I enjoy bite-sized family history projects because I can research and produce them in a short time--and younger relatives (my audience) clearly like the short takes more than the lengthier projects.
The key is limiting the focus, rather than trying to create a massive project about the entire family tree. Typically, I focus on one ancestor, one couple, one surname/family, or one special photo/occasion/heirloom. But there are other ways to limit the focus for a bite-sized project.
Focus on one special place
When I recorded my new talk about bite-sized projects for the NERGC 2021 Conference* last week, Carolyn (one of the wonderful audience members) asked about focusing on an ancestral hometown. I told her I love that idea and I'm stealing it! Um, I mean adapting it ;) Another genealogy buddy calls this a #Genealogy travelogue!
A bite-sized project about a special place in family history could be about:
- where an ancestor was born, lived, married, or died
- where an ancestor operated a business or traveled on business
- where an ancestor worshipped
- where an ancestor vacationed or visited
- where something of importance (good or bad) took place that affected an ancestor's life
An example is a bite-sized page I want to write about Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Before the Soviet era, this bustling market center was known as Ungvar, Hungary. It was the home town of my maternal grandfather, Theodore Schwartz (1887-1965).
I've done a bit of research into Ungvar's past, when he was a boy and after he left but family remained behind. Also I have a key Census (including street and house number) from when borders were redrawn and the city was part of Czechoslovakia--a Census that includes five Schwartz family members! I have almost enough content for a couple of paragraphs (or a brief video) that will put my grandpa's home town into context, as an element of family history.
For visual interest, I can include a map like the one at top, from a Creative Commons source. No copyright issues as long as I include attribution (https://mapcarta.com/Uzhhorod). I know how images can catch the eye of the audience.
*I'll be demonstrating the process in detail during my upcoming talk, "Bring Family History Alive in Bite-Sized Projects," at the all-virtual New England Regional Genealogical Conference in April.
It's not such a bite-sized project, but I am starting a one-place database of Udol, Slovakia, my paternal grandmother's family's village. I am using a UK app, Name & Place, that I learned about at RootsTech.
ReplyDeleteOne-place studies are incredibly valuable! Will have to look up that RootsTech session. TY for the hint.
DeleteMy father was born 1925 in uzhurod imre simonics... brothers zoli. Paul. Desu. Sister ersabet. And my dad had a twin who passed at the age of 2..
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