Researching the Past

Research is a big part of any author’s life, but even more so for those of us who write historical fiction. Today, it’s even easier to do this research. You can sit in your office in your pajamas and read newspapers from the 1800’s, or search through out-of-print books at the coffeeshop.

One good place to get started is THIS website – a guide to using primary research sources from the Reference and User Services Association. They also provide a list of some research sites.

Here are some more good resources to check out:

• Archive Grid – a catalog of more than 2 million primary and secondary source materials from institutions around the world, from Yale to the Netherlands’ Bibliotheek Universiteit Leiden -and it’s searchable by keyword. Not all of the material is openly accessible, but the massive amount of valuable information stored here makes it worth the trouble.
• David Rumsey Map Collection – more than 48,000 historical maps and images. Although most of the rare 18th and 19th century maps are from North America, you can find Europe, Asia, and Africa as well.
• Feeding America: The Historical American Cookbook Project – a really fun database of full-text, searchable transcriptions of cookbooks dating as far back as the 1700’s. It also includes a glossary of historic cooking terms and images of old cooking utensils.
• Food Timeline – lists of food prices dating back to the 1600’s – mostly American, but there are some global prices given.
• Google Books – more than 30 million digitally scanned books, most of which are no longer in print.
• Newspaper Archive – a collection of newspapers dating back to 1607. This requires a subscription, but it’s worth it if you’re doing serious research
• New York Public Library Digital Collections – more than 800,000 images, including historical maps and photographs, manuscripts, vintage posters and rare prints.

What are your favorite research sites?