Women's History Month 2021: Someone Else's Family

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Genealogy influences the way we search websites. Name, date, and place. But as I have pointed out many times this month, understanding our family means going beyond a search for their name.

In genealogy, we hear of the importance of the FAN Club. This reminds us to look for the Friends, Associates, and Neighbors of an ancestor. The idea is that sometimes our ancestors are mentioned, written about, and documented through their relationship to others.

We should take this into consideration as we approach our research at the museum. The museum provides plenty of opportunities to understand an event, an activity, a place in time. In some cases, this may not be through actual research but rather through viewing exhibits or reading a museum publication. And while our ancestors may not be individually named, that doesn't mean what the museum has to offer isn't important to our research. 

An exhibit about women and suffrage in California may never name my female ancestors but knowing the history of suffrage in California can help me better understand my great-great-grandmother who voted in those first elections open to women. Going to an exhibit about midwives can help you understand the midwife in your pioneer family. Studying an exhibit that details that big natural disaster can help you understand how your ancestor might have felt and what they faced.

We learn about our families as we explore others. Other people's families can help us better understand our own and help us write about our ancestor's experiences. Museums provide us with that opportunity.

Women's History Month 2021: Research at the Museum

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At some point, after you exhaust what a museum has online via their catalog, digital collections, and finding aids you'll want to actually travel to the museum and do some research. Museums and archives aren't like libraries where you, for the most part, may just show up. You need a plan. That plan will involve not only what your research question is but what the museum has to answer that question. You also need to make sure that you contact them to make sure they are ready for your visit. 

Some things to consider before you leave home are:

• Call, email, or consult the website first regarding what restrictions or rules you need to be aware of.  For example, is the collection restricted; do they need to retrieve it offsite; are there limits to who can research there; do you need to make an appointment; what are their hours?

• Talk to the archivist or staff about your project so they can suggest other material that might be of help to your project.
• If the museum is far from your home, see if there is another way to access the collection. For example, has the collection been microfilmed and sold to other repositories near you? Will they do a quick look-up for you or can you send a request (and payment) for copies to be made and mailed.  
• Ask about their photocopy policy. They may not allow you to make copies and instead they will make the copies for you at a cost. Some items might be too fragile to copy and you will have to transcribe them. Photocopy procedures may differ depending on if the item is a document or a photograph.
• Their online catalog may include a  finding aid. Consult this to better understand what is available in that collection.

My biggest tip is to be prepared for your trip and don't just show up at the museum. Sure, there are times that might happen but if you can prepare at all, it's for the best. Otherwise, you might waste time and not find everything that is available.

Women's History Month 2021: Museum Sponsored Events

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Museums sponsor and host events. These events are put together by museum staff and volunteers but they also may include outside groups. Conferences, lectures, field trips, demonstrations, reenactments, and other types of events help us to better understand a historical time period, an event, or a person.

I once went to a presentation on needlework samplers given by a local museum-sponsored Civil War group. I was the only person not dressed in Civil War attire and besides the fascinating presentation, it was interesting to talk to other members of the audience and hear about their experience putting together their Civil War persona. The research they did into the clothing they wore, the person they depicted, the time period. It's an impressive amount of time, effort, and study that goes into making sure everything is as accurate as can be. The whole event was truly an experience and invited me to start asking questions and thinking about my 19th century family in a different way.

During the pandemic, I've attended museum lectures, historical cooking demonstrations, author presentations, and more. These were provided by museums in the state where I live but also in other states and include museums I didn't know anything about until I saw the event advertised on Facebook. 

Museum events are an opportunity for us to learn more about our ancestor's time and place. Whether it's an author presenting her research via Zoom or going to an all-day event where reenactors give us a taste of that time period. It's important to seek these types of events out and think about how they can help us tell the story of our ancestors.

