Photo Tip: Photo Backgrounds

Announcements

ATTENTION: Adobe Digital Editions has come out with version 3. However, it will NOT allow you to read books from older versions on your e-reader.  If you have an e-reader, do NOT upgrade to this newer version. If you do, there is no fix to enable you to read the older books.

STAR TREK MARATHON STARTING TOMORROW! First week of February 1-7, showing movies and episodes - leading up to…

Geek Day 2.8 on Saturday, February 8^th. Mark your calendar!!

Do you have a young reader in your house, or a pre-reader? Check out our Tumble Books in our e-resources. They are animated talking picture books for your young'uns, which will teach them to love reading.

Computer Classes every Sat. mornings 10-12. "Open House" Whatever you need. Drop in anytime during those two hours.

Check out our new blog on movies and music at: RPL's Movies and Music by Robert Finch

Captain Kirk

 

  

   

Background Samples

Genealogy tip for the day: Picture backgrounds and settings

If the picture you have was taken in a studio it is apt to have a drop sheet with a painted scene in it. Otherwise, photos taken by friends or family may have clues in it by what else is in the photograph, a car, a house, maybe even a street sign. Be observant of what you see.

When personal items are found in your pictures, compare them with other photos you have and see if you can identify ‘this picture by that picture’… so to speak. In fact, comparing pictures will help you to identify even more of them. Once you have identified one, or have one that is identified. Often comparing them will help you decide who are in other pictures.

So far we can determine or identify people by:

-Determining the type of photo and therefore the time period.

-Find out who the photographer was and the time they were in business and where.

-Look for clues in the setting or background of the picture.

Next time we will talk about fashions and hairdos.

Websites with more information:

Archives.com

About.com

Cyndi’s List

Ancestry.com

Family Tree Magazine

And there are a lot more…

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is beneficial in anyway.

Guy Fawkes

Today in History

1606		Guy Fawkes is hanged, drawn and quartered for his part in the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up Parliament.
1620		Virginia colony leaders write to the Virginia Company in England, asking for more orphaned apprentices for employment.
1788		The Young Pretender, Charles Edward Stuart dies.
1835		A man with two pistols misfires at President Andrew Jackson at the White House.
1865		House of Representatives approves a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery.
1911		The German Reichstag exempts royal families from tax obligations.
1915		Germans use poison gas on the Russians at Bolimov.
1915		German U-boats sink two British steamers in the English Channel.
1916		President Woodrow Wilson refuses the compromise on Lusitania reparations.
1917		Germany resumes unlimited sub warfare, warning that all neutral ships that are in the war zone will be attacked.
1935		The Soviet premier tells Japan to get out of Manchuria.
1943		The Battle of Stalingrad ends as small groups of German soldiers of the Sixth Army surrender to the victorious Red Army forces.
1944		U.S. troops under Vice Adm. Spruance land on Kwajalien atoll in the Marshall Islands.
1950		Paris protests the Soviet recognition of Ho Chi Minh's Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
1966		U.S. planes resume bombing of North Vietnam after a 37-day pause.
1968		In Vietnam, the Tet Offensive begins as Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers attack strategic and civilian locations throughout South Vietnam.
1976		Ernesto Miranda, famous from the Supreme Court ruling on Miranda vs. Arizona is stabbed to death.
1981		Lech Walesa announces an accord in Poland, giving Saturdays off to laborers.
Born on January 31
1734		Robert Morris, signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
1797		Franz Schubert, Austrian composer (C Major Symphony, The Unfinished Symphony).
1919		Jackie Robinson, first African-American baseball player in the modern major leagues.
1925		Benjamin Hooks, civil rights leader.

   

Benjamin Hooks

Word for the Day

bumfuzzle

PRONUNCIATION:

(bum-FUZ-uhl)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To confuse.

ETYMOLOGY:

From bum-, probably from bamboozle (to deceive) + fuzzle (to confuse). Earliest documented use: 1900.

USAGE:

"Latt insists the company is not trying to bumfuzzle anybody into believing Asylum's releases are big-studio product."
James Hebert; Knockoff Movies Touted as 'Tie-ins'; Union-Tribune (San Diego, California); August 17, 2007.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I don't trust a man who uses the word evil eighteen times in ten minutes. If you're half evil, nothing soothes you more than to think the person you are opposed to is totally evil. -Norman Mailer, author (1923-2007)

 

Today’s Recipe

Soups for Cold Winter Days

I thought for today I would list what recipes I have posted for the month. If I can remember (!), I will do this at the end of every month. They aren't hyper linked but here is a list in date order...

