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This weekend's challenge involves a postcard sent to a Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Godwin in Princeton, Texas from a "Newt" who happened to be passing through Burbank, California in 1953. And we'll be using every genealogy and family history online research technique we can think of to solve this 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge!

How did they know each other? Who was Newt? What was his last name? What was the "Port of Hollywood" that he saw? Who were his parents, siblings, etc.? What did he do for a living? Achievements in life? What was his story? 

And how did he know the Godwin couple in Princeton, Texas? Who were they? Did they have any children? Who were their parents, siblings, etc.? What was their story, and how did it merge with Newt's story? And what was going on in the world in 1953? What was life like then?

And do any of them have any living descendants who we can return this postcard to?

Can the Ephemera Whisperers put Newt and Mr. and Mrs. B.C. Godwin from 1953 back into history where they belong? Can we find their family stories? Can you help and be an Ephemera Whisperer and coax the story from this postcard? 

In 48 Hours?

You've just been challenged! Good luck!


Come join us in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum this weekend to watch, learn, and be challenged! Put those genealogy and family history research skills to good use and learn some new techniques for your own research. Please do not post any research or help here on this blog in the comments. All research and help should be shared in the private forum to protect the privacy of any living individuals. Thank you! 

~Caroline

I've made a few changes with the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge. Previously, we've concentrated on finding the story behind a piece of ephemera, researching everything and everyone even remotely related to any clue on the piece.

And that's not going to change.

However, because it was a public forum and indexed by Google, the Ephemera Whisperers refrained from discussing any research done on living individuals related to the pieces of ephemera. The idea was that it's indexed on Google so if descendants are searching on Google, they might find the ephemera and contact me if they wanted it back. And that's happened several times now which is a very awesome experience to be able to do for a family.

And I'd like to be able to do more of it. 

Reunite researched pieces of ephemera with the family it once {and in mind still} belongs to, that is.

So, I've made the 48 Hour Ephemera forum private. I think this will help us out in 2 ways. While actively searching for the story or stories behind the ephemera piece we also will be searching for living descendants. At that point, I will contact the family and let them know about our Ephemera Rescue in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge, and see if they'd like the piece back. And then send it to them.

I also think it will help those Ephemera Whisperers who are a bit self-conscious about researching or searching in front of the whole wide world, so to speak, to be more comfortable in joining in on the challenge.

Now, can you still lurk in the forum and just watch? 
Yes. You just have to join as a member for free and after I approve your request, you may be an Ephemera Whisperer with us or just watch to get ideas on online research and search methodologies. {No 2 researchers tackle the same research problem in the same exact way.} You just have to promise to not reveal any information on living individuals, or contact them. {I'll do that.} If you do, rest assured, that'll be the fastest way to be kicked out of the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge. {Don't make me do that, please.}

What's this week's 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge?
This weekend's challenge involves a Frank Smith. I know. {groan} A SMITH! But? While in Athens, Georgia, he sent a postcard to a Mr. J.D. Henson in East Lake, Alabama in 1907.

Which begs the question, "How did Frank know J.D.?"

And that's part of the challenge this weekend in the forum. Along with trying to figure out how they knew each other, we'll try to figure out who else they knew, who they were related to, what they did for a living, where else they had lived in their lifetimes, what their passions were, what flavor of ice cream they preferred, etc. 

Gotcha. {Not really because if you can figure that out? Bonus points for you! Hey, some of those newspapers covered lots of little details in their articles.} Basically, we're going to try and uncover as much info as we can online in 48 hours.

And another part of the challenge will be to find living descendants of the previous owners of the postcard so that it can be returned. And then every Monday, I'll have a blog post for y'all with a summary of what we found out in the forum for those who don't want to join us in the forum. Also, that way Google will index the information and living descendants who are looking can contact me through my blog.

So. Can the Ephemera Whisperers put Frank Smith and J.D. Henson from 1907 Alabama back into history where they belong? Can we find their family stories? Can you help and be an Ephemera Whisperer and coax the story from this postcard? 

In 48 Hours?

You've just been challenged! Good luck!

