CVGS Program on 25 September: "Photo Dating by Fashions" with Claire Santos-Daigle

 WEDNESDAY, September 25th 

 PROGRAM MEETING from 12 noon to 2 p.m. 

At Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library Auditorium (365 F Street) 

Claire Santos-Daigle on “Photo Dating By Fashions”

 In the field of genealogy some people inherit beautifully preserved collection of photographs while others have only Xerox copies or low quality photos found on the internet. Those genealogists with photos in good condition can arrive at an approximate date taken by the physical properties. Some photographs don't provide the physical property clues and what remains are the clothes and objects in the image. Claire Santos-Daigle has presented the topic of “Photo Dating” by photographic processes in the past. This month, she will be speaking on the topic of “Photo Dating by Fashions.” 

This talk will briefly cover the physical properties, then on to how to research fashions by covering fashion eras, fashion terms and available resources. She has been digitally restoring photographs for 12 years and realized through those years she developed a talent for determining the date of a photograph by repeated exposure and began to seriously research how to date a photo and uses her collection of photos to illustrate and provide this information, free of charge and accessible to genealogist on her website. 

Claire Santos-Daigle is the sole proprietor of "Photos Made Perfect, " licensed in the state of California, in Chula Vista. She and her husband Michael became involved with digital photo restoration when Michael started his genealogy in 1992, and in 1996 they began restoring family photos with photo imagery software. Family and friends kept saying "you should start a business" and in 1999 they did, with Michael's technical skills and support, and Claire's art skills, life experiences and marketing background. 

The primary customer groups are genealogists and historical societies, who remain loyal clients to this day. Claire is a guest speaker on the topics of "Digital Image Editing" and a natural byproduct of her years of experience with photos, she began speaking on the topic of "Photo Dating". As she participates in genealogy conventions, she encourage genealogists to bring their photos to be scanned on site at these events and she will contact them in a few days with a free quote. Many genealogists would rather not leave their photos with any photo lab or trust mailing them anywhere. No other restoration service brings their services to you.

All CVGS Events, except for the Spring Seminar, are free for any person to attend.  More information about CVGS at www.CVGenealogy.org. 

CVGS Newsletter for September 2013 is Published

The September 2013 issue of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) Newsletter was published last week.  You can read it online, in a PDF format - use the Newsletter link at www.CVGenealogy.org.

 The Table of Contents lists: 

page 1 - September 25th Program Meeting
page 2 - President’s Message  
page 2 - Library Assistance Every Wednesday 
page 3 - August 28th Program Review 
page 4 - Research Group News 

page 5 - Genealogy Roadshow TV Show Starts on 9/23
page 5 - Who Do You Think You Are? TV Show
page 6 - 2013 CVGS Scholarship Winner Essay
page 6 - New San Diego Library Opens September 28th
page 6 - Lemon Grove Research Group News 

page 7 - Computer Group Meeting
page 7 - SDGS Fall Seminar – September 21st
page 8 - Genealogy News for August
page 8 - It's Really Not That Easy!
page 9 - CVGS Society Information
page 9 - San Diego Genealogy Events
page 10 - Genealogy Days in Chula Vista

September 11th CVGS Research Group Summary

The September 11th Research Group meeting of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) had 13 attendees.

In the first hour, Randy discussed:

*  Family Tree Maker 2014 genealogy software was released this week.  He demonstrated some of the new features.  There is a 20% discount now for new buyers.

*  Ancestry.com raised their 6 month US subscription rate to $99 from $79.  Many of the attendees grumbled about it.  Randy noted that it is 54 cents a day now.  The World subscription rate is currently $149 for six months.  Monthly subscriptions are about 20% higher.

*  The Who Do You Think You Are? TV series for 2013 has ended, but some of the shows are still available for free on the http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/who-do-you-think-you-are website.  Genealogy roadshow will start on PBS on Mondays from 23 September through 14 October at 9 p.m.

*  The NARA Genealogy Fair was well received - and the video from all of the sessions on September 3-4 are available for free at http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/know-your-records/genealogy-fair/  The syllabus material for most of the presentations is available in PDF format.

In the second hour, the attendees discussed:

*  Arline made a cousin contact, but they found the wrong Thomas Tway in the same place as their 2nd great-grandfather.  They're looking for more records.

*  Karen subscribed to Reminisce magazine and recommends subscribing if family history and historical articles appeal to you.

*  Mary Lou spent time in Lincoln, Nebraska doing research in the new county building there.  She was able to find over 20 land records for her families there and used the microfilm to paper copy machine to print them.  She wanted more information about autosomal DNA.  She also wanted to know just how much information was on the U.S. National Archives site.  The group said that there was a lot, but there was much more not digitized.  The NARA genealogy page is  http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/index.html.  There is a Guide for Genealogists and Family Historians at http://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy/online-catalog-guide.html.  Researchers should look at the NARA Genealogy Fair presentations for more examples and guidance.

