Articles by Angela Breidenbach

Angela Breidenbach, PLCGS, is the Executive Director at the International Institute of Genealogical Studies. She's a multi-published author, speaker, and presenter. Find out more about her books at https://AngelaBreidenbach.com

Midwestern Roots 2019 Conference

Midwestern Roots 2019 Conference

The Midwestern Roots Conference will be taking place July 18th-20th and we here at The National Institute for Genealogical Studies are excited. Why are we excited? Because we will be attending! We enjoy meeting with our current students, those who have graduated, and new students. No matter where you are at in your genealogy education, we have courses for you. I’m sure you have questions for us so please stop by our booth and visit with Angela Rodesky she will be more than happy to answer all of your questions. Plus, while there don’t forget to register for your FREE complimentary course just for attending the conference.

July 2019 Conferences

June conferences have come to a close and now we are looking at the month of July. We here at The National Institute for Genealogy Studies will be attending a few conferences this month. So, if any of these are on your calendar please stop by our booth, say hi and visit for a while.  1. July 18th – July 20th –  Midwestern Roots at the Marriot East in Indianapolis, IN 2. July 29th – August 2nd – 39th IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown in Cleveland, OH

2019 Ontario Genealogical Society Annual Conference

OGS Conference Canada’s largest annual gathering of family historians, the Ontario Genealogical Society’s Annual Conference, will be in London, Ontario from June 21st to the 23rd at the London Convention Center. So many activities are planned… Opening Ceremonies begin Friday evening, followed by a jam-packed program with lecture streams for Saturday and Sunday. Don’t forget about Marketplace, as it is a vital stop for attendees to network with OGS branches, OGS special interest groups, and vendors alike. There’s something for everyone at this conference… Do you have ancestors from England, Ireland, Scotland, The United States, Eastern Europe, The Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, or Southern America and naturally Canada?  There are lectures on each of these countries! Do you know what treasures can be found at Library & Archives Canada or in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, or how to plan a trip to your ancestral village? Yup! There will be lectures on these topics also. Do you know how to share your family history findings through blogging, publishing or using YouTube, or what about holding a virtual family reunion? Lots of information about newspapers records, death & burial records, English asylum records & health records in Canada, WW1 and vets. You are right, there will be sessions on each of these topics. And naturally, no conference would be complete without figuring out what you need to know about Y-DNA, Y-Haplogroups, and DNA matches. While at the conference, you might also meet many students from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies’ program. Half of…

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Keeping In Touch With The National Institute For Genealogical Studies

In the genealogy world we need to communicate with each other to keep abreast of the constantly evolving research methods and resources. The same is true within The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. As a student of the National Institute, there are various ways you can communicate with us and your fellow students. Here is how: #1 By email to the National Institute NOTE: When contacting us please include your FIRST & LAST NAME and the COURSE TITLE, including the COUNTRY the course applies to. It is also helpful if you include the module number and section title you are referring to. i) admin@genealogicalstudies.com – for general questions; ii) alert@genealogicalstudies.com – to advise us of broken links in your course materials and assignments–please be specific as to where problem is; iii) exam@genealogicalstudies.com – questions pertaining to your course exam. #2 By email to a fellow student When you view a fellow student’s public assignment SUBMISSION/ANSWER and you would like to contact them about something in their posting, simply click on the envelope icon to the right of the student’s name. A new window will open where you can type your message. For privacy reasons, you will not see the recipient’s email address and they have the option to reply or not. #3 Attend a Virtual Meeting VIRTUAL MEETINGS ARE THE BEST PLACE TO COMMUNICATE with an instructor and fellow students. Anyone can participate! You do not have to be registered in the course to attend. When attending virtual meetings, please…

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Post-Mortem Photography

Photographing the Recently Deceased Post-mortem photography, photographing the recently deceased, may seem like a rather macabre Victorian era practice. Post-mortem photographs were still being made, though less frequently, during the early years of the 20th century up through the present day. Recognizing post-mortem photographs is not always easy. In most cases, the deceased are photographed lying in bed or propped up on a chair or sofa, appearing to be asleep. The poses of the deceased were usually orchestrated so that they appeared as natural and life-like as possible. The dead were not usually photographed in a casket until the very late 1800s or early 1900s. Some memorial portraits featured an array of flowers surrounding the deceased. Memorial portraits are easy to date because they were generally made in the home immediately after passing. With our Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects course you will learn about examining photographs and identifying important details.