Resources

Mental Floss - 13 Secrets of Historical Reenactors

American Experience - The Reenactors

Women's History Month 2021: All Museums Provide Clues

I think one of the most important characteristics a researcher can have is to be curious. Not nosy curious but endlessly curious about all kinds of things. Genealogy involves the pursuit of all kinds of knowledge. It's sociology, geography, psychology, history, and so much more.

I love to hear researchers talk about the seemingly strange esoteric things they are interested in because it shows how creative they can be in researching what they love. They are asking and answering all sorts of questions to better understand our ancestor's lives.

Whether you visit a museum for fun or for research, it can be a wonderful place to learn new things and discover new-to-you aspects of history. 

Case in point. Italy. 

I love Italy. I love the art. I love the history at every turn. I love the architecture. And who doesn't like the food? 

(c) 2018 Gena Philibert-Ortega

Do I have family history roots in Italy? No. So going there has nothing to do with genealogy for me. 

One of my favorite museums is in Florence, The Accademie Gallery. You might know it as the place where the statue of David resides.

If you visit, make sure you look at the backside of the statue as well.(c) 2019 Gena Philibert-Ortega

My favorite room in the Accademia is the Nineteenth Century room. I could spend an afternoon there studying the various statues. 

According to the museum's guide, 

(c) 2018 Gena Philibert-Ortega

The large Nineteenth Century Room was conceived and realized in order to provide the collection of plaster casts by Lorenzo Bartolini with a stable and definitive location. However the intention was also to offer the visitor tangible evidence of the 19th century academic origins of this Gallery, today mainly known for Michelangelo's David.[1]

(c) 2018 Gena Philibert-Ortega

The room is filled with statues and busts. These works were commissioned by wealthy Italian and foreign visitors living in Florence. But there's important context in those works. It provides us a snapshot of life. It reminds me of how we use various publications to date fashion in photographs thus "dating" a photograph to a specific decade.

Monument to Maria Radziwill Krasinski and her son Zygmunt.(c) 2018 Gena Philibert-Ortega

Most statues and busts reveal the 19th century aesthetic taste from head to toe, showing the typical hairstyle and fashion of the period. The decision to follow a specific style reveals the sensitivity and the prevalent ideology at the historical moment it reflects. In the first half of the 19th century fashion trends were set in France, featuring modest volume of hairstyle, and simple vertical lines which defined women’s tunics and gowns during the neoclassical and Empire period, faithfully depicted by Lorenzo Bartolini during his long brilliant career. [2]

These statues seemingly have no genealogical value but in reality, they provide important context regarding fashion and hairstyles of the early 19th century. Yes, I understand these were documenting the rich but it still provides context that we can use in our overall understanding.

There's a genealogical benefit to just visiting museums for the sake of visiting and learning. Not everything has to be a research trip. Genealogy and social history is everywhere.

[1]Falletti, Franca. Accademia Gallery. The Official Guide. Italy: Giunti, 2015.

[2] "Gipsoteca Bartolini, a 19th Century Hall," Academia.org (https://www.accademia.org/explore-museum/halls/gipsoteca-bartolini/: accessed 28 March 2021).  

Women's History Month 2021: Another look at Finding Aids and Catalogs

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There are museum finding aids and catalogs all over the Internet. Sometimes it's just a matter of knowing how to find them or the pure luck of stumbling upon one that holds the key to your research.

We discussed ArchiveGrid yesterday but there are other smaller regional catalogs that might also provide you what you need. These include (but are not limited to):

• Online Archive of California
• Calisphere
• Mountain West Digital Library
• Archives West
• New Mexico Digital Collections

These online catalogs make it easier to find information about your female ancestor. But, once again, don't just search by her name and assume because there are no results that she isn't represented in a collection.

Here's an example. I went to the Mountain West Digital Library and searched for the keyword "quilt." Over 700 results were returned so  I narrowed it down to a result from the Murray City (Utah) Museum.

 https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=231097

So here's a great result, a group of women sitting in front of a quilt. The title states that it is the Murray Stake Relief Society Board circa 1954. So right away I know that these women are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and they hold a leadership position in the church in the stake Relief Society (a woman's organization).

