Abby Epplett, Historian

Yesterday — November 30, 2023 — I watched the webinar An Introduction to the Committee on Heraldry at American Ancestors , hosted by the New England Historical Genealogical Society (NEHGS) . Ginevra Morse, the Vice President for Education and Programming at NEHGS , moderated the session, while Dr. Nathaniel Lane Taylor , a former Harvard University professor of Medieval Studies , lead the informative talk. This presentation was the sequel to An Introduction to Heraldry for Genealogists , which I watched in September 2023 . Self-described as “the oldest non-governmental heraldic body in the world”, the Committee sets standards for coats of arms used by families who live in the United States. Dr. Taylor began the talk by reviewing the overlap between genealogy, heraldry, and history, which he first presented during the September webinar. Once considered a “sister field” to genealogy, heraldry fell out of favor during the 1970s, but interest renewed in the 2000s. The Committee

Earlier today — October 26, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. — I watched the webinar Stories from the Archives: Scrapbooks hosted by American Ancestors – New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) . Leading the talk were collections management archivist Gabrielle Roth and conservator Todd Pattison . Together they covered the history of scrapbooks, the collection of scrapbooks held by The Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center Archives (JHC) , preservation of scrapbooks, and best practices when creating a scrapbook. Roth began by describing the oldest records in America: petroglyphs carved by Native Americans. Visitors to parks around the country, including Fremont Indian State Park in Utah , can view intricate carvings up to 2000 years old. More recently, European diaries recorded mundane aspects of daily life in private journals, although the demographics of this practice skewed towards wealthy, educated men. During the time of the Enlightenment, Renaissance scribes kept commonpl

Earlier today — Friday, September 29, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. — I attended the webinar Bagatelle: A Princely Residence in Paris by Nicolas Cattelain , part of the Art & Architecture series hosted by New England Historic Genealogical Society, also known as American Ancestors . Cattelain wrote a book by the same name as the talk, published by Rizzoli New York Last Week , which features photographs of the chateau in the process of its restoration. Cattelain covered the entire history of the property using images of artworks once held in the Bagatelle, diagrams of the buildings and gardens, portraits of past owners, and modern photographs. Cattelain explained that a building had existed on the site since 1720 and was first owned by Maréchal d'Estrées [Marshal of Estrées]. While his wife, Madame d'Estrées , held wild parties at the estate, the Maréchal d'Estrées did not often visit. At this time Louis XV was King of France. Parties at court politically influenced h

Early today — Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. — I watched the virtual presentation An Introduction to Heraldry for Genealogists . While I have expertise in many areas of history, I knew almost nothing about heraldry until this quick and enlightening overview hosted by American Ancestors . Dr. Nathaniel Lane Taylor , a former Harvard University professor of Medieval Studies , lead the informative talk. Ginevra Morse , Vice President for Education & Programming at New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS), moderated the Q&A. In addition to giving lectures, Dr. Taylor is an editor and publisher of  The American Genealogist journal, a fellow of similarly named The American Society of Genealogists , and part of the Committee on Heraldry at NEHGS . Dr. Taylor explained that over twenty European countries have a heraldic tradition, but he focused on the traditions of Great Britain, especially England. Heraldry is a “representational unit of identity” ov

Last night — on September 11, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — I watched a book talk on The Lioness of Boston written by Emily Franklin and published by Godine . This webinar was hosted by American Ancestors in partnership with the Boston Public Library and GBH Forum Network. Franklin has published over twenty novels and poetry books, but The Lioness of Boston , based on the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner, is her first historical fiction novel. Other speakers during the talk included Margaret M. Talcott , Director Of Literary Programs & Partnerships at American Ancestors; Kristin Motte , Adult Programs Librarian at the Boston Public Library; and Claire Messud , an author of six novels. Frederique Rigoulot , a journalist at GBH, moderated the chat and Q&A. Franklin described her first exposure to Isabella Stewart Gardner and her legacy. As a high school student in Boston, Franklin visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and wrote a paper about two paintings: Rembrandt’s

On August 24, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. EDT, I watched a webinar hosted by American Ancestors ® & New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) , which debuted the 10 Million Names project. For context, American Ancestors ® is the oldest genealogical organization in the country, established in Boston, MA during 1845. The organization has supported research and publications for over 175 years. Currently, the organization employees about 95 full-time staff, shares 1.4 billion digital records, holds 28 million original manuscripts, and acts as a filming location for the hit PBS television show Finding Your Roots hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. During this webinar, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ryan J. Woods introduced the session by explaining that the intent of the project is to identify and recover names of the approximately ten million people of African descent who were enslaved in early America from 1500 to 1865. This project will be a collabo