From a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Massachusetts:

A nearly 500-year-old manuscript signed by Conquistador Hernando Cortés in 1527 has been returned to the Archivo General de la Nación de México – Mexico’s national archives located in Mexico City. On July 19, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, along with representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, participated in a formal repatriation ceremony at Mexico’s national archives, where the manuscript is believed to have been unlawfully removed from sometime before 1993. In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action against the manuscript to ensure its lawful return. It is a violation of federal law to transport or receive stolen goods valued at more than $5,000 that have traveled in foreign or interstate commerce.   

“After missing for decades, thanks to incredible international collaboration and persistence the Cortés manuscript is finally where it belongs back in Mexico, where it will remain a treasured part of Mexico’s history and heritage,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I want to commend the asset recovery prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office whose hard work and dedication led to the return of this priceless and historically important artifact. We were honored to have assisted in this effort.”

The manuscript is a payment order signed by Cortés on April 27, 1527 authorizing the purchase of rose sugar for the pharmacy in exchange 12 gold pesos. It is believed to be one of several documents unlawfully removed from a collection of documents concerning a Spanish expedition to Central America in 1527 that is housed in Mexico’s national archives. 

According to the civil complaint, in early 2022, an individual consigned the Cortés manuscript for online auction at a Massachusetts auction house. Mexican authorities alerted federal authorities in the United States that the manuscript being auctioned appeared to have been stolen. In turn, the auction house removed the manuscript from the upcoming auction and the manuscript was recovered. 

The United States Attorney’s Office obtained a final order of forfeiture on February 27, 2023, and thereafter the Department of Justice authorized the manuscript’s return to Mexico.

“We are incredibly honored to be able to assist in the return of this national treasure to the people of Mexico. This manuscript, which is nearly five centuries old, preserves an important part of Mexico’s history, and reflects the FBI’s ongoing commitment to protect cultural heritage, not only in the United States but around the world,” said Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “The recovery of this priceless artifact is a direct result of our close and ongoing collaboration with the government of Mexico, and we are very thankful for their partnership.”

Anyone with information on stolen art and cultural property are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips may also be submitted online at https://tips.fbi.gov/. 

You can read more at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/united-states-returns-manuscript-signed-conquistador-hernando-cortes-1527-mexicos. 

Genealogy is a fascinating way to take a look back at our family’s background and heritage. Knowing where we come from is a fundamental way of knowing who we are, allowing us to develop a deeper appreciation for the ancestors who came long before us. Whether you’ve been studying your family tree for years or know next to nothing about your heritage, there is always more to learn when we dive into the past. Over the last several years, genetic testing with a genealogy-focused approach have gained immense popularity due to their accessibility and profound insights, empowering thousands to trace back their family heritage to near prehistoric times. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about how this technology connects us with the past, join the NJ State Library for their latest upcoming webinar, “Diving Deep into Genetic Genealogy”.

On Wednesday, August 2nd, the New Jersey State Library will be hosting a deep dive on all things genetic testing and genealogy. The webinar will be held virtually on Zoom from 12:00pm through 1:30pm. This event is free to attend, although advanced registration is required. If you plan on attending, you can register by visiting the link here: Register – Webinar. Once you are registered, just sign onto the portal the day of the webinar and you’ll be ready to learn!

Reminder: You can join a webinar from anywhere in the world. However, pay attention to time zones!

You can also learn more in an article by Angelica Stern published in the Trenton Daily web site at: https://www.trentondaily.com/explore-genetic-genealogy-with-the-nj-state-library/. 

Under a Canadian Supreme Court ruling, transcripts will be destroyed by 2027 unless survivors want them archived.

Geraldine Shingoose was shocked when she opened a report probing what should be done to protect potential unmarked grave sites at former residential schools for Indigenous children.

Of the thousands of former students who detailed the abuses they suffered to an adjudicator tasked with determining their eligibility for compensation under the historic Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, only about 30 have sought to have copies of their words archived.

Shingoose — an Indigenous elder and residential school survivor — is among that small group. She said she's heartbroken to think thousands of records will be destroyed within five years unless more survivors also request their preservation, an option she fears most are not even aware of.

