The Harburg Bible

Yesterday was an awesome day out visiting the National Archives, both as researcher and as tourist, and meeting with experts at the Smithsonian to learn about conservation/preservation of the family bible I recently acquired.  This bible was sent to my great grandmother Marie Bierdümpfel Jurgens from Germany after she had migrated to America.

German Bible from 1575

More images of the bible can be found at http://www.jordanclan.org/family_tree/Research/bible.html

The short answer - find a local book conservator (http://www.conservation-us.org/) and commission them to build a box specifically to store the book. For this particular book, given that it appears to still be in its original binding and in good shape for its age, I was advised not to try to get it restored, but to protect it as is. Although several pages at the front and back have had attempts at repair in the past, at this point those attempts are also historical. History within history! :)

Reviewing Family Documents and Heirlooms

More genealogy wonders - I have been looking through the treasure trove of documents and pictures provided by my aunt (my mother's sister) on Saturday, which includes my great-grandfather William Jurgen's US naturalization certificate and Masonic tie pins and clips, and a necklace pendant of my great-grandmother Marie Bierdümpfel's family (supposed) arms. 

Pendant of Bierdümpfel Arms

More details on the crest can be found at http://jordanclan.org/family_tree/Research/bierdumpfel_crest.html

Names written on the backs of pictures confirm info I discovered online, which means I made good guesses!  Whether the Johann von Bierdümpfel who earned these arms has any relation to my Bierdümpfel family is another question, however.  My great-grandmother had these pendants made for her two children, my grandfather and great aunt, so they are not long-time family heirlooms.

And now that I have my great-grandfather's naturalization certificate, I can request the rest of his papers using the naturalization date and the name they were filed under: Heinrich William Otto Jurgens.  The requests for William Jurgens have not yielded results - now I think I know why.  :)