THE PROCESS

Our family history and corporate history projects are more than just laying a timeline out on paper. Our books use a detailed process from the initial book plan to research and personal interviews. We delve deep into your genealogical history while using both the written word and a compelling visual presentation.

Book Plan:
The first step in any personal or institutional history project is to define the parameters of your family, corporate, or institutional history book. After an initial consultation, we will create an outline, agree on a timeline, and define a plan to get the job done.  

Research:
We feel that if we are going to tell the story of your family or corporation or institution, we have to learn as much as we can before getting started. Our research strategy will be based on the outline and book plan generated after our first meeting.

For family history projects, we will start with an inventory and review of all the records, documents, photos, and correspondence that you currently have in your home, or that may be in the posession of relatives. Once we understand what you know, and what these materials tell us, we'll identify the questions we want to answer, and make a plan to learn more. It's not rocket science, just good old-fashioned hard work that gets the job done.

Corporate history projects tend to offer a more defined and organized research challenge. We will follow a similar pattern to the process described above, often with the assistance of a liaison team assigned to work with us, providing access to the required materials, and facilitating the interview process.
 

Personal Interviews:
The historical records we create exhibit a distinct style that features the voice and perspectives of the people who are part of the family, corporate, or institutional history in telling the tale.

After initial consultation, we work with the client to produce a list of interview subjects. Interviews are recorded in-person whenever possible, or by phone when necessary. These conversations provide the anecdotal color to wrap around the factual, research-based content in constructing your Bespoke History book.

Writing/Layout:
Our writers will combine the results of our research, personal interviews, and other material in a lively, engaging format that invites the reader into your family or corporate story. Quotes and anecdotes from the people who were part of the tale are woven together with plain-spoken but eloquent narrative text.

Our awarding-winning design team will create a custom art style for your book that will reflect your personal taste, or your company's image, and bring the story to life.

Genealogy:
For family history projects, multi-generation packages include a review of historical records for information on your family's ancestral background. We will gather birth, marriage, death, church, court, and property records to form a solid base from which to tell your family story.

Visual History:
We will gather and scan hundreds, sometimes thousands of photos, slides, and digital images to enhance your book's layout. Artifacts and memorabilia can be scanned or photographed to add to the visual element of your story. Our layout team makes extensive use of these images in combination with the written word to present a compelling visual presentation for your book.

Production:
Bespoke History has fully equipped in-house design and print production facilities. We produce fine-crafted hard-cover and soft-cover books from the unique, awe-inspiring creations of our layout team. Our books are printed with digital offset technology, and they exhibit high-quality standards in every detail. Many finishing options are available. Electronic files can be archived, and updated for future printings as needed.

  
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