Ok so that's great. None of the women are named in the photo description so searching by name in the catalog would do you absolutely no good.

Now take a look at that quilt. That quilt is a Friendship Quilt (or also known as a Signature Quilt). 

Copyright Murray City Corporation. Digitized copy available at https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=231097

What does that mean for genealogists? Names!

Look closely and you'll notice that the quilt has a ton of names (or because it's small it looks like a bunch of words). Obviously, not readable from this view. The description states that there are names on the back of the photo. My guess is that those are the names of the women pictured but maybe the names on the quilt are also documented or the quilt has been donated to a museum.

So museums have items that can tell us about our ancestor's lives and may even a mention by name. Why would you care if your female family member was on this quilt? The quilt and its history can tell you about her life. It gives you location in time, religion, and depending on the purpose of the quilt, that might also provide you details. It also speaks to her FAN Club.

Searching online catalogs to see what is out there for a female ancestor at the museum. Definitely!

Women's History Month 2021: Finding Aids: ArchiveGrid

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I think it's obvious by now that there's genealogically relevant information at the museum.  So let's take a few days to explore finding aids. Of course, there are online catalogs, research guides, and other helps found on the museum website itself. But where else might you find information about family history related museum collections?

Let's first explore my favorite catalog, ArchiveGrid. ArchiveGrid describes itself as

ArchiveGrid includes over 5 million records describing archival materials, bringing together information about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, and more. With over 1,000 different archival institutions represented, ArchiveGrid helps researchers looking for primary source materials held in archives, libraries, museums and historical societies.

So ArchiveGrid is a collaborative catalog that includes "primary source materials" (AKA original source materials for genealogists). Because archival collections don't always end up in the location you think they should, a search on ArchiveGrid can mean the difference between finding and not finding the research collections you need.

ArchiveGrid includes collections from repositories worldwide but not all repositories. And those collaborative partners change over time and more materials are added to the catalog. So it's not a one-time search. Remember to not just focus on a surname when searching on ArchiveGrid. Search on a location (and variations of that location such as town; town and county; state etc), as well as an occupation, a religion, etc.

A few examples of California museums represented on ArchiveGrid (but not all) are:

• African American Museum and Library at Oakland
• Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
• American Bookbinders Museum
• Museum of the American West
• California Museum of Photography
• California Railroad Museum
• Charles M Schulz Museum and Research Center
• Computer History Museum
• Japanese American National Museum
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art
• Los Angeles Maritime Museum
• Pasadena Historical Museum
• San Diego Air and Space Museum
• San Joaquin County Museum

ArchiveGrid is definitely worth a search and should be a part of your regular research plan. Tomorrow, let's explore another finding aid for finding genealogically relevant museum collections.

Women's History Month 2021: Images at the Museum

Image by congerdesign via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/congerdesign-509903/

Images. I think one of the most important ways we can add context to our family history is to use images. Sure, a picture of your ancestor is great. But what happens when you don't have a photo of that ancestor? Other images can help. When we think of female ancestors that might include images of:

• Clothing of her era
• Maps
• Postcards
• Photos of the type of work she did
• Photos of the type of house she lived in
• Photos of items she may have owned (kitchen tools, for example)

Cigar Factory Girls, Tampa Florida. Lewis Wicks Hine. Museum of Photographic Arts. Flickr the Commons, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mopa1/5711496944/

Basically, any photo that helps us better understand her place in time. Museums have this. Sure, they have exhibits that you can take photos of but they also may have image collections stored in-house or digitized and uploaded to their website's digital collection or a collaborative catalog. 

Take a look at collaborative online catalogs and the museum's own website (especially a museum in the place your ancestor lived) for possible images.

