Genealogy Pointers

If the antiques that your grandmother had but never thought to ask about them have fascinated you, where they came from, how old they were and now it’s to late, well it’s not. There is a way to find the stories behind these old antiques so you can preserve them for future generations.

Just follow these 10 steps and the stories will come to life.

1. Question your kin
This is the easiest and most important step in researching an heirloom. What your relatives and even family friends already know might surprise you. Ask them who owned the objects and when, what it was used for, where it was kept and why it’s significant. What memories do they associate with it?

Try to determine who originally owned each of your family heirlooms. And don’t make assumptions: You may associate those antique knitting needles with grandma, but maybe she inherited them from her grandmother, and they’re older than you think.

If your far-flung relatives can’t see the heirloom in person, jog their memories by sending pictures.

2, Examine home sources
Clues could be right in front of you. Look through old pictures, you might get lucky and find the heirloom in a picture and don’t forget to check the back of every picture for writing. Check to see if there are any diaries or journals that have been handed down. You might find a clue in there.

Household inventories are another source. Many people documented their belongings in case of a fire or burglary. Check for safety-deposit boxes also check probate files for an inventory list. Probate files are located at the county court house.

3. Study the object’s shape, size, color and material substance
Most of us can recognize jewelry, china and other keepsakes commonly passed down by families. But what if you inherited some weird gadget you can’t identify? How do you figure out what it is?

Start by describing the object in broad terms. Does it look mass-produced or hand-made? Does it seem to be missing any parts? Could it be part of a larger device? Guess the object’s function and use.

Next, consider your ancestors’ hobbies and trades. Are there any craftsmen in your family, perhaps a jeweler or a carpenter? Might a relative have used the gadget in his profession? Did your grandmother love to cook? You may have inherited an antiquated cooking device, such as an ice-cream mild or a butter curler.

Now look more closely at the object. Do you notice any markings, such as a manufacturer’s name (usually on the under side of the object)? Take note of any decoration, which might indicate the time period. If the heirloom looks handmade, one of your ancestors might have created it.

Don’t forget to look inside any object with a lid or drawer.

4. Look for a patent date and number
A patent date on an heirloom can clue you in to which ancestor originally owned it. For instance, if the date’s 1885 and your great grandfather died in 1879, you know the gadget didn’t belong to him. Armed with the patent number (sometimes accompanied by the letters PAT), you can easily trace the object’s patent application, which could include original drawings. Just type the number into the US Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) online database at www.uspto.gov/patft.

5. Research the manufacturer on the Web
If your heirloom doesn’t have a patent number, try researching the manufacturer instead. Start by looking for the maker’s mark, which may include a factory name, pattern name, place of origin and some type of symbols. This will help you not only identify the maker, but also pinpoint the year the item went on the market, since some manufacturers used different marks over the years.

Once you’ve found the mark, type the manufacturer’s name or any other identifying information into Google or another search engine. Search carefully, and you might find a picture of your heirloom on the Internet. Try typing the manufacturer’s name into the Google search box and then clicking on Images.

As you search, try variations on the manufacturer’s name. At times manufacturer’s used abbreviations or changed one letter.

Remember that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, even if an antiques dealer claims your great-aunt’s clock dates back to 1776 and is worth $10,000. You’ll need to confirm those figures in other sources.

6. Hit the books
Old catalogs are great resources because they contain pictures and the original prices of antiques. Seek out old consumer magazines, newspapers and trade journals, too, for product descriptions and pictures. These sources also can tell you what your ancestors called that odd kitchen gadget when they bought it and if you’re still stumped, what it was used for. Most large libraries have these publications on microfilm.

Illustrated antiques books hold even more clues. You can find books covering every topic imaginable from colonial artifacts to 1950’s kitsch, 17th-century saws to salt-and-pepper shakers. You’ll even find publications devoted to artists’ marks.

Use them to identify those weird symbols on your ancestors’ porcelain, pottery, glassware and metalwork.

7. Track down city directories and business records
Similar to today’s telephone books, city directories list a town’s inhabitants alphabetically. Although some cities printed directories as far back as the 1700s, most began publishing them annually or every other year in the mid-to late 1800s. Directories usually list all adults in a household, plus their occupations, employers’ names and home address. Many city directories also include a business directory, which will benefit your heirloom research the most.

The first place to look for a city directory is the library in the area the directory covers. You might find these resources on the Web, as well. Ancestory.com had transcribed dozens of directories from all over the country, which you can search if you subscribe to the US Records Collection.

City directories also can come in handy if you inherited an old tool that you suspect a relative used in his or her occupation. Some directories will indicate people’s professions.

8. Pull out your family tree
What if you’ve found your heirloom in an old catalog or antiques book and tracked down a city directory, but you’re still not sure who owned it? How do you find out? You’ll have to work backward by considering the date the object was made and then referencing you family tree. If you found your keepsake doll in an 1886 catalog, it probably didn’t originally belong to your mother, who was born in 1916, or your grandmother, who was born in 1888 unless one of them bought it used. So perhaps your great-grandmother or great-great-aunt owned it. Or maybe one of them bought it for your grandmother’s older sister or a cousin. Photographs and journals can help you connect the dots.

9. Keep your heirloom in tiptop shape
You’ll want to preserve your keepsake so you can pass it down to your descendants. Be sure to handle it with clean, dry, lotion-free hands, and store it in a place with moderate temperature and humidity.

Extended exposure to hot and humid conditions will promote mold and mildew, and could cause chemical deterioration in metals and plastics. Conversely, low humidity may damage wood and leather.

Avoid storing your heirloom in an area with frequent fluctuation in temperature and humidity, such as an attic, basement or garage. Keep your heirloom out of direct sunlight, too, so it doesn’t fade.

10. Record the keepsake’s story
After all your detective work, don’t forget to record what you’ve learned. Your ancestors might not have left you inventories, but you should leave one for your descendants. For each keepsake, jot down who owned it originally, when and where it was made, how you came to own it and any stories associated with it. Also be sure to include the object’s actual name and description of the way it was used, you might know what it was used for but your great-grandchildren probably won’t.

As you investigate your heirlooms, you’ll uncover all kinds of fascinating facts and stories about your ancestors, and you’ll get a glimpse into their everyday lives.