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Blast from the Past: A Patriotic Tintype and New App
Since tomorrow is Independence Day here in the U.S., I thought about posting a list of where you can research your revolutionary war soldiers, but everyone else is doing that! And besides you should be enjoying the day with the most important family members if at all possible: your current family!
So here’s a fun Blast from the Past of a little patriotic tintype I came across back in 2009. Enjoy!:
Last week my oldest daughter Vienna and I were going to spend the day together as we usually do each week. But rather than watch a vintage Bette Davis movie, it occurred to me that we hadn’t been antiquing in ages. So I hit the Internet, found a little seaside town nearby with a nice assortment of antique shops and a lovely little Victorian Tea House where we could lunch, and off we went – a pair of mischievous adventurers.
Among the treasures I snagged that day was this little 2 x 3″ tintype. I fell in love with the facials expressions, and jovial attire…and the American flag draped above them sealed the deal.
The scanned image actually looks better than the original which is quite dark and very small. The more I examined it with a magnifying glass the more I felt the fun these young folks were having the day this pic was snapped, and pretty soon I had an itch to have some fun with the photo. And here are the results:
A merry troupe of turn of the century young people, pleasing in pink, purple and teal.
Of course I have no idea what colors they were really wearing that day. But I imagine that they were the types to have appreciated a bit of tinkering with some old tin.
UPDATE: If you love your iPad like I do, check out the free Color Splash app. It allows you to convert your photos to B&W and then tint with a splash of color as you like.
Happy tinting, and Happy 4th of July!
Lisa
MyHeritage releases state-of-the-art SuperSearch
MyHeritage has released their new search engine – SuperSearch – which transforms family history research into a more global, more accessible and more engaging experience than ever before. It has been running in Beta for a few months, but it has now officially launched.
According to their press release:
“Every day, large numbers of historical records and data are being added and we also plan to have our time-saving Record Matching technology up and running in a few weeks. Watch for more information – we’ll let you know when Record Matching is live!
SuperSearch is an exciting new service that adds color to family history, improves by the day, and which positions MyHeritage as a top player in the historical content market.”
For more information, see this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3161EKOVlQ
National Archives Thief Sentenced to 7 Years
Press Release from the National Archives:
Barry Landau Sentenced to 7 Years for Thefts From National Archives, Other Institutions
Washington, DC . . . U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake yesterday sentenced Barry H. Landau to seven years in prison, and three years of supervised release, for conspiracy and theft of historical documents from cultural institutions in four states, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York.
The items stolen from the Roosevelt Library, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration, were seven “reading copies” of speeches that Roosevelt delivered. They contained his edits and handwritten additions, along with his signature. They have all been recovered.
Landau’s co-conspirator, Jason Savedoff, will be sentenced at a later date.
Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero said he was pleased that Judge Blake “recognized the seriousness of this crime and meted out an appropriate punishment that will serve as a warning to others who may contemplate stealing our nation’s history.”
“There is a very special bond that forms between researchers and research institutions. It’s kind of like an insider’s club. We speak the same language, share the same interests, explore the same minute details of historical knowledge that will eventually fill in the fabric of our shared history as a nation,” the Archivist added.
“When a researcher turns out to be a thief and steals the documents that are the very underpinnings of our democracy, our trust and respect for the community is shaken. Barry Landau is just that thief. Dressed in the guise of a scholar, he ingratiated himself with our staff and stole priceless documents from the Franklin Roosevelt Library. In essence he robbed from all of us—our collective history. And he did far worse damage to numerous other research institutions around the country.”
The Archivist said that because of incidents such as those involving Landau, the National Archives and other research institutions around the world have become more vigilant over the last few decades. They have instituted a number of measures aimed at preventing theft, such as closed-circuit cameras, clean research room rules, exit searches, and increased staff surveillance.
“When a theft does occur, we rely on the Office of the Inspector General and the Justice Department to build a case and bring the perpetrator to justice,” he added. “I want to thank them for their hard work.”
Lynn Bassanese, Acting Director of the Roosevelt Library, recalled that when Roosevelt dedicated his library on June 30, 1941, he declared it an “act of faith” in the American people.
“Barry Landau and Jason Savedoff violated that faith by taking advantage of the trust and confidence that the Roosevelt Library’s staff has for its researchers,” she said.”With the successful return of the stolen documents, the Roosevelt Library renews its commitment to protect and preserve the records of the Roosevelt Presidency and to make them accessible to the American people for generations to come.”
According to Landau’s plea agreement, the “reading copies” of Roosevelt’s speeches were stolen when he and Savedoff visited the Roosevelt Library on December 2, 2010.
“Reading copies” are the actual copies of the speeches from which the President read. They contain edits and handwritten additions made by him and bear his signature.
Four of these “reading copies” of speeches were sold by Landau on December 20, 2010, to a collector for $35,000. Three other “reading copies” of inaugural addresses delivered by Roosevelt, valued at more than $100,000 each, were recovered from Landau’s apartment in New York City during court-authorized searches, including the water-stained reading copy of the inaugural address Roosevelt delivered in a steady rain in 1937.
Judge Blake also ordered Landau to pay restitution totaling $46,525 to three dealers who purchased the stolen documents from Landau, not knowing they were stolen. She also ordered Landau to forfeit all the documents recovered during searches of his New York apartment.
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people.
