No Image Available – Maybe There is One – Part 2!

I wrote a blog post in February, “No Image Available? Maybe There is One!”  In it, I described searching on FamilySearch and coming with a hit on an index record, complete with the dreaded “No image available” message.  I outline a workaround where sometimes you can find the image on FamilySearch.
 
A similar situation sometimes happens with an Ancestry.com search.  I recently found a result on Ancestry for an 1885 Iowa census record. 

​In my search for John Goodall, I got this screen on Ancestry.  Note the “No Image – Text-only Collection” notation on the top left.    But near to the bottom are two important notations – “Family History Film: 1021457” and a few lines above that “Page Number: 363.”  Let’s see what I can find on FamilySearch!
 
On familysearch.org/catalog/search, I typed the film number in the box labeled “Film/Fiche Number” and clicked “Search.”

​I got one result.

​When I clicked on “State census, 1885” I got a couple of options.

​Where it says “Records of Iowa State Census, 1885 are available online, click here” I clicked and entered John Goodall and Crawford in the name and residence boxes.  My first hit looked like the one I was looking for:

​When I clicked on the document  icon, I get a transcription of the record, a source citation, and a link to the census image.  

​Here's the image

​In this case, FamilySearch had the “Records of Iowa State Census, 1885 are available online, click here” button, which took me to a search page.   If they hadn’t had that direct link, I could have scrolled further down the “State Census, 1885” page until I got to film number 1021457.

Again, with the magnifying glass image, I was able to search the film, but even without the search capability, the presence of the camera icon is a clue that I can browse the records.  I’ll be linked to the correct film and will just need to poke around until I find page 363.

Note that sometimes when you click on the camera icon, you’ll get a message that the records are only available for viewing at a Family History center.  It all depends on the agreement that FamilySearch has with the agency who owns the records.  I like to save these searches up, and monthly or so make a trip to my local Family History Center and look at all the images I can’t get from home.

But remember, when you’re searching on Ancestry and they won’t show you the record image, if you see a reference to a “Family History Film” follow my steps and see if you can find the image on FamilySearch.  For free, even! Score!!!