Costs for California Vital Records to Rise

On October 2, 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1053 into the law. Sponsored by Gordon, this new statute increases the base fees for certified copies of birth and death certificates by $9 over the next three calendar years—$5 on January 1, 2012, and $2 in each of the two subsequent years.

The full text of the bill can be found at http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/billtrack/text.html?bvid=20110AB105392CHP

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Shades of L.A.: Oral Family History Interviews

Twenty years ago, the Los Angeles Public Library, in cooperation with Photo Friends, undertook a project to document the ethnic diversity of Los Angeles by copying family photographs. "Shades of L.A.: A Search for Visual Ethnic History" took six years to complete and contains more than 7,000 photographs.

During the project, oral family history interviews were conducted with twelve individuals representing eight ethnic backgrounds. Recordings and transcripts of these interviews are now available online at Shades of L.A. Information on how to search the photo collection is also available on the page.

By unknown Los Angeles Daily News staff photographer
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Don't Miss the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar

Free and open to the public, the 6th Annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar is being held on Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Doheny Memorial Library on the USC campus.

A joint effort of USC Libraries and LAasSubject, the bazaar will include exhibits representing over 80 participating institutions, including the Autry National Center of the American West, the California African American Museum, and the Japanese American National Museum. In addition to the institutional exhibits, there are educational sessions, documentary film screenings, and panel discussions.

What a great opportunity to learn about some of the special collections available here in the Los Angeles area! Click here for more information.

Be sure to download and view "Preservation 101: Basic Tips for the Household Archivist," a presentation given by Michelle Light, head of special collections and archives at UC Irvine, given at the 4th Annual Bazaar. Her speaking notes are included in the PowerPoint presentation.


© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Museum Day - Saturday, September 24, 2011

Smithsonian Building, Washington, D.C.
Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.

On Museum Day, hosted annually by Smithsonian magazine, participating museums across the United States offer free admission to one person and a guest. (Smithsonian Museums offer free admission every day.) Visit the Smithsonian website for more information about Museum Day tickets.

Below is a list of participating museums in Southern California counties with links to their websites. Whether you are interested in music, art, science, living history, or something else entirely, you will surely find a museum in Southern California that appeals to you.

Remember that in order to get free admission on Museum Day, you must have an official ticket available at the Smithsonian website!

Kern County:

Kern County Museum, Bakersfield

Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest

Los Angeles County:

American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona

Autry National Center, Los Angeles

California Science Center, Los Angeles

Chinese American Museum, Los Angeles

Fowler Museum at UCLA, Los Angeles

Hammer Museum, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Art Association, Los Angeles

Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, Los Angeles

Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Long Beach

Palos Verdes Art Center, Rolling Hills Estates

Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA), Pasadena

Santa Monica Museum of Art, Santa Monica

The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE, Los Angeles

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Watts Towers Arts Center & Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center, Los Angeles

Zimmer Children’s Museum, Los Angeles

Orange County:

Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana

Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle House and Medical Museum, Santa Ana

International Surfing Museum, Huntington Beach

Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach

Mission San Juan Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano

Riverside County:

Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Palm Desert

S.C.R.A.P. Gallery, Indio

Western Science Center, Hemet

San Diego County:

Barona Cultural Center & Museum, Lakeside

California Surf Museum, Oceanside

Creation and Earth History Museum, Santee

Lux Art Institute, Encinitas

Marston House Museum, San Diego

Mingei International Museum, San Diego

Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad

Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego

San Diego Air & Space Museum, San Diego

San Diego Archaeological Center, Escondido

San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, San Diego

San Dieguito Heritage Museum, San Diego

The Adobe Chapel Museum, San Diego

The Whaley House Museum, San Diego

San Luis Obispo County:

Charles Paddock Zoo, Atascadero

San Bernardino County:

Historical Glass Museum, Redlands

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, San Bernardino

Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art, Rancho Cucamonga

Santa Barbara County:

Casa de la Guerra, Santa Barbara

El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, Santa Barbara

Elverhoj Museum of History & Art, Solvang

Rancho La Patera & Stow House, Goleta

Wildling Art Museum, Los Olivos

Ventura County:

Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard

Museum of Ventura County, Ventura

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

Get the Scoop on Professional Genealogy

Thinking about hiring a professional genealogist and have questions about what one can do for you? And what it will cost? Maybe you're wondering whether professional genealogy is worth consideration as a career?

This weekend a panel of members of the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists will discuss "The Role of Professional Genealogy" at the Escondido Genealogical Society's regular month meeting. Panelists will include Jean Wilcox Hibben, CG; Debby Horton; Everett Ireland, CG; Gena Philibert-Ortega; Linda Serna; and Robbin Smith.

The meeting will be held on Saturday, September 24, at 10:15 a.m. in the Turrentine Room of the Escondido Public Library located at 239 S. Kalmia Street.

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

WPA 1939 Los Angeles Household Census Records Online

In 1939, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) conducted a household census in the city of Los Angeles. Almost 1/2 million record cards, most of which are household census cards, are held by the University of Southern California. Approximately 25% of the collection has been digitized and is online at the USC Digital Library.

The household census cards contain information regarding the dwelling including:

• Type of dwelling
• Amount of monthly rent or mortgage
• Information about the dwelling, including number of room, whether there were flush toilets and running water, how the dwelling was heated, etc.
• Length of time the occupant had resided there
• Number of household members and their ages
• Race of the household
• Whether there were roomers or other families in residence

But NOT the name of the occupants! Click here to see a sample household census card.

Another small, but genealogically interesting, part of the collection are the 248 employee records. These are hiring documents for individuals who worked for the WPA whether as enumerators, supervisors or clerical staff. The cards include information such as name, age, residence, education, experience, number of dependents, and even whether the applicant owned a car! Click here to see a sample employee record.

Because of the naming protocol used for the images, the best method for searching the household census card is by street address; for employees, use a surname search.

If you had ancestors who lived in Los Angeles in 1939, you will want to check whether they were employed by the WPA; if not, perhaps you can locate a card that will give information about their home.

Wishing you many successes in your genealogy research,

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research

California Statehood - September 9, 1850

Today marks the 161st anniversary of California's admission to the Union, as part of the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to deal with our Nation's attempts to deal with the issue of slavery. More information can be found on the National Archive's page: Struggles over Slavery: The Compromise of 1850.

A transcription of the 1849 Constitution of the State of California can be found on the California Secretary of State's website. The opening paragraph reads:

We, the people of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings, do establish this Constitution.

The original Bear Flag was destroyed in 1906, but here is a photo of it which dates from 1890:

Photo of Original Bear Flag, public domain image,
Wikimedia Commons, accessed 9 Sep 2011

And a final tribute to California:

Source:  George Wharton James, editor, The California birthday book, prose and poetical selections from the 

writings of living California authors, with a brief biographical sketch of each

(Los Angeles, California: Arroyo Guild Press, 1909); 

Google Books (http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=PpcOAAAAIAAJ : 

accessed 9 September 2011), Front Cover, page xiv. 

© 2011 Denise Spurlock, Ancestral Trees Research