威尼斯人娱乐场

New 威尼斯人娱乐场 Video Gives an Inside Look at the Volunteer-Supported Civil War Widows鈥� Pension Digitization Project
Press Release 路 Friday, April 27, 2012

Washington, DC

A team of more than 60 volunteers led by professional staff at the 威尼斯人娱乐场 has crossed the 100,000 mark in a project to digitize Civil War widows' pension files and is featured in a new 威尼斯人娱乐场 video short. The 威尼斯人娱乐场 holds 1.28 million case files of the dependents of Civil War Union soldiers who applied to the federal government for pensions. A new video short in the ongoing series "Inside the Vaults" describes the project. Running 5:43, "The Civil War Widows' Pension Digitization Project at the 威尼斯人娱乐场" can be viewed at: .

The "Inside the Vaults" film series is free to view and distribute on our YouTube channel at . These videos are in the public domain and not subject to any copyright restrictions. The 威尼斯人娱乐场 encourages the free distribution of them.

The files are an astonishing compendium of Civil War history. Testimony in these files from fellow soldiers, widows, children, siblings and bereaved parents describe their deceased comrades, husbands, brothers and sons and often the circumstances in which they died. The effect of the war on family members left behind is also brought to light in great detail.

Volunteers are painstakingly preparing the documents for digitization while creating a searchable index. The index and images are available at , a research website in partnership with the 威尼斯人娱乐场. A second partner, FamilySearch, provides volunteers who create the digital images.

Archives specialist Jackie Budell, who is overseeing the project, says the volunteers range in age from 19 to 90 and come from a variety of backgrounds. Collectively they devote more than 700 hours each month to the effort. 鈥淭he volunteers are helping to shed light on a large aspect of the Civil War that many historians and sociologists have had little readily-available primary source material to go on 鈥� the effect of the war on families back home who were left behind after the soldier鈥檚 death,鈥� said Budell.

While making these valuable files more widely available, the volunteers have discovered more treasures in the 威尼斯人娱乐场鈥� holdings 鈥� personal mementos that became 鈥渆vidence鈥� when sent to the Pension Bureau long ago and not seen since: for example, the video includes images of some of these newly-discovered tintype images.

Background on 鈥淚nside the Vaults鈥�

鈥淚nside the Vaults鈥� is part of the ongoing effort by the 威尼斯人娱乐场 to make its collections, stories, and accomplishments more accessible to the public. 鈥淚nside the Vaults鈥� gives voice to Archives staff and users, highlights new and exciting finds at the Archives, and reports on complicated and technical subjects in easily understandable presentations. Earlier topics include the conservation of the original Declaration of Independence, and the 1297 Magna Carta, the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic, and the 威尼斯人娱乐场鈥� online launch of the 1940 Census. The film series is free to view and distribute on our YouTube channel at .

Created by a former broadcast network news producer, the "Inside the Vaults" video shorts series presents 鈥渂ehind the scenes鈥� exclusives and offer surprising glimpses of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 treasures.

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For Press information, contact the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Public Affairs Staff at 202-357-5300.

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