Photo: souvenir spoon from Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. Credit: John Phelan; Wikimedia Commons.

Did Your Ancestor Collect Souvenir Spoons?

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on June 8, 2023

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about her collection of souvenir spoons, begun by her mother... (Read More)

Illustration: the Salem Witch House, famous for its connection to Judge Corwin and the witch trials of 1692, located at 310 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts. The lot was first occupied by Roger Williams, then Captain Richard Davenport and his wife, Elizabeth Hathorne. From “The Whole History of Grandfather’s Chair; or, True Stories from New England History, 1620-1803” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1898. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Relics of Our Ancestors (part 2)

By Melissa Berry on May 9, 2023

Melissa Davenport Berry writes about relics from America’s past, focusing on a compass and watches owned by Roger Williams in the 17th century... (Read More)

Illustration: portrait of Deacon Benjamin Titcomb (1726-1798). Signed, dated and inscribed “Painted by John Brewster 1798.” Courtesy of Skinner Auction House. Read more history at Trio Of Americana Collections Drives $1.3 Million Sale At Skinner.

Relics of Our Ancestors (part 1)

By Melissa Berry on April 25, 2023

In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about relics from America’s past, focusing on family heirlooms from the Quinby family of Massachusetts... (Read More)

Photo: snow globes. Credit: Gena Philibert-Ortega.

Family Treasures: Snow Globes

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on January 24, 2022

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about her love of collecting snow globes, and shows some samples from her collection... (Read More)

Photo: a family heirloom, and old china bowl

Family Heirlooms: What Did You Inherit from Mom?

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on May 7, 2021

In this article – in honor of Mother’s Day – Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about documenting and caring for family heirlooms inherited from your mother... (Read More)

Photo: a classroom at the De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. Credit: Malate269; Wikimedia Commons.

Genealogy 101: What Is That? Identifying Family Heirlooms

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on April 7, 2020

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega gives tips for identifying the family heirloom that was handed down to you... (Read More)

Photo: a California wildfire, 5 September 2008. Credit: Bureau of Land Management; Wikimedia Commons.

What Would You Take? Evacuating Your Genealogy in an Emergency

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on December 13, 2017

Having to evacuate her home due to the California wildfires, Gena Philibert-Ortega writes about saving genealogy records and heirlooms in an emergency... (Read More)

Photo: embroidery made by Esther Stoddard, c. 1750. Source: Historic Northampton Museum & Education Center, Northampton, Massachusetts.

She Was 78 when She Died, and Left a Lasting Keepsake

By Thomas Jay Kemp on July 28, 2017

An article about a family heirloom: a piece of embroidery that Esther Stoddard made c. 1750, when she was about 12 years old... (Read More)

Painting: "Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor," by William Halsall, 1882. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Discovering a Unique Family Relic through Newspapers

By Thomas Jay Kemp on June 23, 2017

An article about the cradle that has been passed down through the generations of Mayflower Pilgrim Samuel Fuller’s family... (Read More)

Tag: Family Heirlooms