Four Stories Made for This Format
Built around a single central figure, the Ancestor Portrait goes straight to the heart of the story without compromising on historical rigor: every key fact is proven by an original record reproduced and explained alongside the narrative.
- The Immigrant Crossing (Ellis Island, New Orleans, Boston, Castle Garden). Starting from an American surname and approximate arrival window, we recover the original passenger manifest and naturalization file, identify the exact birth village in France, Italy, Ireland, Germany, or Eastern Europe, pull the birth act in the homeland archive, and reconstruct how your ancestor built a new life in America.
- A Grandfather’s WWI or WWII Military Journey. From a name, a serial number, a medal, or a single uniform portrait, we retrieve draft registration cards, muster rolls, and regimental war diaries (in US or European military archives) to trace his campaign week by week—just like the chapter dedicated to 21-year-old Édouard in The Grandfather’s Book.
- The Life of a Beloved Parent or Grandparent. From birth certificates and US Census sheets showing the childhood street where they grew up, to marriage records, career milestones, and the family photographs you entrust to us, the volume gathers everything their grandchildren will one day wish they had asked.
- The Story of a Family Homestead, Farm, or Business. Tracing a family house, farmstead, workshop, or neighborhood store through deeds, Sanborn fire insurance maps, city directories, and historical newspapers.
What the Ancestor Portrait Includes
| Feature | Ancestor Portrait ($590) | Lineage Edition ($1,690) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | One ancestor, military journey, or immigrant crossing | A couple or multi-generational lineage across centuries |
| Page Count | 28 to 40 custom-typeset pages | 45 to 70 custom-typeset pages |
| Archival Proofs Reproduced | 5 to 8 annotated original records | 12 to 20 annotated original records |
| Maps & Charts | Kinship chart, chronological timeline & 1 historical map | Full multi-branch lineage tree, timelines & custom maps |
| Hardcover & Digital Edition | 1 cloth-bound hardcover book + private PDF edition | 1 cloth-bound hardcover book (+ 2nd copy free for next 3 orders) + private PDF |
| Turnaround | 21 days from project sign-off | 30 days from project sign-off |
100% Upgrade Credit Toward a Full Lineage Edition
Many families commission an Ancestor Portrait first —for a birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas—and discover that reading the finished book sparks new questions about the wider family tree. If you decide within 12 months to expand the inquiry into a Lineage Edition, your initial $590 is deducted in full from the expanded commission.
Frequently Asked Questions
01What is the difference between the Ancestor Portrait ($590) and the Lineage Edition ($1,690)?
The Ancestor Portrait (28 to 40 pages, 5 to 8 annotated archival documents, 21-day target) focuses on one person or one defining chapter: an ancestor's arrival at Ellis Island, a grandfather's WWI or WWII service, or the life of a beloved grandmother. The Lineage Edition (45 to 70 pages, 12 to 20 annotated documents, 30-day target) traces a couple or an entire multi-generational lineage across centuries, like The Grandfather’s Book.
02Can we start with an Ancestor Portrait and expand it later?
Yes. It is designed for exactly that: if you commission an Ancestor Portrait first and decide within 12 months to expand the research into a full Lineage Edition covering the rest of the family, the full $590 of your first book is deducted from the second.
03Is it a true hardcover book?
Yes. It is crafted with the exact same custom cloth-bound hardcover binding, heavyweight archival paper, three rounds of family review, and private digital edition as our larger Lineage Edition.
04What is the ordering deadline for Thanksgiving or Christmas 2026?
Because its turnaround is 21 days after project sign-off, you can request a feasibility study through November 30, 2026 to receive the finished hardcover book before Christmas. After that date, we prepare a personalized Commissioning Certificate within 48 hours to present under the tree.