*  Gary found a gravestone photo for Philip Roff (1753-1833) in an Ancestry Member Tree and wondered where it came from.  We found it on Find A Grave.  The gravestone says Philip served in the Albany NY militia in the Revolutionary War.  He can't find any more information online about this.

*  Virginia was contacted by two distant cousins on MyHeritage on her Bland line.  One cousin was in Australia, the other in Florida.

*  Sam is working on his surname line.  Robert Seat is in Tennessee in the 1850 Census, age 24.  He is not in the Census records by 1880.  He thinks that Robert's wife is a Sarah Creech, and there is a Creech family nearby in the 1850 Census.  Sam's question was how to find more records that would help him identify Robert's parents.  The group suggested finding land records and probate records in the Tennessee counties that he lived in.   Probate records for Tennessee Court Books and Files are in brows-only collections on FamilySearch.

*  Kathleen found information on her grandmother Manning in a book for Andrew Messenger in the Family History Library Catalog.  It said that it was downloadable, but she couldn't make it download.  someone else was using it every time she tried to read it.  Patience and late at night probably works here.

*  John is still exploring the Connecticut Military Census on Ancestry.com.

*  Mary Lou asked if there are records for persons who paid the government to avoid serving in the Civil War, or of those who recruited someone else to take their place when drafted?  The group did not know.  After the meeting, Randy found http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.html and passed it to Mary Lou.

The next meeting of the CVGS Research Group will be on Wednesday, October 9th at 12 noon in the Conference Room at the Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street in Chula Vista).  All interested parties are welcome.

CVGS Fall Seminar Review - "A Century of Service: A Genealogist's Perspective"

The Fall seminar of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society (CVGS) was on Saturday, 7 September at the Bonita-Sunnyside Library in Bonita, California.  There were over 40 attendees for this FREE day-long event.

Four presentations were made on the history and events of the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I, and a fifth on the records that are available to family history researchers.

CVGS President Virginia Taylor welcomed the attendees soon after 9:30 a.m., and introduced each of the speakers:

1)  Karl Zingheim, the historian of the USS Midway Museum, presented "The War of 1812: When the Navy Saved the Republic."  He called this war "a needless conflict" in four areas - a land war centered on Maryland and DC, another centered on New York and Ontario, a "fresh-water" engagements on the Great Lakes, and "salt water" engagements in the Atlantic Ocean.  Karl concentrated on the naval conflicts, which saw several isolated victories by the U.S. Navy in the Atlantic over the British royal Navy that had not lost a ship in 10 years. The U.S. Navy won the engagement on Lake Erie under Oliver Hazard Perry, and on Lake Champlain, but there was a two-year standoff on Lake Ontario.  Karl's presentation was entertaining and had many photographs, maps and other images depicting events, but did not note any genealogical record information.  The handout for this war provided a detailed timeline, some bibliograp

hic references, and some online web page resources.

2)  Margaret Lewis, past-President of the San Diego African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAAGRG) presented "The Civil War Story: Transforming the Face of the Nation."  Margaret described the Civil War from secession to Appomattox without details of military movements and battles.  She described her ancestor's experiences.  Jacob Wilks was emancipated in 1863, and enlisted in the U.S. Colored Troops regiment in 1863 as a Private.  He was present at Appomattox and described his recollections in a memoir.  Margaret showed several of his records, and her handout listed different types of military records available at the National Archives and in online databases.

3)  Susi Pentico, past-President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, presented "The Spanish-American War: Remember the Maine."  Susi described the timeline for this relatively short war, noting that there were 10 weeks of fighting in Cuba and the Philippines, but a guerrilla war in the latter lasted until 1902.  She provided links to several historical websites in her handout, but did not highlight any online or archival record collections.  Gary Brock passed around his great-grandfather's Spanish-American War enlistment record.

4)  John Finch, past-President of the Chula Vista Genealogical Society, presented "World War I:  A Nation of Immigrants emerges as the World Power."  John provided a detailed history of the rival blocs in Europe existing in 1914 and during the war, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand on 28 June 1914 in Sarajevo that sparked the war, the world events that occurred during the war, the battles in northern France and Belgium, and the peace treaty.  The highlight was a film clip from the movie, The War Horse, depicting the infantry and cavalry battles in northern France.  He  discussed the relative force sizes and casualties, and mentioned the 1918 influenza epidemic.  John recommended the book The War to End All Wars by Adam Hochschild.  John provided examples of several collections for World War I records, and his handout included lists of collections on Ancestry.com, Fold3, and FamilySearch.