Join us in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum this weekend!

~Caroline

Wait. What is the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge?
The 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge is a forum of researchers from, at times, around the world who gather online together to find the story, or stories, behind a piece of ephemera within 48 hours using their experience, expertise, problem-solving skills, and online resources. Each weekend the forum is challenged to place the people mentioned in the ephemera back into history where they belong in hopes of returning the ephemera back to the family where it belongs. 

Therefore, as Ephemera Whisperers, we are very honored and excited to be invited to the National Genealogical Society's 2013 Conference, Building New Bridges, as that is exactly what we try to do -- help families build a bridge to their own personal history with ephemera. 

There will be three 48 Hour Ephemera Challenges the week of the conference, and they will be hosted in the Internet Cafe which is being graciously provided by the National Genealogical Society, FamilySearch, and findmypast.com for all conference-goers to use throughout the conference. All those attending the conference as well as people at home are welcome to join the challenge as we collaborate online to solve each challenge. 

All three challenges will either be Las Vegas-related or Nevada-related with the first one beginning Tuesday evening, the second one beginning Wednesday evening, and the third one beginning Thursday evening. Each challenge will last for 48 hours with the last one ending on Saturday. 

With your help, can the Ephemera Whisperers put these people back into history where they belong -- in 48 hours? There is only one way to find out, and you have just been challenged!

For more information, please visit the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum or Contact Me.

~Caroline

What is the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge?
Well, you see, I have this problem. I am attracted to antique stores and antique malls. When I walk through them I can't helped but be pulled by each piece's history. The what ifs...the I wonders...consume me.

I am especially drawn to ephemera...those letters, postcards, those photos, those books, etc., that were never meant to last forever, but against all odds they've managed to survive giving me a glimpse of yesteryear...of days gone by...of people's lives and stories. And when I find ephemera that has identification of some kind on it, I buy it.

Then I research it. Well, I used to research it by myself, but now I research it with other people for fun, for practice, and for discovery. I created the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge forum so that interested researchers could take a break on their own research and tackle a fresh problem with their own talents and skills and with other researchers' talent and skills through collaboration. It's always interesting to see how others research...their go-to online resources...their workflow. I think I learn at least one new thing from someone else with every challenge. And somehow those new skills are catalogued in the vastness of my brain and pop up again when I need them in my own research endeavors.

And? Those who don't want to research it publicly can just watch for purely entertainment reasons or watch for educational purposes. It can be very fun and enlightening to see a family story {or stories} unfold in front of your eyes in real time.

And the best part? I mean, the very best part? The forum and all the research is completely Google searchable. This means that if a family member is searching Google, the collaborative work we do in the forum can be found. If they contact me {and, believe me, they do}, then I mail the ephemera piece(s) back to them.

We are Ephemera Whisperers and using our research skills we coax the family stories from these long-forgotten pieces of family histories in hopes of the piece being returned to the family where it belongs.

We took a break, but now we are back. This Friday {tomorrow}, April 6th, 2013, sometime in the afternoon the new Ephemera piece will be posted, and it's not a small piece either...a Red Velvet Victorian Album once owned by a woman from Ottawa County, Ohio, and it's full of photos - some identified and some not. And it has this typewritten message on a separate piece of paper just full of clues. The photos and paper indicate several families. How are they all related? How did they know each other? What is their story? Where did everyone come from? What did everybody do for a living? Can we make a guess as to the identifications of the 4 tintypes that are in the album? Can we tell their story?

Can the Ephemera Whisperers put these families back into history where they belong? In 48 hours?

There's only one way to find out. Will you join us this weekend and help us discover the family stories behind this Victorian album? Will you be an Ephemera Whisperer?

The Victorian Album Case will be posted tomorrow afternoon in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum.

~Caroline

Update: The challenge has now been posted in the forum. Good luck! =)

I hope after a couple of weeks' rest, y'all are rested up for the next 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge!

It's definitely going to be challenge. Take a look at the quick intro video about it: 

Joined us before? Come on back!

Haven't joined us before? Then please do! [What a perfect way to start ~ with a murder.]