	January Winter Soups
2-Jan	Chicken Noodle Soup
3-Jan	Butternut Squash and Carrot soup
6-Jan	Ham and Yam soup
7-Jan	Barley Beef Soup
9-Jan	Kitchen Sink soup
11-Jan	Classic tomato soup
13-Jan	Tortellini Florentine soup
14-Jan	Healthy Cabbage Soup
16-Jan	Cabbage Jambalaya
17-Jan	Game Day Pork and Black Bean Chili
20-Jan	Winter Vegetable Soup
21-Jan	Nate's Minestrone
22-Jan	Soup Stock
23-Jan	Bread Bowls
25-Jan	Midwinter Vegetable Soup
27-Jan	Chicken-Andouille Gumbo
28-Jan	Mushroom Bisque with Hat
29-Jan	Butternut Squash Bisque
30-Jan	New England Clam Chowder
31-Jan	Index

AND --- here is an alphabetical list for you: (Maybe this will be easier.)

Barley Beef Soup	7-Jan
Bread Bowls	23-Jan
Butternut Squash and Carrot soup	3-Jan
Butternut Squash Bisque	29-Jan
Cabbage Jambalaya	16-Jan
Chicken Noodle Soup	2-Jan
Chicken-Andouille Gumbo	27-Jan
Classic tomato soup	11-Jan
Game Day Pork and Black Bean Chili	17-Jan
Ham and Yam soup	6-Jan
Healthy Cabbage Soup	14-Jan
Kitchen Sink soup	9-Jan
Midwinter Vegetable Soup	25-Jan
Mushroom Bisque with Hat	28-Jan
Nate's Minestrone	21-Jan
New England Clam Chowder	30-Jan
Soup Stock	22-Jan
Tortellini Florentine soup	13-Jan
Winter Vegetable Soup	20-Jan

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Photo Tip: Identifying the Photographers' Studios

Announcements

IT'S THURSDAY FOLKS!! Thursday posts don't get written till in the afternoon - or later, as the case of today's post. Sorry to be so late, but I hope you will enjoy it all the same.

ATTENTION: Adobe Digital Editions has come out with version 3. However, it will NOT allow you to read books from older versions on your e-reader.  If you have an e-reader, do NOT upgrade to this newer version. If you do, there is no fix to enable you to read the older books.

STAR TREK MARATHON coming! First week of February 1-7, showing movies and episodes - leading up to…

Geek Day 2.8 on Saturday, February 8^th. Mark your calendar!!

Do you have a young reader in your house, or a pre-reader? Check out our Tumble Books in our e-resources. They are animated talking picture books for your young'uns, which will teach them to love reading.

Computer Classes every Sat. mornings 10-12. "Open House" Whatever you need. Drop in anytime during those two hours.

Check out our new blog on movies and music at: RPL's Movies and Music by Robert Finch

Captain Kirk

Studio Insignia example, w/ street address

Genealogy tip for the day: Identifying People in Photographs

In trying to identify the people you have in an unmarked/unidentified photo is to first determine what type of photo you have. We have already discussed the various types from the 1800’s. This is your first move and the timeline will help you begin to narrow the time period your photo was taken.

The next step is to see if there is any kind of studio identification. You need to check the front, the back and if in a case or frame thoroughly check the frame. If you are lucky it will give you the location – at least the city and state. Occasionally it may even give you the street. Compare this with where your family members lived at the time of the photo.

It is sometimes a little more difficult to find any information on a studio, esp if they are out of business. Old city directories may give you that information. If they are still in business, there’s a possibility that you could contact the studio and see if they still have the records that far back and tell you who at least ordered the pictures to be taken. They may even have other information they could give you.

To find the directories, you could try contacting the local library, or a genealogical or historical society in the area. Ask if they can determine the time period the studio was in business. If you find out that your photographer was in business for a short period of time that will help narrow the time period that you picture was taken.

Sometimes you can even find photographers’ directories online for certain areas. For example the Early St. Louis Photographer Directory is found at <stlous.genealogyvillage.com>. I would even suggest you put in geographical parameters when you search.

I had heard that Kodak in Rochester, NY had had some information in their museum of past photographers. But in researching for this post, I have not been able to locate that information. More time, or other eyes may produce better results.

Next time we will look at some other ideas of determining who are in your pictures. Approximate age, and style of clothes are other clues that guide us to solving the mystery.

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is beneficial in anyway.

