A Memorial Day Salute and a Web Reunion

About a year ago I started creating short videos of photo cases I’ve worked on and began posting them on Vimeo.com. Last week I featured a photo from Valerie Moran. It’s a lovely summer scene and the flags in it provided a valuable clue. Hope you enjoy it! A New York production company created the 3-D effect.

After years of writing about other folks online reunions, I now have one to brag about concerning one of my husband’s relatives: A Facebook friend, Meryn Cadell, sent me an e-mail last week. I’ve included the links in this quote.

“I was just browsing the website of the ACE hotel in New York, and came across a lovely postcard, sent from the Hotel Breslin in 1908 to a little boy in Newton, Mass. named Gilbert McNamara. I wondered who he might be, and did a little searching, coming across your lovely story about the table that belonged to your husband’s grandmother as well as a Gilbert McNamara, quite likely the same one, as the year and location seem appropriate.”

When I saw this email and the postcard, I couldn’t believe it! I immediately picked up the phone and called my mother-in-law. She confirmed that the Gilbert in the postcard was indeed the right person. Now it’s a family history mystery in three parts:

• How did the postcard end up on the web?
• What was Mother McNamara doing in New York in December 1909?
• Who was watching Gil?

Ah..the power of the web to connect folks and information. Wow! Thank you Meryn.