"That's history," she said in a recent interview. "Those are sacred stories."

The debate surrounding the future of these records has gained momentum since more First Nations began seeking answers about what happened to the children who died and disappeared from residential schools.

You can read more in an article by Alessia Passafiume and Stephanie Taylor published in the CBC News web site at: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/residential-school-records-potential-burials-1.6915983.

OOOOPS! This can create a problem:

A man's entire world has been flipped upside down after discovering he is actually engaged to his cousin. He explained how he bought his 28-year-old fiancé a DNA testing kit for fun after noticing them on sale for half price. 

He thought it would make a fun and interesting gift - but never expected the results to 'change their lives forever'. Taking to Reddit, the man said: "My fiancé and I are getting married in a few months. We're extremely happy and in love.

"I'm super into ancestry and have been building out my tree. I saw a promo on Ancestry.com for a 50 per cent DNA kit and I bought one for my fiancé." A few hours ago, on a flight, he got his DNA results back. In the 'view DNA matches' section was my picture.

"It says we're third cousins. His dad, who I guess did a test years ago, came up as well. We don't know how to feel. We just landed and are now on vacation with a large group." As they're a same-sex couple, there's no concern about this impacting their future children but they're worried how their families will take it. 

"We're also both Jewish, and I know our gene pools are already shallow. But third cousins? That is a little too close for comfort. There's no scenario where we’d break up or anything, but I just feel so so weird about it. I don't know how to feel or how to process this. Is it insane? Is it no big deal?”

You can read the full story in an article by Paige Freshwater published in the mirror.co.uk web site at: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/mans-life-flipped-upside-down-30538442 

The images from the Skip Gandy Collection of Aerial and Commercial Photography chronicles key moments in local history, from the 1950s to 2010s.

A project to preserve decades of Tampa Bay area history is in the works.

The University of South Florida Libraries are digitizing nearly 80,000 photo negatives that document the life and landscape of the Tampa Bay region from the 1950s to 2010s. The images are part of the Skip Gandy Collection of Aerial and Commercial Photography and chronicle key moments in local history.

A fundraising project aims to raise $41,300 to digitize the entire collection and make these never-before-seen images available to the public under a Creative Commons license. Up until now, a few dozen photos have been available to view online. USF Libraries’ Digital Collections have raised $30,000 so far.

Skip Gandy

Skip Gandy Commercial And Aerial Photography. Image 57. Https://Digitalcommons.usf.edu/Gandy/57

Some of these film negatives are starting to degrade, making their preservation all the more urgent, according to Tampa-based photographer Chip Weiner.

“We cannot let this history disappear,” said Weiner. “It’s 100 years of visual history that so many cities don’t have and we are completely blessed to have that available to us.”

You can read more in an article by Nancy Guan published in the WUSF web site at: https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/arts-culture/2023-07-17/photo-archive-documenting-tampa-bay-area-history-being-digitized-public. 

The following is a press release from the Digital Public Library of America, striking a blow for freedom:

Let freedom read and join President Barack Obama in protecting intellectual freedom with DPLA's The Banned Book Club. 

NEW YORK, July 20, 2023 -- The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) has launched The Banned Book Club to ensure that readers in communities affected by book bans can now access banned books for free via the Palace e-reader app. The Banned Book Club makes e-book versions of banned books available to readers in locations across the United States where titles have been banned. The e-books will be available to readers for free via the Palace e-reader app.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) presents The Banned Book Club and is fighting back against book bans.

"At DPLA, our mission is to ensure access to knowledge for all and we believe in the power of technology to further that access," said John S. Bracken, executive director of Digital Public Library of America. "Today book bans are one of the greatest threats to our freedom, and we have created The Banned Book Club to leverage the dual powers of libraries and digital technology to ensure that every American can access the books they want to read."

Utilizing GPS-based geo-targeting, DPLA has established virtual libraries in communities across the United States where books have been banned. When a reader is within a community served by a library that has been forced to ban a book, they can visit TheBannedBookClub.info to see the exact books that have been banned in their area. Then, they can download those books for free on any handheld device via the Palace e-reader app.

