Going through my great-grandma’s genealogy collection feels less like looking through family records and more like handling real history. The collection is made up of photographs, diaries, obituaries, documents, and family trees with some of these artifacts dating back to the early 1800's, but certain lineages of my family tree have been traced back to the 15th century. Many of the photos are stained and fragile and you can feel their age when holding them, like they’ll fall apart if you breathe too hard. The pages from the old books have a dry and gritty feel on my fingertips and a dusty smell escapes from the pages, as a reminder of how long they've waited to be remembered, which has helped me understand that this collection is a bridge stretching from before the U.S. was a country to my very own hands. Audio recordings enable me to hear accounts directly from those of the past. It’s fascinating to think my great-grandma used her retirement in the 1980's and early 90's to travel to countries like Austria, Germany, England, and Ireland to gather pieces of my families past all without the help of the internet. Her collection has helped me feel deeply connected to not only my family’s history but also my great-grandma who my dad describes as an “...intelligent and curious woman who loved her family immensely and used her hobby of genealogy to leave behind a gift.”

– Max S.

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more