5)  Susi Pentico closed out the seminar by providing an overview of genealogical resources and methodology for military records.  The handout included links to FamilySearch, USGenWeb, Fold3, Archives.gov (National Archives), Ancestry, GenealogyBank.  She noted that researchers should consult State Archives sites, county, university and state libraries, genealogical and historical societies, and local DAR and SAR chapters.

The Fall Seminar committee provided drinks and snacks for the attendees, there were several door prizes, and a historical timeline from 1809 to 1921 was provided to orient the attendees.  Attendees either brought their lunch, went out for lunch to a local eatery, or munched on the snacks.

CVGS Fall Seminar: Saturday, September 7th on "A Century of Service - A Genealogist's Perspective"

CVGS Fall Seminar - Saturday, September 7 2013 – FREE!!

“A Century of Service – A Genealogist’s Perspective” 

     This year's Fall Seminar will focus on our military through four wars in our early history: the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I. The FREE, all-day seminar will be held on Saturday, September 7 at the Bonita-Sunnyside Branch of the County Library (4375  Bonita Road) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

     Expert speakers will cover the history and events of each war and how we can learn more about our ancestors' enlistments, service records and pensions and more.  

*  Karl Zingheim, the historian of the USS Midway Museum will address the War of 1812; 

*  Marti Lewis, former president of San Diego's African-American Genealogy Research Group (SDAARG), will cover the Civil War; 

*  Susi Pentico, CVGS Education and Seminar Chair and CVGS lecturer, will present the Spanish American War;

*  John Finch, U.S. Navy retired and past President of CVGS, will address World War One.  
    
     The schedule:

Check-in begins at 9:30 a.m.  Welcoming remarks
9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. - Karl Zingheim presents "The War of 1812"
10:45 a.m. to 11 a.m.  - a 15 minute break. Door Prize drawing
11 a.m. to 12 noon - Marti Lewis presents "The Civil War"

12 noon to 1 p.m. - Lunch break. Please bring your lunch - or go to eateries nearby

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - Susi Pentico presents "The Spanish American War"
2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. - a 15 minute break. Door Prize drawing
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. -John Finch presents "World War I"
3:15 p.m. to 4 p.m. - Susi Pentico will provide an overview of genealogical and military resources and methodologies

     Coffee, water, and morning and afternoon snacks will be offered. But since this will be an all-day affair, we suggest you bring a lunch (or, take advantage of the numerous restaurants and fast food places close by).  

     This seminar is FREE for everyone to attend.  

     Please pre-register by August 25, as space is limited.  To register, or for more information, go to our CVGS website http://cvgenealogy.org/,  click on the “Click here” link for the Fall Seminar, and fill in the online registration form; or contact Susi Pentico at SusiCP@cox.net or (619) 623 5250,  or Karen Yarger at 
khy13@hotmail.com or (619) 426-0834.

     Look for updates and more information on our CVGS blog (http://CVGenCafe.blogspot.com), or see our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ChulaVistaGenealogicalSociety).  The telephone callers will be phoning you to find out if you plan to attend.

Genealogy Days in Chula Vista - September 2013

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society events for September 2013 include:

**  Saturday, 7 September, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library (4375 Bonita Road) -- CVGS Fall Seminar:  Theme "A Century of Service -- A Genealogist's Perspective."  This seminar is free, with a break for lunch.  Please pre-register by 25 August.  More information at www.cvgenealogy.org.

** Wednesday 11 September, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Research Group meets in the Conference Room, led by Randy Seaver. We will review the latest genealogy news, share success stories and information, and discuss members research problems, and potential solutions, based on the collective knowledge and wisdom of the group.  

** Wednesday, 18 September, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Computer Group meets in the Library Computer Lab, led by Gary Brock and Shirley Becker. Bring your laptops to sharpen your computer skills and investigate online genealogy resources.

** Wednesday, 25 September, 12 noon to 2 p.m., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- CVGS Program Meeting in the Auditorium.  Claire Santos-Daigle,  will present "Photo Dating by Fashion"  Refreshments before and after the meeting.

**  Wednesdays, 4, 11, 18 and 25 September, 10 a.m. to 12 noon., Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library (365 F Street) -- Research Assistance in the Family Research area.  John Finch will help you with your research problems.  Bring your laptop if you want to do online research.

The Chula Vista Civic Center Branch Library is located at 365 "F" Street in Chula Vista - between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue, midway between I-5 and I-805 (take the "E" Street exit from the freeways). 

The Bonita-Sunnyside (County) Library is located at 4375 Bonita Road in Bonita - turn north on Billy Casper Way, just west of the Otay Lakes Road intersection with Bonita Road, on the north side of Bonita Road. 

We welcome guests and visitors to our CVGS programs and events - if you are in the greater San Diego area and want to attend our events - please come and introduce yourselves.  All CVGS events are FREE to attend, except for some seminars and picnics.