To access The Banned Book Club now, download the Palace app, and choose "Banned Book Club" as your library, then follow the prompts to sign up for a free virtual library card. For more specific instructions, click here. For more information on The Banned Book Club, readers can visit TheBannedBookClub.info.

DPLA's The Banned Book Club is supported by FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding) Chicago and Current Global.

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) amplifies the value of libraries and cultural organizations as trusted sources of shared knowledge. DPLA fulfills its mission by collaborating with partners to accelerate the adoption of innovative tools and ideas to empower and equip libraries in making public information more accessible. DPLA's e-book work is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. To learn more, visit www.dp.la.

The Palace Project is a suite of content, services, and tools for the delivery of e-books, audiobooks, and other digital media to benefit public libraries and their patrons. Funded by a multi-year, multimillion-dollar investment from the Knight Foundation, The Palace Project is a division of Lyrasis, working in strategic partnership with Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). To learn more, visit thepalaceproject.org.

The following is a Plus Edition article written by and copyright by Dick Eastman. 

WARNING: This article contains personal opinions.

One thing that constantly puzzles me is why do genealogists keep re-inventing the same wheels? In fact, we have the tools today to reduce this duplication of effort immediately and perhaps to even drive it to zero within a few years. If we do that, the result will be peer-reviewed, high-quality genealogy information available to everyone.

For decades, the standard method of genealogy research has been to look at original records as well as compiled genealogies, looking for information about each ancestor, one fact at a time. In modern times, we typically have used IMAGES of the original records published on microfilm and, more recently, images that appear on our computer screens. We then supplement these original records with compiled genealogies from many sources, including printed books, online web sites, and even GEDCOM files online or on CD-ROM disks. Experienced genealogists also understand the importance of VERIFYING each piece of information, regardless of where it was obtained. Yes, even original hand-written records made at the time of an event may contain errors.

Compiling a genealogy typically requires hundreds of hours of work, sometimes thousands of hours, sometimes great expenditures of money, and, when original records have not been easily available locally, we often spend significant amounts of money on travel.

To be kind, I will simply say that the results have been variable. Some skilled and careful researchers have produced accurate and carefully documented genealogies. Other genealogists, typically those with less-than-perfect research skills or motivation, have produced compiled genealogies containing errors. A few have produced genealogies that I can only describe as "fairy tales."

The guidelines that we have all learned for years state that experienced genealogists must educate the newcomers in the proper methods of creating accurate and meaningful genealogies. We must teach every newcomer how to "do it the right way." My opinion is that this hasn't worked very well. I see as many errors being cranked out today as I saw years ago. In fact, due to the efficiencies of computers today, we can crank out more errors in a shorter period of time than ever before. I don't think the percentage of errors has changed much over the years, but the VOLUME of genealogies certainly has increased!

Today, we produce more garbage than ever before. I will suggest our efforts of "educating the masses" in proper research techniques have been a failure. Yet, I believe there is a better way.

The methods of researching haven't changed much over the years. Erroneous information gets published by well-meaning genealogists who try to do "the right thing" but unwittingly publish and perpetuate errors. Finding and correcting those errors is difficult and frequently never happens. Because the erroneous data becomes widely circulated while corrections rarely receive the same distribution, errors are perpetuated forever.

The remainder of this article is reserved for Plus Edition subscribers only. If you have a Plus Edition subscription, you may read the full article at: https://eogn.com/(*)-Plus-Edition-News-Articles/13230890.

If you are not yet a Plus Edition subscriber, you can learn more about such subscriptions and even upgrade to a Plus Edition subscription immediately at https://eogn.com/page-18077. 

