Book Description

Philatelic Genealogy presents 100 old envelopes and postcards to show how they serve as sources of genealogical information. Original letters and/or transcriptions accompany twenty envelopes. Each sender and recipient is identified in a census, city directory, vital record, and/or other genealogical source, with their dates of birth and death, their parents' names, and the relationship between the sender and recipient, whenever possible. Examples are shown in ten categories: folded letters, westward expansion, the war of 1861-1865, work, immigrants, family and friend correspondence, real photo postcards, social and political interests, travel and vacation, and World War I. An introduction stresses correct identification of the recipient, sender, and their relationship, with a focus on street address, names and relationships from the letter or postcard text, and handwriting comparisons. Handwriting comparisons help identify eight senders. Appendices discuss an online philatelic genealogy database and how philatelic genealogy can help postal historians and postcard collectors. A genealogy primer is included. Black-and-white illustrations and detailed genealogical source notes appear throughout the book.