Mr. Charles O. Kaiser, Jr  supposedly married Emma P. Then supposedly killed her. [This newspaper article doesn't paint him in a favorable light.]

He had some kind of questionable relationship with this one guy. They definitely had a history.

And then this guy knew this other woman who wasn't exactly honest. And she definitely had a history with this one guy.

And you are definitely going to need to bring your A-Game to this 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge. [Are you good with newspaper research? Then this challenge was made for you.]

Can we find where they came from? Who they were related to? Whatever happened to them? 

Can we find their stories? Can we put these characters ~ these people ~ back into history where they belong? 

In 48 hours?

There's only one way to find out. And good luck! =)

The 'Charles O. Kaiser, Jr. put on trial' challenge is now posted in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum!

~Caroline

It's Friday again, and you know what that means, right? The 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge! This week I have a photo of a young girl named Emilia Kebe. I bought this photo in an antique store in Gruene, Texas [pronounced like Green cuz, um, it's German for green. =) ] I've no idea how a photo from Guadalajara, Mexico ended up in an antique store in the itty bitty town of Gruene, Texas.

Who was Emilia Kebe? Was she from Guadalajara? Did she ever come to America? And if so, when? Who were her parents? Did she have siblings? Did she ever marry? Have kids? Did she ever work outside the home? What is Emilia Kebe's family story?

Can we find Emilia Kebe's family story...

...in 48 hours?

We won't know unless we try.

And? You've just been challenged!


Join us this weekend in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum as we attempt to place Emilia Kebe back into history where she belongs. No, you don't have to know everything about genealogy to help. And you can watch, help, whatever you like. =)

~Caroline

This Week's 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge

Who were Mr. and Mrs. George Koehler and their son Earle? Whatever became of them after this photo was taken? What happened to them before this photo was taken? Did Earle marry? What was George's occupation?  What was Mrs. George Koehler's name? Can we find their stories? Can we put them back into history where they belong?

In 48 hours?

There's only one way to find out.

Come join us in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum this weekend. No experience necessary. Watch, participate, whatever...

And? You've just been ephemerally challenged.

~Caroline

This weekend? We're diggin' up bones.

Here are 3 scans for this week's challenge of a copy of Lord Tennyson's Enoch Arden. Who was Mrs. Lyle Bones and Libbie F. Ward? How did they know each other? What was Mrs. Lyle Bones' first and maiden name? Who were their families? Were they related?

Can we do it? Can we dig up their stories in the next 48 hours?

There's only one way to find out.

Y'all ready to find some family stories? You've been challenged. ;)

Join us in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum!

~Caroline

Yes. Brown. And? He's John Brown. *snort* And she's Harriet.

Who were these folks? Were they born in Ohio? If not, where'd they come from? Who were their families? What is their family story? Can we put them back into history where they belong?

So many questions.

48 hours to answer them.

Can we do it? There's only one way to find out...

Join us this weekend in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum. Watch. Participate. Whichever you prefer.

~Caroline

The Lucky Winner is...
Mr. E.D. Seeley is the lucky winner this weekend of the privilege of the attempt of being placed back into history. That's right. Researchers will be tirelessly researching the photo of the man with a long, long beard to uncover his family story in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum this weekend.

The Wha-?
The 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge is a forum that my 14yo daughter thought of and named. [She's brilliant, yes?] Then I created it in a forum format so that researchers can have a little weekend fun researching a piece of ephemera from my ever-growing private collection. [Lest ye judge, fun can be individually defined. And? I could've been collecting Beanie Babies. Remember that. ;) ] Eventually, the challenge will include other researchers' ephemera pieces.

The public forum is completely searchable by Google so that others can find the pieces and the info that has been found on them. Additionally, being public, the forum can be viewed by anyone. However, if you'd like to join in the search and post results, you must join for FREE.

Will you be joining us this weekend in the 48 Hour Ephemera Challenge Forum? All lurkers and voyeurs are welcome. All help will be very much welcomed and appreciated.


Will we be able to find out who Mr. E.D. Seeley was, what his story is, and where he belongs in history?

~Caroline