The following announcement was written by the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG):

Elevate Your Genealogical Education to New Heights  SLIG Fall Virtual - September - November 2023  SLIG (Virtual) - January 22-26, 2024  SLIG Spring Virtual - February - April 2024

Registration for SLIG 2024 and SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 opens Tomorrow (22 July 2023) The Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy wishes to anounce that reigstration for SLIG 2024 and SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 starts tomorrow (22 July 2023). Registration for SLIG opens at 10:00 a.m. MDT Registration for SLIG Spring Virtual opens at 2:00 p.m. MDT. See the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions and details about course offerings below: SLIG Account If you don’t already have a SLIG account with our new registration system, please be sure to set up your account with your student information BEFORE registration opens on July 22.  You can set up your account at the SLIG registration page by clicking the link below.  You can find our registration guide here.   Access the SLIG Registration Page Here UGA Discounts If you find that your UGA discount of $50 has not been applied when you register, please go ahead and pay for your course. Then, email the SLIG Registrar at registrar@slig.ugagenealogy.org to let her know, and she will process a refund. Please note that you must be a UGA member at the time you register for your course. Payment Protection Our new registration vendor (not SLIG) offers a payment protection plan, which is designed to reimburse a student who cancels unexpectedly for health reasons. The cost is a small percentage of your total order (excluding merchandise). Once paid, the cost for this plan cannot be refunded. You can add the protection plan when you register or afterwards. If desired, you must actively select this plan to add it to your order. Anyone submitting a claim under this plan will work with the company who processes claims (and not SLIG). More information on this plan can be found at https://help.regpack.com/hc/en-us/articles/5834361647131-Registrant-FAQ and https://help.regpack.com/hc/en-us/articles/5834350130587. 2nd Course Requests for SLIG Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Some students are very interested in taking two courses during the SLIG Fall and Spring programs. The registration system will only permit a student to register for one course. Any request for a 2nd course must be made in writing to the SLIG Registrar at registrar@slig.ugagenealogy.org. The Registrar and Director will work together on approving these requests, and students may be contacted for further information. If approved, the SLIG Registrar will register the student for the 2nd course. Approvals will only be considered after a sufficient amount of time passes after registration day to enable all prospective students to register for a 1st course. Approvals are set up to ensure that students have a great SLIG experience in light of the extra time required by taking a 2nd course.  Registration Help Desk Sessions Our amazing tech support team, along with other SLIG committee members will be available at the help desk Saturday morning starting at 9:30 a.m. MDT. Details below. There is one session for SLIG and one for Spring. Topic: SLIG 2024 (Virtual) Registration Tech Support Time: Jul 22, 2023 09:30 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://slig-ugagenealogy-org.zoom.us/j/88665923243... --- Topic: SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Registration Tech Support Time: Jul 22, 2023 01:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://slig-ugagenealogy-org.zoom.us/j/86233697433... Course Offerings Read Full Descriptions for SLIG 2024 Courses Here New Addition for Spring Virtual 2024: Gothic Script and Fraktur: Reading Records of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic, plus German-American Church Books and Newspapers, coordinated by F. Warren Bittner, CG. Descriptions for SLIG Spring Virtual 2024 Courses Here Registration for Fall Virtual 2023 is Still Open Act now to reserve your seat in one of the following available courses: Course 1: Intermediate Foundations, coordinated by Annette Burke Lyttle, MA Course 2: Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, coordinated by Paul Woodbury, MEd, AG Course 3: Intermediate Evidence Analysis Practicum, coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA Course 4: Proving Your Pedigree with DNA, coordinated by Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG Course 5: Discovering Quaker Records - In the US and the British Isles,coordinated by Steven W. Morrison, MPA Course 7: Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum, coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie, CG, FUGA Read Full Descriptions for SLIG Fall Virtual 2023 Course Here Access the Registration System Here

Laura Kempton (pictured right), 23, was found dead in her Portsmouth apartment in 1981.

A four-decade-old murder has been solved with the help of genetic genealogy technology, New Hampshire officials announced Thursday.

It was early in the morning of Sept. 28, 1981, when the body of then-23-year-old Laura Kempton was discovered in her apartment in Portsmouth. She had entered alone after a night out with a friend.

The autopsy determined she died of massive trauma to the left side of her head.

The evidence revealed a male DNA profile, but authorities -- despite pursuing hundreds of leads and suspects -- were never able to identify the suspected killer. Until now

Beginning in 2022, authorities re-analyzed DNA samples from the crime scene using forensic genetic genealogy technology and, on Thursday, publicly identified the suspect as Ronney James Lee.

