Join my adventures in
archiving family keepsakes and discovering ancestral stories
In every family, someone inherits “the stuff” — boxes and trunks filled with photos, documents and memorabilia saved for the next generation. Learn to organize and preserve family keepsakes and genealogy records, and discover new ideas for sharing family history and stories.
ARE YOU A FAMILY CURATOR?
Get my insider tips for organizing and preserving family collections
What’s in YOUR
Family Archive?
Photographs
Sticky back “magnetic” albums
Musty books
Wartime love letters
China, silver, table linens
Military uniforms
Jewelry
Household papers
From The Family Curator Blog
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Break Down Genealogy Brick Walls With Home Sources
Are you ready for a different kind of family history challenge? If you’re like me, your home may hold more than a few inherited items from your parents, grandparents, or other relations. Several years ago I dutifully organized a scattered hodge-lodge of my grandmother’s old photos. Each cabinet card or snapshot was scanned, front and…
Hi there! I’m Denise!
My adventure as The Family Curator began twenty-five years ago when I inherited an old steamer trunk from my grandmother. It was filled with fading photographs, old letters, and crumbling news clippings.
Born in 1890, Arline Kinsel was an unconventional woman for her time. While Kansas farm girls were setting up house and rearing children, Arline lobbied for women to vote, and worked as a Harvey House waitress, hotel maid, and secretary.
To understand her life, I needed to organize her keepsakes, identify faces in the photos, and unravel family names and dates. I learned about acid-free paper, archival boxes, and the best way to preserve everyday ephemera. The Family Curator Blog became my journal as I discovered Arline’s stories and my own place in the past.
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A Look at Seven Steps to Manage Digital Files
Genealogists know that paper files and digital files are not created equal. Different files need different organizing systems. The Family Curator’s new webinar “Seven Steps to Manage Digital Files” takes a closer look at efficient workflows to organize and manage digital photos and images across computers, cloud services, and mobile devices. Are you forever looking…
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Why I’ll Wear a Poppy on Veterans Day
History gets personal on Veterans Day. It’s been 100 years since the first Armistice Day commemorated the sacrifices made by so many in The Great War. Again this year, the United States White House has named November as National Veterans and Military Families Month in honor of all veterans, both living and deceased. Grandfather’s War…
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7 Practical Reasons to Preserve First
You aren’t alone if you’re looking at boxes of family photos, letters, or documents and thinking “I’ve got to get this all digitized right NOW!” Archive First, Scan Second I talk with many family historians who are panicked about scanning family collections. They want to jump in and scan all their photos and documents immediately,…
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Learn Online with the Virtual Genealogy 2019 Conference
Learn about DNA, family archiving, technology, oral history, and genealogy research in three full days of online classes at the upcoming Virtual Genealogical Association 2019 Conference November 1-3. The online VGA hosts monthly webinars, an annual virtual conference, networking through active Facebook groups and Special Interest Groups. Membership is an affordable $20 USD per year…
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When You Find a Surprise at the Local Thrift Shop
It feels a little strange to find your own family history in a local thrift store. Pasadena is a great town if you love flea markets, antique shops, salvage, or secondhand shops. Maybe your town has a few hot antique shops, too. Once a month the Rose Bowl Stadium is filled with antique and vintage goods…