Today in History

January 30

1649		Charles I of England is beheaded at Whitehall by the executioner Richard Brandon.
1844		Richard Theodore Greener becomes the first African American to graduate from Harvard University.
1862		The USS Monitor is launched at Greenpoint, Long Island.
1901		Women Prohibitionists smash 12 saloons in Kansas.
1912		The British House of Lords opposes the House of Commons by rejecting home rule for Ireland.
1931		The United States awards civil government to the Virgin Islands.
1933		Adolf Hitler is named Chancellor by President Paul Hindenburg.
1936		Governor Harold Hoffman orders a new inquiry into the Lindbergh kidnapping.
1943		Field Marshal Friedrich von Paulus surrenders himself and his staff to Red Army troops in Stalingrad.
1945		The Allies launch a drive on the Siegfried line in Germany.
1949		In India, 100,000 people pray at the site of Gandhi's assassination on the first anniversary of his death.
1953		President Dwight Eisenhower announces that he will pull the Seventh Fleet out of Formosa to permit the Nationalists to attack Communist China.
1964		The Ranger spacecraft, equipped with six TV cameras, is launched to the moon from Cape Canaveral.
1972		British troops shoot dead 14 Irish civilians in Derry, Ireland. The day is forever remembered in Ireland as 'Bloody Sunday.'
1976		The U.S. Supreme Court bans spending limits in campaigns, equating funds with freedom of speech.
1980		The first-ever Chinese Olympic team arrives in New York for the Winter Games at Lake Placid.
Born on January 30
1882		Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States.
1885		John Henry Towers, American naval aviation pioneer.
1912		Barbara Tuchman, U.S. historian (The Guns of August).

 

Word for the Day

lallygag or lollygag

PRONUNCIATION:

(LAL-ee-gag, LOL-ee-gag)

MEANING:

verb intr.:
1. To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily.
2. To neck.

ETYMOLOGY:

Origin uncertain. Earliest documented use: 1862.

USAGE:

"I lallygagged around and when it was evident that they were not coming home to take me, I had to start off."
Margaret Mason; A Memory at Large; RoseDog Books; 2011.

Quote for the Day

War is the unfolding of miscalculations. -Barbara Tuchman, historian (1912-1989)

Today’s Recipe

Soups for Cold Winter Days

Here’s an old standby:

New England Clam Chowder

Creamy, hearty New England clam chowder is by far the most popular chowder style (compared to Manhattan or Rhode Island versions). Chowder made with milk or cream began appearing in the early 1800s, and New Englanders claimed it as their own in the 1900s. Many versions use a flour and butter roux to thicken the soup. The roux is necessary if you’re cooking with milk; otherwise, it curdles when boiled. This chowder gets its thick texture from a combination of heavy cream and puréed potatoes. You can crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pot (instead of puréeing the vegetables) for a thinner but equally delicious version.

·         3 oz. thick-cut bacon (2 to 3 slices), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

·         1-1/2 oz. unsalted butter (3 Tbs.)

·         1 large yellow onion, cut into small dice (about 2 cups)

·         4 tender inner celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)

·         4 cups diluted clam broth, plus the reserved clam meat (1-1/2 to 2 cups), finely chopped

·         2 lb. large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 4-1/2 ­cups)

·         2 bay leaves

·         1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

·         Freshly ground black pepper

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

·         Kosher salt

Cook the bacon in a wide heavy-duty 4- to 5-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to turn crisp and golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour off and discard the bacon fat, leaving the bacon in the pot. Add the butter and onion and cook over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not colored, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the clam broth, potatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and 1 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

Purée 1 ­cup of the soup solids with just enough liquid to cover in a food processor or blender, and add it back to the soup. Add the cream and bring to a boil.

Remove the soup from the heat, wait until it stops simmering (this may take a minute if you’re using a Dutch oven), and stir in the clams and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 370; Fat (g): 18; Fat Calories (kcal): 160; Saturated Fat (g): 10; Protein (g): 22; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5; Carbohydrates (g): 28; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 1070; Cholesterol (mg): 105; Fiber (g): 3;

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Photo Types - Lesser known Types

Announcements

ATTENTION: Adobe Digital Editions has come out with version 3. However, it will NOT allow you to read books from older versions on your e-reader.  If you have an e-reader, do NOT upgrade to this newer version. If you do, there is no fix to enable you to read the older books.

STAR TREK MARATHON coming! First week of February 1-7, showing movies and episodes - leading up to…

Geek Day 2.8 on Saturday, February 8^th. Mark your calendar!!

Do you have a young reader in your house, or a pre-reader? Check out our Tumble Books in our e-resources. They are animated talking picture books for your young'uns, which will teach them to love reading.

Computer Classes every Sat. mornings 10-12. "Open House" Whatever you need. Drop in anytime during those two hours.

Check out our new blog on movies and music at: RPL's Movies and Music by Robert Finch

Captain Kirk

 

Genealogy tip for the day: Photo Types – Less Popular Types

Crayon Portraits are images that are weak pictures and appear in neutral black images. Then the picture is gone over with crayon or charcoal. These came about in 1860 and lasted into the 20^th century.