Lee, who was 21 at the time of the Kempton's death, died of acute cocaine intoxication at the age of 45 on Feb. 9, 2005. If he were still alive, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said he would have charged Lee with first-degree murder for knowingly causing her death in connection with sexual assault.

"It is my hope that this conclusion and announcement will be the long-awaited first step in providing what closure the criminal justice system can provide for Laura Kempton's family and community," Formella said. "The Portsmouth Police Department should be commended for its commitment and perseverance in seeking justice for Ms. Kempton and her family."

Formella said during a press briefing Thursday that the case has been officially closed and marked as solved, and noted the news may be "bittersweet" for Kempton's family.

The following is a press release from Letterform Archive:

Letterform Archive announces a significant addition to its trove of graphic design with the acquisition of over 26,000 uniquely colorful and innovative items from the Richard Sheaff ephemera collection.

The late 19th century and early 20th century saw rapid development in letterform and printing innovation. The first artists and printers to call themselves "designers" advertised their work during this period and the industrial revolution marked a peak of experimentation and extravagance in the trade. Printed ephemera flourished to meet the demands of expanding commerce and increasingly urban populations. Engravers, lithographers, and letterpress printers used a wide variety of opulent colors, lettering styles and typefaces, illustration techniques, and production methods to attract customers.

Richard Sheaff's personal collection of this material was one of the finest in private hands. Now, thanks in part to a generous donation from Sheaff, thousands of these items will find a home at Letterform Archive. The collection is particularly strong in nineteenth-century ephemera and includes advertising, calling cards, invoices, labels, packaging, postcards, and tickets. The collection also includes typographically rich material from the twentieth century, such as advertising, trade catalogs, car brochures, and Jim Flora-designed record sleeves.

"I am really delighted that this collection of pieces found individually over several decades will be made fully available to the public at the Letterform Archive," said Sheaff. "Every collector eventually must make a choice: Either put everything out on the open market so that other collectors have opportunities to build their own collections; or place it all in an institutional home. The danger with many institutional homes is that the public may have little or no access. Letterform Archive is dedicated to open access."

Letterform Archive provides access to its collection through in-person research visits, class and group tours, publications, exhibitions, and the Online Archive. The Archive is working to digitize a large portion of the Sheaff Collection. To date, more than 10,000 images of more than 7,000 items are photographed and will soon be added to the Online Archive.   

"Our goal is to inspire creative people by giving them hands-on access to material that isn't so common on the internet," said Rob Saunders, Letterform Archive founder and curator. "This was an exciting period for printing and letterform innovation, and it is increasingly a source of inspiration for today's designers. We can't think of a better curated grouping of these gems than Richard Sheaff's, and we're honored to be its steward and share it with our global community."

For more about the Richard Sheaff Ephemera Collection, visit lettarc.org/sheaff.

About Letterform Archive

Based in San Francisco, Letterform Archive is a nonprofit center for inspiration, education, and community. It preserves important artifacts in the history of letterforms and graphic design, and it strives to actively share them with the public. Since it opened to visitors in 2015, the collection has grown in size through the generosity of donors, and now includes over 100,000 items related to the letter arts. The Archive serves a global community through social media, publications, and the Online Archive, and offers a full-year postgraduate certificate program in type design as well as public workshops in calligraphy, lettering, and typography. Additionally, the Archive curates local and international exhibitions, organizes lectures, and hosts salons to showcase collections. Learn more at letterformarchive.org.

About Richard Sheaff

Richard Sheaff is a retired graphic and communications designer who worked with numerous corporate clients large and small, universities, book publishers, paper companies, non-profit organizations, and research think tanks. He also designed or art-directed over 500 U.S. postage stamps. Sheaff has collected ephemera and postal history, and written frequent articles with a particular interest in design and typography, especially Victorian. He served The Ephemera Society of America for a total of 18 years as a member of the Board, Vice-President and President, and has been a member of many design, printing, collecting, and philatelic organizations. Sheaff maintains an ephemera-related, non-commercial website at sheaff-ephemera.com.