordless Wednesday ~ Unknown Man, Tintype

This framed tintype is about 2" by 2.5". I know it came from my mother's family, but I don't know for sure which grandparent it came from, so he could be a relative on the Copeland or Greeley line (my grandfather) or the Hunter or Lysle line (my grandmother).

Wordless Wednesday ~ M. B. Adsit and C. C. Adsit Jr. Circa 1893

The back has my grandmother's distinctive handwriting:

M. B. Adsit (Mary Bowman (Ashby) Adsit)
C. C. Adsit Jr. (Charles Chapin Adsit, Jr.)

(The very light penciled handwriting in the upper right-hand corner is my handwriting, clarifying that this is Mary B. A. Adsit (1866-1956), though since I wrote that, I learned that she was older than she said. See Matrilineal Monday ~ My Kentucky Great Grandmother.)

This is the older brother and mother of Elizabeth Adsit (1897-1983), my paternal grandmother. Charles, Jr. was born in July 1892, so this photograph was taken before his younger sister was born, likely in late 1893.

Max Platz was a well-known Chicago photographer in the late 19th century. He died in early 1894 and his studio was continued by a business associate, according to his obituary.