A few places to search include:

• Google Images  

• Digital Public Library of America

• Euorpeana Collections                                                                        

• Flickr: The Commons                                                                           

• Wikimedia Commons                                                    

Women's History Month 2021: Your Home Museum

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We've spent this month looking at researching our female ancestors at museums. If one definition of a museum is "a place where objects are exhibited" there's a good chance that your house might be a type of museum. Your family's history museum. [1]

We always instruct those new to family history to look for home sources. Sometimes the response to that is "I don't have any." But in reality, a home source isn't just a record or a document. Especially when we consider women's lives. Home sources in my home include cookbooks, quilts, china, and jewelry. They don't always reveal genealogical facts about the woman I inherited the item from but they can provide insight into her life.

So what do the items in your home say about your female ancestors? What home sources do you have?

• Cookbooks
• Linens
• China
• Silver
• Photos
• Clothing
• Jewelry
• Furniture
• Art
• Ephemera
• Books

You may think these items reveal nothing about their original owner but it's important to carefully reconsider these items and ask questions. Analyze the item and consider documenting it for future generations. Ask:

• What is the age of the item?
• What is the significance (decorative or does it serve a function?)
• What is it made of (textile, china, metal, wood)
• Who made it (someone in the family or was it purchased?)
• Is there any personal marks on it (initials, a name)
• Why was it saved? (heirloom item?)
• What does this item say about the original owner? (for example, they liked to quilt, they kept all the letters sent to them).

• What analysis can you do on the item that might say something about your ancestor (where they lived, the time period, etc.?)

Finish your documentation of your home sources by photographing the item. Consider who should inherit it next and why. Keep that information with your documentation. You want those who survive you to know what is important.

Think of your home and the heirlooms you have as a personal museum. These items can help tell your female ancestors' story and get your family interested in learning more about their family history.  

[1] "Museum," Merrian-Webster (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/museum: accessed 16 February 2021).

Women's History Month 2021: FamilySearch and the Museum

One of the go-to genealogy websites is FamilySearch. So how does FamilySearch help us with our search for female ancestors in the museum? Surprisingly, the website offers quite a bit in terms of the museum. You just have to know where to look.

I'm going to suggest two places on FamilySearch to look for museum content. First, the FamilySearch Catalog. 

A keyword search for "museum" returns over 7,000 results. When I limit results to those that are just online, I receive over 3,000 results. Newsletters and exhibit publications are predominant but there are also more genealogically relevant information such as indexes. Consider this entry for the Kelley House Historical Museum genealogy index. I've highlighted the genealogical information found on this museum source.

The nice thing about browsing the Catalog is you might find something unexpected like this book on early British and Irish women silversmiths.

Finally, let's consider the FamilySearch Digital Library which extends beyond the collection of FamilySearch and includes 12 other libraries.

Obviously, a search on the keyword "museum" will return countless results. The benefit is the Digital Library allows you to conduct a search of 12 libraries all in one place. However, I'd recommend trying a more focused search such as adding the name of a state or type of museum, and then using the tools found on the left-side of the page to narrow your results further.

I mentioned in the Not at the Museum post, museum content can be found where genealogists research, not just at the museum. Take some time today to re-think how you use familiar websites. 

Women's History Month 2021: The Antique Store as Museum

Photos taken at Wynola Junction Antiques by Gena Philibert-Ortega 

The Antique Store. Book stores and antique stores are my weakness. I have been going to antique stores since I was a kid. What I have always loved about them is their ability to provide us with a peek into the past. 

Antique stores are a type of museum. They are museums where you can touch and buy what's on display. Items are placed on display and curated by booth owners according to their interests, theme, etc. Unlike formal museum exhibits, these items are not labeled so we have to use our imagination or Google powers to learn more about the item. The antique store allows us as the viewer to actively interact with the "exhibits."

Gena Philibert-Ortega

For the genealogist, antique stores can help us replace long discarded childhood objects. They can help us acquire items that are from our family's history. They can even help us purchase items that help us tell a story.

