Bringing Family History to Life: The Stories We Could Tell
Bringing Family History to Life: The Stories We Could Tell
The presenter at 13, pumping gas out west. Click above for larger view.
Every family has its stories. Beyond basic genealogical facts, the events in the lives of our ancestors can amuse or entertain, showcase traditions or cultural values, or provide insights into the shared society and culture. Writing the unique stories of a persons family can preserve the facts and provide a record for future generations. This presentation will help people interested in telling their family stories to overcome their fears of writing and commit the oral traditions to the written word.
Wedding Picture of the Presenter's parents, 1948. Click above for larger view.
Through images and music, Bringing Family History to Life: The Stories We Could Tell is designed to help motivate those who have an interest in their genealogy to take the next step and create a written record of their unique family stories. We discuss how a collection of family images, documents, and heirlooms remain incomplete without the contextual information that can only be provided with a written explanation. We see how organizing our historic objects can be accomplished through simple handwritten methods or through the use of computers, scanners, and digital cameras.
Chicago ca. 1940s looking east from Dearborn along Wacker. Were these people's stores ever told? Click above for larger view.
To overcome the fears of writing, we show how getting started with brief biographical sketches can be easy. We cover simple methods for organizing short pieces that can stand alone or later be combined into a larger project. Copyrights and fair use of research materials is also discussed. We end with the message that anyone CAN write the stories of their families-and if they do not, who will?
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