Genealogical Research in the Periodicals Department
What resources does the Periodicals Department own?
- Current and historical national newspapers in paper, on microfilm and in our databases;
- Historical Baltimore city newspapers on microfilm, searchable by title or by year;
- Historical local newspapers from around Maryland on microfilm, searchable by title, by county, or by city;
- Genealogy and history periodicals from across the United States.
While death notices and obituaries can be very useful in doing genealogical research, many people do not have a death notice published upon their demise, and even fewer have an obituary written. In recent decades, death notices in most newspapers are paid for by the decedent’s survivors, whereas obituaries are news stories.
When searching for a death notice or obituary, there are three pieces of information about the decedent needed before beginning the search:
- The name;
- The last known residence or place of death or burial; and
- The exact month, day, and year of death or burial
Remember that variations in the spelling of names are common. Another person with the same first and last name may have also died around the same time. In this case, a maiden name, middle name, or some background information on the decedent might be useful.
The decedent’s last known residence or place of death or burial will determine which newspaper is most likely to contain a death notice or obituary.
The Periodicals Department staff cannot search newspapers without an exact date of death or burial.
When the exact date of death or burial is not known, there are several helpful indexes and databases that can be searched for this information. The Ancestry Library Edition database is particularly helpful; it contains the Social Security Death Index, which provides the month and year of death.
You can also consult the Indexes to Deaths and Marriages in Maryland Newspapers, or, for deaths in the Baltimore area, Indexes to the Baltimore Sun and Evening Sun may be useful.
For deaths elsewhere, we have the following indexes available:
Obituary/Name Indexes
| Index |
Years |
Newspaper |
| The New York Times Obituaries Index (2 vols.) |
1858-1968
1969-1978 |
New York Times |
| Obituaries from the Times |
1961-1970
1971-1975
|
The Times (London) |
| Obituary Index 1988 |
1988 |
Atlanta Constitution
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
The Times (London)
Washington Post |
| Personal Name Index to the New York Times Index |
1851-2006 |
New York Times |
General Indexes
| Index |
Years |
Newspaper |
| The New York Times Index |
1851-Current |
New York Times |
| The Times Index |
1785-2006 |
The Times (London) |
| Virginia Gazette Index (2 vols.) |
1736-1780 |
Virginia Gazette |
| The (Official) Washington Post Index |
1971-1995 |
Washington Post |
Newspaper Databases
The Pratt Library also subscribes to several newspaper databases that may aid you in your research. All of these are freely accessible inside the library and its branches, or from outside the library with an Enoch Pratt Free Library card. The following databases provide access to older newspaper articles, many in full text:
| Database |
Years |
Newspaper |
| Historical Newspapers |
1893-1988 |
Afro-American |
| 1905-1975 |
Chicago Defender |
| 1849-1987 |
Chicago Tribune |
| 1908-1997 |
Christian Science Monitor |
| 1851-2007 |
New York Times |
| 1889-1993 |
Wall Street Journal |
| 1877-1994 |
Washington Post |
| National Newspapers |
Coverage from 1980s-present. Varies by title |
27 newspapers from around the country.Titles include the Atlanta Constitution, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and Denver Post, among others.
|
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The Periodicals Department also has many genealogical and historical journals that may be useful:
Genealogy
| Periodical |
Holdings |
| American Spirit (Daughters of the American Revolution) |
2001-Current
|
| The New England Historical and Genealogical Register |
1847-Current |
History
| Periodical |
Holdings |
| American Jewish History |
1978-Current
|
| Black History Bulletin |
2002-Current
|
| British Heritage |
1980-Current
|
| Carologue |
Win 2007-Spr 2010
|
| Delaware History |
1946-Current
|
Hispanic American Historical Review
|
1918-Current |
| Journal of African American History |
2002-Current
|
| Journal of Caribbean History |
1970-Current
|
| Journal of Negro History |
1916-2001; superceded by Journal of African American History
|
| Journal of Southern History |
1935-Current
|
North Carolina Historical Review
|
1924-2010
|
Northern Neck of Virginia Historical Magazine
|
1953-Current
|
Pennsylvania History
|
1934-Current
|
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
|
1877-Current
|
Virginia Magazine of History and Biography
|
1893-Current
|
Washington History
|
1989-Current
|
West Virginia History
|
1939-Current
|
William & Mary Quarterly
|
1944-Current
|
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Maryland and Baltimore historical journals are kept in the Maryland Department.
If you have any questions about how to get started or need help using these resources, please e-mail us, call (410) 396-5451, or contact us by mail:
Periodicals Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