Today, I go to antique stores to buy images, cookbooks, and items that I want to write about. And while I have stumbled upon a photograph of my paternal grandfather at an antique store (in one of those bins of photographs), mostly I purchase items that can help tell a family story, set the stage, or help me understand a time period.

Have you gone to the antique store to better understand your female ancestor's life? If not, try it. Look for:

• Clothing
• Postcards
• Cookbooks
• Dishes
• Jewelry
• Books
• Kitchen items (linens, salt and pepper shakers, silver)

Basically, anything that might remind you of a female ancestor or was something from that time period that helps you tell the story.

Gena Philibert-Ortega

For example, want to share what your grandmother's life was like during World War II in regards to sacrifices made?  Don't have WWII ration books? No problem, buy some at the antique store and use them to explain food rationing on the homefront. 

Look at antique stores differently. They are great places to shop, but they also can teach us quite a bit about our female ancestors.

Tomorrow, let's look at another place that isn't a traditional museum. See you tomorrow.

Women's History Month 2021: A Research Reminder

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When I started this year's  Women's History Month posts,  I mentioned that research is much more than looking for an ancestor's name/date/place. On the blog post Why Museums, I discussed what we should be looking for aside from those biographical facts. Genealogical research should help us tell stories of our ancestor's lives. 

Part of telling stories is understanding context. Context according to Oxford Languages is

the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.

Telling a story is made easier when we better understand a time and place. We can then provide context for our reader (family). We learn context by reading, watching, and seeking out items (ephemera, heirlooms, material culture) from that time and place.  So good research means finding needed records and the information that places our ancestors in time and place, helping us reconstruct their lives. 

So far, I have focused on museums of all kinds, but all of the places I have mentioned have one commonality, they are all officially called a "museum." This weekend I want to take a look at two places that are not officially "museums," but I think they can help with adding that context to your family history story.

Tomorrow we explore the first of these. See you tomorrow.

Women's History Month 2021: Museum Publications - Indexes

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In previous posts, we explored the importance of museum publications. We looked at digitized books websites and museum websites to find publications. To end our discussion of publications, let's concentrate on periodical indexes. 

Most genealogists are familiar with PERSI (the Periodical Source Index). 

PERSI is a periodical index compiled by the Allen CountyPublic Library in Indiana. With 2.7 million articles in thousands of different periodicals, PERSI is the largest index of historical and genealogical articles in the world. This index covers articles written in English and French since 1800, mostly published in North America.  

For those researching at Allen County Public Library, the PERSI Index is available to search on site. However, for those wishing to access the index online, you can access it through the subscription website Findmypast. 

PERSI is a subject index. You can search PERSI by locality, surname, or another keyword. Because articles are indexed by the title of the article, not every word in the article,  it’s important to note that those names mentioned in an article will not appear in the index. For this reason, it is a good idea to conduct multiple searches including surname and locality.

Now, there is almost always an exception to every rule and now is a good time to mention the exception to searching PERSI only by subject, location, or keyword. Findmypast is actively digitizing articles indexed in PERSI which means that those digitized articles are every word searchable. However, that is a very small number of articles that are available in the index. So while you could try searching on your ancestor’s name and may have some success, it’s best to not just limit your search in the hopes of a match within the article.

Findmypast has provided some tips for researching PERSI, I encourage you to read this article to get the most out of your search.

Now you may be thinking "why are you talking about PERSI, that's for genealogy publications?" A search on the keyword "museum" resulted in over 73,000 results including publications by the Peabody Essex Museum, Journal of the Manx Museum, and the Hampton Mariner Museums. So don't make assumptions. Try PERSI to see what they have for the museum where your female ancestor lived.

Now I would be remiss in not mentioning other periodical indexes. I would also suggest searching:

• JSTOR
• Google Scholar

Don't forget to try other indexes that might exist at your nearby academic library or larger public library. You might be surprised by what you find.  

