ADDITIONAL YEARS ADDED TO BIRTH INDEX

1921 to 1924 Added to Birth

Four more years of records, 1921 through 1924, are now available on the online index to birth certificates.  We're working hard to add more years. As in the past, you will be among the first to know when more data is added.

Marriage Records

Another 25 reels of Ramsey County marriage record microfilm are now available. This addition brings us into August 1974 and makes another 107 volumes--covering some 55,000 marriages--available to researchers. The Ramsey County marriage record microfilm begins in December 1849. Copies of Ramsey County marriage records can be ordered online.

EVOKING FAMILY HISTORY THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS

A Family History Research Tip

The MHS collections include more than 200,000 photographs of individuals and groups of people, locations, activities, and other aspects of life in Minnesota. Many of the photographs can be researched online through the Photo and Art Database. Numerous photographs can be viewed online; most can be viewed in person in the Minnesota History Center Library.

In addition to individual images cataloged in the database, there are photograph collections and albums listed in the online catalog; use the search term "pictorial works."

The collection includes postcards, snapshots, news photos, and commercial studio photographs of communities, individuals, and groups of individuals dating from 1850 to the present, taken in every Minnesota county and most towns. Photographs of the town where a person settled or grew up can be evocative when creating a family history. Sometimes, photographs may be found of the business or industry in which a person worked, or the school or place of worship attended.

Occasionally, biographical information is attached to the photograph or its availability is noted. Each of the 1,400 formal portraits in the Lee Brothers Historical Photograph Collection has a biographical cover sheet.

The new Minnesota Photographers Directory contains biographical and historical information on commercial photographers and photographic studios.

HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS

Give a Historic Photograph or Newspaper

For a unique gift, give a historic photo to someone you love. The Photograph Collections are a source of ideas such as community photographs, portraits, views of your house or street, sports, events, and many others.

Or commemorate a historic occasion such as a birth or wedding date, or the glory days of a favorite sports team with a copy of a newspaper front page.

Order by December 15 to avoid additional charges for rush orders. Minnesota Historical Society members receive 20% off purchases during Member Double Discount Days from December 1 through 3.

UPCOMING CLASSES IN JANUARY

House History Class January 23

The popular "Whose House Was This?" class will be offered again on Tuesday, January 23 from 6 - 7:30 p.m. Discover the many intriguing ways to learn about the history of your urban house and the resources at the Library that can be helpful to you. Tracey Baker, assistant head of Reference, will describe the use of maps, city directories, photographs, manuscript collections, architectural periodicals, and State Archives records.

• Cost: $6 for MHS members; $8 for non-members.
• The class is limited to 30.
• Register online (pre-registration is required).

Minnesota Genealogical Society Class

The Minnesota History Center will be the location of a series of intermediate genealogy classes offered by the Minnesota Genealogical Society (MGS). The series will lead a student through all of the key record types and the necessary skills for success in genealogy. Each core lecture will be paired with a more specialized, second lecture that will deepen your knowledge of genealogical records and skills.

The first pair in the series will be on Saturday, January 13. Veteran speaker Tom Rice, CG, will offer "Finding Your Ancestors Indeed(s): Using Land Records in Genealogical Research" from 10:30 to 11:30 and "Using Minnesota Land Records for Genealogical Research" from noon to 1:00 p.m.

• Cost: $28 for MGS/MHS members and $32 for non-members.
• Classes will be limited to 30.
• Online Registration will be available soon.