I enjoyed those who shared their family artifacts- they were all wonderful! I’ve got to share just a few more of my favorites.
Education & Photography
My dad attended Howard University and for awhile wrote a column in the school paper, The Hilltop. It’s nice to look into the twenty-something mind that would later become my daddy.
He was also a school photographer. His lifelong love of photography started in high school in Jacksonville, Florida (Shameless plug: see some of his gorgeous pictures at his website):
Howard Today
My grandmother saved lots of memorabilia about her sons. Among her papers were my dad’s high school baccalaureate flier:
1960
A Farming Log
From one of my Tennessee families, the sheet below appears to be a farming work log, probably in the 1930s or 1940s. The whole community was involved:
Work Log
Postcards
My ancestors traveled quite a bit, according to their Postcards :
Nola Bradley Postcard
Receipts
George Holt subscribed to a popular Tennessee state paper, The Weekly Commercial Appeal according to this 1925 document:
Newspaper
Store Account
Next is a prized item for me. It’s a page that lists items purchased from the country store in 1885! It provides an interesting peek at how much things cost and what kinds of things our ancestors purchased:
Store Account
Walter Springer
My maternal great-grandfather Walter Springer, earned the award below while working at the Wolf Creek Ordnance Plant.
Wolf Creek plant was a part of the military buildup before and during World War II that employed many of our African-American ancestors:
Walter Springer
Always be on the lookout for these unique treasures and what stories they tell about your family. Pictures are always nice to have, but artifacts
I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. I have been a researcher, writer, lecturer and teacher for over twenty years. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. This lifelong quest has helped me to better know my family’s past. I’ve taken back– reclaimed– some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. I hope you’ll sign up to receive my posts—if you do, you’ll get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips! And please do share posts that interest you.
Your family is so fortunate–and smart–to have kept all these reminders of who people were. Right now I’m archiving documents, photos, and artifacts (I ended up with the stuff), and every time I see a “spread” such as you have here, I’m reminded not to throw away those items that will become treasures for somebody, somewhere down the line. I enjoyed this post.
Fascinating artifacts! Since we don’t have a family archive, I relish finding family artifacts. I’ve found a few things that have blown my mind and have made family research so fulfilling. Thanks for sharing!