I have a growing collection of antique postcards, primarily postcards that depict scenes in Northern Illinois. See the whole collection here! Enjoy these winter scenes that are a part of my collection!
Continue reading “More Highlights of My Postcard Collection”
Several years ago, when I was writing a blog post about my great-great-grandfather’s tin shop, I really wanted to find a photo of the small town where he had his first shop. The best photo that I found actually came from an old postcard from 1908. It was for sale for a few dollars on eBay, so I bought it! Since then, I’ve been on the lookout for old postcards that depict places where my ancestors lived. It is fascinating to imagine my relatives strolling down those old dirt roads or visiting those long-gone businesses.
In the past several years, my postcard collection has grown to about 900 postcards. Most of these postcards are from Northern and Central Illinois, where many branches of my family are from, but there are also other categories that relate to my interests, such as historic trees, libraries, and steam engines. I decided that these unique cards were too good to keep all to myself, so I scanned the oldest ones and organized them into an online collection. See the whole collection here!
Please enjoy a gallery of a few of my favorites!
About 1,000 men from DeKalb County, Illinois, answered the call to serve their country between 1917-1919 during World War I. About 65 of them died during the war and never made it back home. The following pages are from “An Honor Roll, containing a pictorial record of the gallant and courageous men from DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S.A., who served in the Great War 1917 – 1918 – 1919,” published by the DeKalb Chronicle Publishing Company shortly after the conclusion of the war. These men are among the “gallant and courageous men” who did not make it home. They had earned their families a “Gold Star,” which was a designation that started in WWI, and denoted that the family had lost a loved one in combat. This was a visual symbol to the community that the family had lost a loved one in the war. (Learn more about the Gold Stars tradition here.) This Memorial Day, I’d like to remember the service of these men who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I. Continue reading “DeKalb County’s Gold Stars, 1919”
One hundred years ago, my great-grandfather Glenn Kaiser wrote a Christmas letter home to his mother. He had just received his Christmas box that his mother sent. Below is a transcription of that Christmas letter.
(Click here to read the full letter.)
Continue reading “Christmas on the German Front — 100 years ago”
A stunning portrayal of soldiers’ lives during WWI
This past Monday, I went to a screening of Peter Jackson’s new WWI documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old. I went into the theater with high expectations, and this film definitely surpassed all of them. It brings to life the old archival footage in a way that has never been seen before. It truly allows you to travel back in time, and to experience history as the soldiers saw it. This film will be the closest you’ll ever be to actually experiencing the life of a WWI soldier on the Western Front, and horrors of war that they saw. It is a fitting tribute to the men and women who lived and died during this war. Continue reading “Film Review: “They Shall Not Grow Old””
The Family History Librarian 