Missing DGS film number, associated with United States Census, 1840

LegacyUser

Michael Carson said: Looking for an individual in 1840 U. S. census in St. Joseph, Indiana. When I search the Collection, I can find an individual and see, from the index record, the film number, GS: 0007730, DGS: 005154520.

When I search the Catalog for the above DGS number, I am pointed to 2 locations, neither of which contain the digitized film 5154520 (although they do contain film GS: 7730 with DGS: 4410616).

The two 2 films, 4410616 and 5154520, appear to be 2 copies of the same content (total number of images are different). The big difference is that 4410616 is unindexed while 5154520 is indexed.

Film 5154520 cannot be found in the Catalog.

LegacyUser

MaureenE said: I don't know whether the following URL is stable, but the DGS number is stated to be Film # 005154520

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/619...

I agree Film 5154520 cannot be found in the Catalog, the only references are to 4410616
https://www.familysearch.org/search/c...
https://www.familysearch.org/search/c...

LegacyUser

Tom Huber said: First, welcome to the community-powered public feedback forum for FamilySearch. FamilySearch personnel read every discussion thread and may or may not respond as their time permits. We all share an active interest in using the resources of this site and as users, we have various levels of knowledge and experience and do our best to help each other with concerns, issues, and/or questions.

The GDS # does not refer to a film. It refers to a set of digitized images, which may have been digitized from a film, or was captured using a digital camera from original records.

In a significant number of instances, the same records were filmed more than once. Camera and processing technology had improved to such an extent that original records are often rendered more accurately with the newer technology. Film 7730 is a very low film number and was created when commercial microfilm technology was still quite new. Filming by what would become FamilySearch began in 1938.

The original film stock, even ideally stored in a climate controlled environment, would have become very difficult to handle.

LegacyUser

Tom Huber said: From the Wikipedia article

When the Genealogical Society of Utah began acquiring records digitally these images were assigned numbers in the 4,000,000 range. In 2014 new digital acquisitions were assigned numbers in 10,000,000 range. These are generally referred to as "DGS" (Digital Genealogical Society) numbers.

As existing microfilms were scanned they were assigned numbers in the 4,000,000 range and later in the 7,000,000 range. Current acquisitions are now in 10,000,000 range.

-- https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/...

LegacyUser

Tom Huber said: Up until 1850, only the name of the head of each household was listed in United States Federal Census enumerations.

Using the pre-1850 census enumerations can be a little tricky.

If a person was still a child, they would not be found in the census as a child, except as a tick mark in an age range for that household.