Researching the Ships of Our Ancestors

The Photo Detective

Ships passenger lists contain the name of the vessel that transported our ancestors from their homelands to the United States or travelers crossing the ocean. But do you know how to research those vessels to find information and images? This week’s guest can help. She’s with the Steamship Historical Society of America. Their mission is to record, preserve, and share the history of engine-powered vessels.

In 1935 a group of historians and collectors passionate about steamships formed the Steamship Historical Society of America as a means of bringing together amateur and professional historians interested in the history and development of steam navigation, past, and present. Their knowledge, as well as photographs, research, and writings, formed the nucleus of the society’s collections.

Today their collection contains hundreds of thousands of images, artifacts, ephemera, memorabilia, and artwork, as well as a 20 thousand plus volume maritime reference library. My guest loves receiving research requests about their collections. Perhaps one of your ancestors traveled or worked on an engine-powered vessel. In this episode, their curator, Astrid Drew, explains how to search their online portal and talks about the types of items in the collections. They recently launched an online free educational site called Steaming into the Future. You can find the links in the show notes.

Related Episodes:

Episode 99: Finding Photos on the Smithsonian Learning Lab with Curator Shannon Perich

Links:

• STEAMing Into The Future
• Steamship Historical Society of America
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About My Guest:

Astrid M. Drew is the archivist at the Steamship Historical Society of America, where she manages and organizes collections, and assists researchers and the public in learning more about the heritage of engine-powered vessels. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Rhode Island, and earned her Masters of Library and Information Science, focusing in archives and preservation, from Simmons College in 2014. She’s interested in digital archives, rare books, and finding creative ways to tell the stories of our past and how they link to today’s stories in the making.

Abo

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.

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