Bookmobiles of yesteryear

A book lover for as long as I can remember, I have a passion for libraries of all kinds. One treasured memory from my childhood was the excitement of walking into the bookmobile when it visited the street where I lived during my childhood in Switzerland.

It was with much interest that I viewed the New York Public Library's small web "slide show" of Historic Images of New York Public Library Bookmobiles. I never knew bookmobiles went back that far! The images, going all the way back to the 1920's, are a nostalgic look back at people looking for entertainment in the days before television and the internet.

Here's to the good old days! I would love to see a bookmobile arriving on my street today...

New York & New Jersey: Topographical treasures online

Good stuff for those researching New York and New Jersey...

The New York Public Library has recently digitized forty-three historic 19th-century atlases covering New York and New Jersey from their Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division. Search the list for your area of interest.

You might also enjoy viewing the library's digital collection of Early Real Estate Atlases of New York. Including over 2,000 maps showing streets and blocks with both natural and man made features, these images are a fascinating resource for historians. I particularly enjoyed this atlas of of Staten Island/Richmond County .

Check out Maps online from the New York Public Library at The Ancestry Insider for these and more wonderful map resources along with tips on using them.

Image source: Atlas of Staten Island, Richmond County, New York, from official records and surveys; compiled and drawn by F. W. Beers.

The history of Croatian surnames: Hrvatski Prezimenik

As you may know, the use of surnames does not go back that far in history. In fact, its origin varies greatly in different cultures and geographic areas. The Croatian people's use of surnames is one of the longest in history: going back to the 12th-century.

Thanks to a new book, you can now research your family's surnames as they existed throughout Croatia or see lists of the surnames of your ancestral villages within one volume. Hrvatski Prezimenik by Franjo Maletić and Petar Simunovic is an encyclopedic work on the surnames of the Croatian people. Covering 114,643 surnames and 6654 villages, it is exhaustive in its coverage of the history of surnames in Croatia, from the beginning of their use (as far back as records go) to the 2001 Croatian census.

The work relied heavily on Simunovic's 1948 work Leksika prezimena SR Hrvatske and its archival research.

According to August Kovačec who reviewed the book, this surname study could not have come at a better time. The current flow of Croatian citizens from town to town and across borders will bring huge shifts in population within the country.

For more information about this new resource, see Ivan Curkovic's And the Most Common Surname in Croatia Today is… or view the article Svojevrsni krsni list Hrvatske (Collection of Croatian surnames) at the Rodoslovlje.hr blog (in Croatian). Thanks to Google Translate's Croatian service, even if you are not a fluent speaker of Hrvatski you can still read most of the text.

Unfortunately, the book (although over 2,000 pages) retails for more than $200 (1.200,00 kuna) so I won't be purchasing a copy of it for myself quite yet. I'm waiting for a nearby library to acquire it or a kind soul to look up my family's surnames and ancestral villages in their copy.

Taking to the medal stand - five times!

The Genea-Blogger Group Games was a tough competition, but I came out a winner in the end.


My final medal standings are as follows:

Category 1: Cite Your Sources

Category 2: Back up Your Data

Category 3: Organize Your Research

Category 4: Write, Write, Write

Category 5: Genealogical Acts of Kindness

See the details of my competitive efforts in the games by visiting Small-leaved Shamrock for Drumroll, please! Lisa's medal count.

Who is Lisa and why the leaf?

You can tell a lot about me by the entries and links at 100 Years in America, Small-leaved Shamrock and A light that shines again. I’ll let you guess the rest…

I consider each of my blogs a "leaf by Lisa". This is a take on a wonderful little short story called Leaf by Niggle written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published as part of his collection Tree and Leaf. It expresses one man’s desire to work on and complete something beautiful during his lifetime. Somehow life keeps getting in his way. You’ll have to read this little story to get the full idea and understand how his magnificent tree that turned into a full landscape all came down to one beautifully painted little leaf in the end.

He was the sort of painter who could paint leaves better than trees. He used to spend a long time on a single leaf, trying to catch its shape, and its sheen, and the glistening of dewdrops on its edges. Yet he wanted to paint a whole tree, with all of its leaves in the same style, and all of them different.

~ J.R.R. Tolkien, from Leaf by Niggle

My three family history blogs are each a small leaf in the landscape of my life and my family tree. I have been researching my family history for many years in the midst of the busy-ness of life. I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading a little bit of what I've learned throughout my search, and be inspired to look at the world in a different way than you might have before you visited.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.

~ Henry David Thoreau

If you are a regular reader of 100 Years in America or are just stopping by for the first time, I'd love to hear from you. Post a comment or send me an email when you have a minute. Thanks for reading.

Hello Hungarian! Jó napot magyar!

While I am on the subject of the Hungarian language, I thought I'd share with you a free online Hungarian language course that I just became aware of.

Ért magyarul? (Understand Hungarian?)

If not, do you wish you did?

Here's your opportunity!

Originally developed by the Foreign Service Institute, the FSI Hungarian Language Course website includes links to both volumes one and two of the program along with a Hungarian graded reader section. It also provides a printable (but quite large) student text to accompany the online course.