 

Women's History Month 2021: More Museum Publications Online

 

Image by Beesmurf, Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/beesmurf-6000100/

There’s no doubt that you can find all kinds of genealogically relevant items on digitized book websites such as Google Books. Yesterday, I found one museum publication example and provided some links to help you find relevant publications.  

It's probably not a surprise that the museum itself might have its publications archived online or in their brick-and-mortar location.

For example, The Wisconsin Historical Society website (they also operate a museum)  features the Wisconsin Magazine of History . Museums typically have some sort of publication or publications that provide historical content like a magazine, newsletter, or books. These more general interest publications might not have your ancestor's name/date/place but they do provide social history and historical context that can be helpful in thinking about your ancestor’s life.

In some cases, the museum may not have its publications digitized but might offer an online index which could be beneficial in at least checking for an ancestor’s name or event. It's a good reminder to explore the museum's entire website for hidden indexes and information. Such is the case in this example from the San Diego History Center . 

 

Besides the museum’s website (digital collections, library/archive catalog) you might find their publications in other catalogs such as the Digital Public Library of America. DPLA brings together other repository catalogs and although a search of their partners didn’t  show many museums, a search on the keyword “museum” brought back over 2 million results and  a search on “museum report” included over 5,400.

Tomorrow, let’s end our discussion about museum publications by looking at some periodical indexes. See you tomorrow!

 

Women's History Month 2021: Finding Museum Publications Online

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Yesterday I suggested taking a look at museum publications in your search for female ancestors. Today, I want to provide a look at one such publication and what it can offer as an example of why these are important research sources.

Today I'm focusing on a publication in  Google Books. If you have ever heard me present you know that Google Books has long been a favorite of mine. But I equally love Internet Archive and Hathi Trust.  

Google Books can be searched by your ancestor's name or any keyword/keywords you choose. 

I did a search on the term "museum" and limited it to the 20th century (once you conduct your search and get your results, click on Tools at the top and then click on Any Time. In the drop-down menu you can choose a century or add a custom date range).

In my results list was The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because these issues were from 1919, they are in the public domain and can be downloaded to a computer or mobile device.

So where do I find women in this publication from the Cleveland Museum of Art? I find them on pages announcing gifts and donations.

I find them in the obituaries of their husbands who supported or was somehow involved in the museum.

Mrs. Eells is shown at the end of her husband's obituary. Now, what's the problem? Well, we don't get her first name so you might think this is worthless. But think again. What does this tell us? That she outlived him and doesn't die until after 11 February 1919.

Where else do I find women? One the staff and board of the museum. 

And finally in the reporting of the activities of the museum.

So treasures for genealogical research can be found at the museum and online in digitized book websites. Tomorrow we will explore more museum publications for your genealogical research. 

See you tomorrow!

Women's History Month 2021: Museum Publications

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Publications. Museums write and publish different types. How can they help your research?

This isn't an exhaustive list of what you might expect but some examples of museum publications include:

• Annual Reports
• Newsletters
• Brochures
• Exhibit Catalogs/Books
• Exhibit Brochures
• Finding Aids/Research Guides
• Books
• Articles
• Magazines/Journals

Why does that matter? Well, remember that we are looking for two things in our research: a mention of an ancestor and social history.

An  ancestor may be  mentioned in a museum publication because:

• They donated money or items
• They volunteered
• They were museum staff
• They were somehow involved with the museum
• They advertised in the museum publication or sponsored an event
• They were the subject of an article or writings
• Their name was part of an index published by the museum (history, records, cemetery, etc).

I've used museum publications to find women I was researching. In one case a mid-19th century British woman I researched donated natural history specimens to a museum and was acknowledged in the newspaper for it. In another, the woman I was researching was a late-19th century painter and her paintings were donated by a friend to a museum. The museum's annual report listed her name, her parents (the subjects of the paintings), and her friend who donated the paintings.