Carbon Prints were created by Mungo Ponton in 1839 when he discovered the process. Bichromates when added to a gelatin mix resulted in an insoluble coating. However the process was cumbersome and didn't last. Also without proper care, these faded easily.

Platinum Prints consists of finely divided platinum metal and are exceptionally stable. They came in use in 1880 and lasted till about 1930. It has a matte surface with a steely gray image.

Cyanotypes are called the blue print process because of the blue tinge to the pictures. Sir John Hershel came up with the process in the 1840’s. It was used infrequently until the 1880’s.  This process is still in use today but is used more for technical drawings, etc. and is better known as blue prints.

Timeline:

Daguerreotypes: 1839-1860

Salt Prints (salted paper): 1839-1860

Carbon Prints: 1839-1990 (peak: 1864-1950)

Cyanotypes: discovered 1842, used for photography: 1880’s-present

Albumen Prints: 1850-1900 (peak: 1860-1890)

Ambrotypes: 1851-1880’s

Tintypes: 1854-1930’s

Crayon Portraits: 1860-1900’s

Platinum prints: 1880-1930

Interestingly, you will note that the discovery that chemicals could produce images all came about the same time. Most of the inventors were in Britain, or in America

(Aside, it is the need to preserve family photos properly that got me into Scrapbooking. Genealogy often leads into Scrapbooking.)

“History is who we are; Genealogy is who I am” sg

If any of these posts are helpful drop us a line in the comments section below. We just want to know if the information we provide to you is beneficial in anyway.

Today in History

Jane Austen

January 29

1813		Jane Austin publishes Pride and Prejudice.
1861		Kansas is admitted into the Union as the 34th state.
1862		William Quantrill and his Confederate raiders attack Danville, Kentucky.
1918		The Supreme Allied Council meets at Versailles.
1926		Violette Neatley Anderson becomes the first African-American woman admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
1929		The Seeing Eye, America's first school for training dogs to guide the blind, founded in Nashville, Tennessee.
1931		Winston Churchill resigns as Stanley Baldwin's aide.
1942		German and Italian troops take Benghazi in North Africa.
1944		The world's greatest warship, Missouri, is launched.
1950		Riots break out in Johannesburg, South Africa, over the policy of Apartheid.
1967		Thirty-seven civilians are killed by a U.S. helicopter attack in Vietnam.
1979		President Jimmy Carter commutes the sentence of Patty Hearst.
1984		President Ronald Reagan announces that he will run for a second term.
1984		The Soviets issue a formal complaint against alleged U.S. arms treaty violations.
1991		Iraqi forces attack into Saudi Arabian town of Kafji, but are turned back by Coalition forces.
Born on January 29
1737		Thomas Paine, political essayist (The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason).
1843		William McKinley, 25th President of the United States.
1880		W.C. Fields, comedian and actor (David Copperfield, My Little Chickadee).
W. C. Fields

Word for the Day

honeyfuggle

PRONUNCIATION:

(HUN-ee-fuh-guhl)

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.: To deceive or swindle, especially by flattery.

ETYMOLOGY:

Perhaps from honey + fugle (to cheat). Earliest documented use: 1829. Also spelled as honeyfugle.

USAGE:

"Don't try to honeyfuggle me, Wolf McCloud. I'm not pretty, and we both know it."
Jane Bonander; Wild Heart; Pocket Books; 1995.

Quote for the Day
It is not only the prisoners who grow coarse and hardened from corporal punishment, but those as well who perpetrate the act or are present to witness it. -Anton Chekhov, short-story writer and dramatist (1860-1904)

Today’s Recipe

Soups for Cold Winter Days

Butternut Squash Bisque

Yield – 4 servings

My mother was quite the fan of squash, although I have never acquired the taste as much as she had. So I know there are a lot of squash lovers. Here is a squash soup recipe for you. It looks good! J You’ll have to tell me if it is.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash
• 3 sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious (about 1 1/4 lb. total)
• 3 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon hot chili flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Preparation

1. Rinse squash; cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place halves cut side down in a 12- by 17-inch baking pan. Peel, halve, and core apples; add to pan, along with 1/4 cup water.
2. Bake in a 400° regular or convection oven until squash and apples are tender when pierced, about 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh of squash from peels; discard peels.
3. In a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, whirl squash, apples, and broth until smooth. Pour purée into a 3- to 4-quart pan. Add wine, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and chili flakes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Ladle soup into wide bowls and garnish with chives.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 224
• Calories from fat: 2.8%
• Protein: 8.6g
• Fat: 0.7g
• Saturated fat: 0.1g
• Carbohydrate: 46g
• Fiber: 6.7g
• Sodium: 67mg
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg

ENJOY!

Now You Know!