If you've always wanted to learn Hungarian, but never had access to a language course, now's your chance!

Not ready to dedicate much time to learning the language? Try Ákos Dömötör's quick Introduction to the Hungarian language.

The Hungarian language & the "poetry" of my childhood

Thomas Lynch in his memoir Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans mentions his memories of the words that his grandfather repeated often after blessing the food and giving thanks at family meals. He states, "This was part of the first poetry of my life."

I enjoyed reading the impression that those words made on his life and the interesting chain of events that resulted from childhood memories of his grandfather's references to the family members still left behind in Ireland.

Thomas Lynch's idea of "the first poetry of life" is a thought-provoking one. It sparked in me the desire to remember the "poetry" or "soundtrack" of my own childhood. In the process I asked myself some questions. What were the first sounds and words that have most influenced my view of the world? Whose words do I remember most clearly from my early days, and why?

One of the strongest memories that I do have, perhaps because it stood out from the voices of other family members, was the strong accent of my great-grandmother. A native Croatian and Hungarian speaker, she and her husband spoke Hungarian to their children, but reserved the Croatian language to speak of subjects that were not appropriate for little ears. By the time I came around, no-one was left for her to share a conversation in the Croatian language, and only her children could speak Hungarian. The language was never passed down to the succeeding generations.

I loved hearing my great-grandmother speak with her strong accent, and I enjoyed listening to her childrens' pronunciations of Hungarian words. At one point in my childhood, I asked my grandmother to help me write out a Hungarian glossary of the words and phrases that she used most, pronunciation guide included. I still have the handwritten list of Hungarian words that I made that day. Unfortunately, my proficiency with the language has not gotten too far beyond that first start.

The loss of my family's link to the Croatian and Hungarian languages, woven throughout the lives of my family members just a couple of generations ago, saddens me. It is perhaps one of the reasons that I find myself drawn more and more to learning the history, culture and languages of the lands of my ancestors. I am thankful that at the very least I had a small taste of these wonderfully rich cultures as a young child in the "first poetry" of my life.

For more on the Croatian and Hungarian languages here at 100 Years in America, see:

• Here's to Hrvatski! Google Translate now does Croatian
• A thousand words and a few pictures
• Crossing borders and language barriers
• Linguistically speaking
• Bumo vidli!

Thanks to Loretta Murphy for recommending the book Booking Passage: We Irish and Americans via the 7th edition Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture: Looking into the heart of Ireland.

Let the games begin!

The opening ceremonies of the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games have begun! Make a visit to see the competitors' flags flying, including mine (also shown below). Let the games begin!

If only this photograph had musical accompaniment

My great-grandmother Ilona (Bence) Ujlaki lived to the age of 97. Her memory remains warmly tended in the minds of many generations of family members who came after her and had the chance to be a part of her life.

Her husband, Ferencz, on the other hand, died relatively young (in his sixties). Sadly, only a couple of his grandchildren had the chance to meet him, and only as young children. His loss meant that some of his grandchildren would never have a grandfather figure in their lives.

I treasure Ilona's photographs because they are a glimpse into the young life of a great-grandmother that I only knew in her nineties.

I treasure Ferencz' photographs just as much, but for a different reason: I never had the chance to meet him. He was such an important part of our family, yet most of my family members living today never knew him. It was his decision to immigrate to America that set the course for his family's life here. It was his tireless work to support his family that kept them out of poverty and started them off on a successful life in the new world. In many ways we, his living descendants, are the beneficiaries of the sacrifices that he made throughout his life. We are the recipients of a "good life" that Ferencz really never had a chance to live.

I am blessed to have photos of my great-grandfather. One of my favorite photos, perhaps the oldest one of him in my collection, is this photo of Ferencz with his dance troupe in the Croatian region of Hungary. He is the one circled in the center of the photo.

This is the only photo that I have of any of my family members in traditional Croatian or Hungarian dress. It is a beautiful window into the lively culture that was a part of the lives of my ancestors, and which unfortunately modern generations have now lost. What fun it must have been to be a part of the lively celebrations at which these dancers performed. I can imagine the people, the food, the wonderful festivities... I just wish I could have heard the music and seen my great-grandfather dancing!

~

For more on the traditional dance of Croatia, see the LADO website. Lado is an archaic Slavic word, a synonym for words meaning good, lovable, and dear, which was frequently used as a refrain in old ceremonial songs of north-western Croatia. It is also the name of the Folk Dance Ensemble of Croatia. LADO (the ensemble) was founded in 1949 in Zagreb. Its objective is to research, collect, artistically interpret and present on stage the most beautiful examples of the rich traditions of Croatian music and dance. This New York Times article about their performances gives a great introduction to their show.

For more on the traditional folk dancing, music and culture of Croatia, you might be interested in visiting the website of the Ethnographic Museum of Zagreb (Etnografski muzej Zagreb) or Darko Zubrinic's webpage on the music of Croatia.

I have shared this "favorite photo" of my great-grandfather as part of the 4th edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" carnival. For the favorite photos of other family historians, visit footnoteMaven's Shades of the Departed.

My flag is flying high for the Genea-Blogger Group Games!