So now that you are thinking about museum publications, let's spend some time looking at where you can find them. See you tomorrow!

Women's History Month 2021: NOT at the Museum

Image by ElasticComputeFarm vai Pixabay https://pixabay.com/users/elasticcomputefarm-1865639/

We've concentrated so far on research at the museum. For this post, I want to focus on museum collections that are NOT at the museum. 

Sometimes you may stumble across a museum collection that is not at the museum. You might find these in the form of an online index, a publication, or incorporated into a collaborative database. 

Here are a few examples of museum collections found outside of the museum that can help you research female ancestors.

The Quilt Index

The Quilt Index is a database of quilts from various museums and other collections. What's great about it, is that it is essentially a database of women's names.

It is a "digital repository of thousands of images, stories and information about quilts and their makers drawn from hundreds of public and private collections around the world. It represents the work of thousands of community-based and independent scholars, digital humanists, and professionals in libraries, archives, and museums who are dedicated to preserving and making accessible quilt history."

Museums represented in The Quilt Index include the Royal Alberta Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, White Bluffs Quilt Museum, Illinois State Museum, Indiana State Museum, and more.

NSCDA - American Samplers

The Sampler Survey is a database inspired by the book American Samplers by Ethel Stanwood Bolton & Eva Johnston Coe (1921) but now includes over 5000 samplers from institutions, including museums. "The goal of the Sampler Survey project is to make information on needlework found in the database as accessible as possible while sustaining NSCDA’s reputation as a source of knowledge for the history of women’s education through needlework."

Ancestry.com - U.S., Craftperson Files, 1600-1995

From the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, this index card database "includes the names of craftspeople, occupation, and working dates, birth and death dates, where they lived, what they made, notes about their professional lives, and bibliographical and source references." These files include women working in fields such as furniture making, jewelry, and silversmithing. 

As you can see, museum collections at the museum and outside of the museum are great places to research female ancestors. Tomorrow we will take a look at museum publications and how they can help your research. See you tomorrow!

Women's History Month 2021: Museum Digital Collections

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Digital Collections are a great resource for the family historian. Wikipedia defines a digital collection as: “an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital media formats. Objects can consist of digitized content like print or photographs, as well as originally produced digital content like word processor files or social media posts. In addition to storing content, digital libraries provide means for organizing, searching, and retrieving the content contained in the collection.” [1]

You know about digital collections and most likely you have searched them for individual ancestral and social history information. One collaborative catalog of digital collections is the Digital Public Library of America, which includes items from the Smithsonian.

A massive list of digital collections and online offerings for museums can be found on the MCN blog  post, The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Museum Resources, E-Learning, and Online Collections .

Now let’s look at some digital museum collections to get an idea of what’s available.

The Museum of Flight’s Digital Collections includes several collections focusing on women, including:

• Mary M. Oldehoff Flight Nurse Log 
• Norah O’Neill Papers 
• Margery Watson World War II Photographs

I love when a museum surprises you with their holdings and provides you with something you would never expect. Take, for instance, the Henry Ford Museum. In their digital collections you can see a quilt

And items dealing with women's suffrage .

Yes, Henry Ford, the car guy. That museum.

There's so much for women's history in this digital collection. A search on the word “quilt” brought back 36 quilt results. And a search on the keyword “women” brought back nearly 3,000, including women’s shoes. You know I tried the word “cookbook,” which resulted in 49 hits.

Let's take a look at one more museum, The Hagley. The museum’s library has a digital collection that includes the magazine of the DuPont company. 

This magazine is a genealogical gem and consists of all kinds of photos and information about employees, including this newlywed couple from 1948.

Museums are much more than just a place to look at exhibits (though I love museum exhibits). They are also a place to research. Hopefully, this week has given you some ideas of where to look and how to research using museums. See you tomorrow!

[1]”Digital Library,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_library: accessed 12 March 2021).