Remembering Eckhardt & Haug Ancestors from New York City

Review by Bobbi King for Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, 3 Oct 2023: Right away, what's striking about this book is the abundance of pictures. Nearly every page has at least one type of illustration: sepia-toned family photographs, colorized postcard pictures, black and white snapshots, images of documents that are sharpened with contrast and easy to decipher, pictures of places and scenes; there is such a profusion of pictures that highlight the chronicle being told that the reader's interest is engaged even before the story gets looked at. In a well-produced book (which this is), having such crisp, readable text alongside the many expertly curated illustrations leaves the reader with a reading experience that is both pleasurable and meaningful. The story is about William and Anna Eckhardt, Edward and Louise Haug, and Eva (Haug) Lenning. These are the author's four grandparents and great-aunt Eva, whose family history writing served to preserve irreplaceable family history. A chapter is devoted to each of the five persons. Color-coded descendant charts help clarify the relationships; visual aids are always a welcome assist in keeping straight who belongs to whom. They were all longtime New Yorkers: the Eckhardts were in the garment industry and the Haugs were in business and active in community affairs. Their life stories reflect New York life in the twentieth century set amid mundane daily activities, political movements, epidemics, cultural changes, and the regular celebrations of marriages, births, and Sunday dinners. The family story envelops the times of New York City and the twentieth century. The author spent 12 years writing her book. Twelve years that leaves her family with a distinctively notable and rich family history that will occupy a special place on their family bookshelves for a long time to come. And the pictures are the best part of the book.