In the spirit of the Olympic Games and in honor of my ancestors who have hailed from four different countries, I have chosen to compete in the Genea-Blogger Group Games. The event will correspond roughly to the 2008 Summer Olympics, but will involve competition quite different from what we'll see in Beijing. They might not seem like Olympic events to you, but activities related to preserving family history can sometimes take similar preparation and perseverance. Backing up data, scanning photographs, citing sources, preserving family artifacts: these tasks all take dedication (and sometimes even physical endurance, since I do much of this in the wee hours of the night).

In time for the opening ceremonies, I have put together my "game plan" as a competitor in the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games. Follow along with me on my three family history blogs as I work toward some specific goals during this two week period.

Unfortunately the "balance beam" event, which may have originally been on the schedule, was cut from the games. According to Donna Poinkouski, I was one of the favorites in that competition. (Thanks, Donna, for the vote of confidence.)

Kidding aside, here are my serious plans for competition:

Category 1: Go Back and Cite Your Sources!

Ever since I purchased my copy of Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace by Elizabeth Shown Mills (actually, well before that) I've been meaning to spend some serious time citing. Here's my chance to get re-inspired about this project. My goal: To cite as many sources as possible (documents, photographs, artifacts, letters, etc. that pertain to my family history). If I make it to 50 or more sources, I'll be awarded a "platinum medal", so they say. More importantly, I'll be on my way to having my family history facts documented so that I can properly share them with others. Time to sit down with my copy of Evidence Explained.

Category 2: Back Up Your Data!

For the amount of time I've spent on researching my family history over the years, it would be devastating to lose my digital records, photographs and other documents for some reason. Time for me to stand back and take a look at how I am protecting the information and items that I have collected, and take steps to ensure that such a loss never happens. My goal: To prepare a comprehensive back-up plan for both digital and hard copy materials, store both types in waterproof containers and backup all data. If I accomplish this, I'll be "going for the gold" in the Genea-Blogger Group Games, but more importantly, I'll have taken steps to preserve items and information that would be irreplaceable for my family.

Category 3: Organize Your Research!

Doing genealogy in fits and spurts for so many years, I've collected quite a few pictures, documents and artifacts, not to mention scraps of paper and digital files. I've tried to keep everything organized, but these types of things grow and I need to play a little "catch-up". Inspired by the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to make an effort to get my organization up to date with my research. My goal: To organize the loose file for each of my ancestral homes and family surnames placing into its corresponding notebook the documents and other items of importance, to re-organize digital genealogy files (currently living on two hard drives) using the same surname and place system where appropriate, to organize photographs (which are in many different sizes and formats) by surname, and to begin scanning many of these photographs in bulk (instead of one or two at a time, which I have been doing). If I accomplish all this (doing 20 of each task), I'll be a "diamond" medal-winner. Even better, I'll be starting of the school year feeling happily organized and ready for more research.

Category 4: Write, Write, Write!

The fun part of genealogy for me is fitting all the pieces together in the puzzle of my family history. That is one of the reasons that I enjoy writing my three genealogy blogs so much. As part of the Genea-Blogger Group Games, I plan to do the following writing tasks. My goal: To rethink and possibly revise the blog summaries that I've written on each of my blogs, to participate in both the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival and the Carnival of Genealogy, and to prepare a few posts as drafts to be published when things get busier for me in September. I've already signed up to host a future carnival (my very own Carnival of Irish Heritage & Culture), so that one's taken care of. If I accomplish all of these tasks above, I'll receive a "diamond medal". I'd better get writing!

Category 5: Reach Out & Perform Genealogical Acts of Kindness!

Connecting with others researching the same families, places and subjects is always rewarding. It is exciting to share with others what I've learned. My goal: To complete my application for the Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War, comment on a few blogs that are new to me, join the blog networks of other genealogy bloggers, and invite a few other family historians to connect on Facebook (new to me just this week). If I accomplish all these tasks, I'll be competing at the "diamond-level".

Think my goals are quite lofty? So do I, but I've learned that I work better when I set my sights high. Please wish me luck as I embark on this family history endeavor. I hope to make some exciting progress in these areas, and have some fun at the "games" along the way. Look for me at the "opening ceremonies" on AnceStories.

Lisa's "ancestral homelands flag":
Ireland, Hungary & Croatia together

In the spirit of Olympic competition and in honor of the homelands of myself and my ancestors (the United States of America, Ireland, Hungary and Croatia): Let the games begin!

Thanks to Miriam of AnceStories, Thomas of Destination: Austin Family and Kathryn of the California Genealogical Society & Library blog, the 2008 Genea-Blogger Group Games committee who crafted the idea for this competition. Thanks to footnoteMaven for designing the games logo and the medals for the participants and champions. Let the games begin!

Genealogy weekend in Pittsburgh

Hello to fellow genealogists at the FEEFHS (Federation of East European Family History Societies) conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! The theme is "Pittsburgh: The Eastern European Magnet" and the fun begins today.

Can't attend but want to see what you're missing? Check out the conference's official blog which includes bios of speakers. You can also view the FEEFHS conference promo video, which provides a brief history of the western Pennsylvania region and its Eastern European immigrants.