Documentary of the Day--An Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter's Story by Ivy Meeropol

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I love documentaries.  Love them.  I can get completely entrenched in an subject I previously knew nothing about and be carried along by the filmmaker's narrative.  So many documentaries deal with family history and take the viewer into ideas and situations not normally seen.  So I've decided to share with you some of the documentaries that touched me in some way and given me a greater understanding and appreciation of people's stories and lives.

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg

I came across Ivy Meeropol's documentary, An Heir to an Execution:  A Granddaughter's Story, several years ago on HBO.  Meeropol is the granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, the couple executed on June 19, 1953, for conspiracy to commit espionage.  The story goes that Julius Rosenberg passed on secrets of the atomic bomb during the Cold War to the Soviets.  Apparently, Ethel helped him by typing notes, but her involvement continues to be debatable.  Books have been written about the case, studies have been done.  But although Meeropol discusses the court case and execution, she mostly takes the position of a granddaughter and searches for the grandparents she never got to know.  One astonishing thing is how much weight and stigma the Rosenberg case carries even today:  many relatives refused to even appear on camera to discuss Julius and Ethel.

I loved the interviews with her father, Michael, who remembers his visiting his parents in Sing Sing Prison until right before they died.  The letters he received from his mother at that time are touching and poignant; his mother not coming across as a convicted traitor, but a loving mother missing her young sons.

The one moment of the documentary that stands out to me the most comes at the beginning.  Ivy arrives at the cemetery where Julius and Ethel are buried to view the gravesite and pay her respects to her grandparents.  She visits the cemetery office to inquire about the exact location of the graves.  And the employees won't tell her.  Ivy's bewilderment and confusion at this reached right into my heart as a family historian; the notion of a public cemetery keeping relatives from visiting their loved ones appalls me.

HBO runs this documentary from time to time, but you can also purchase it here.  The trailer for the film doesn't show well (if you'd like to take a look, it's here)  but I found an interview with Ivy Meeropol and her father that does even better.  Enjoy.  I hope you get the chance to watch Heir to an Execution.



The National Genealogical Society Conference: Final Thoughts

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The week of the National Genealogical Society Conference flew by in a flash.  A whirlwind of speakers, networking, meeting new people from all over the country.  I came away with more knowledge and ideas than I ever dreamed.

Elissa Powell

Lori Thornton

Jeffrey Haines

John Colletta

Elizabeth Mills

Lisa Louise Cooke

All these people (and more) imparted such a sense of research and scholarship and--the best part--joy in the researching of clues about our ancestors and how they lived and died.  When I started researching my family tree, an entire new world and passion opened up for me.  After this conference, my world, appreciation, and research potential grew immensely.  I took so much away from this conference, and my hope is to continue to discover new facts with the integrity I saw in those around me this week.

So thank you, National Genealogical Society.  I appreciated this week so much.

Vendors, Software & Booths, Oh My! The Exhibit Hall at the National Genealogical Society Conference

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I could go on and on about the great speakers and lectures I had the opportunity to hear, but the exhibit hall was something to behold.  Participants walked among vendors who discussed with them all things genealogy:  memberships, societies, website help and demonstrations.  I had the opportunity to use findmypast, a site that contains world records dating back to 1200.  After I did some searching, I was able to find my great great great grandparents, William Stewart and Agnes Simpson in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1861.  William's occupation is listed as "Pattern Book Maker Journeyman," which means he was a qualified tradesman who served an apprenticeship and worked as a mold maker for iron products.  Agnes is listed as a strawhat dressmaker.  I cannot wait to delve into findmypast even more.

While in the exhibit hall, I also visited Archives.com, Newspapers.com, and FamilySearch.org, all of which gave me an tutorial and guidance in the hope of finding more information and answers to lingering questions.  I also had a great discussion with the North Carolina Genealogical Society about periodicals in western North Carolina and other resources from that region.

Definitely make more than one trip to the exhibit hall if you're at the conference.  You'll definitely walk away with more knowledge and experience.

National Genealogical Society Conference: All the Information You Ever Wanted and More

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The lectures.  The speakers.  I had no idea the wealth and magnificent information I would receive.  Sometimes I have to flip a coin to see which lecture I should go to because there's not chance on earth I could reasonably pick which one could possibly be better.  So here are the highlights from Thursday.

  • North Carolina Research with Jeffrey Haines.  A wealth of information about the settling of North Carolina and how to obtain birth, marriage, and death records.  Also great information on probate and deed information in North Carolina.

 

  • Records of the Federal Courts, 1789-1911:  Drama in Your Ancestors' Lives with John Colletta.  One of the best speakers I've heard.  Wit, incredible research--I enjoyed his lecture so much I put another one on my calendar for today.

 

  • Find Living Relatives Like a Private Eye with Lisa Louise Cooke.  I actually popped into her lecture after the other lecture I wanted to hear was full, and I'm so glad I did.  A huge heart for genealogy and family stories, she told the story of looking for a long lost cousin to see if any old photos and documents existed.  And she found a treasure.

 

And the journey continues!