Hi Keith
I don't know what happens with email addresses exactly. I know I've had only a little bit of spam, but of what there is, there is more than one appearance of names I've been involved with researching on Rootschat. I'm sure it's not from Rootschat.
I wonder about the actual mechanism, though I have all the protection I'm meant to. But when you look at the news today, someone breaks most e-security systems eventually.
I've also had experiences with old paintings, but not like you Keith, and it's given me another concern.
My family have been the sitters on occasions, but this ancestor - many generations back, was the painter/engraver - mostly copies.
A family tale - though documented in biographies, maintained that some of his work hung at Hampton Court Palace. I thought I would contact them and go into it, but while I was googling etc, I found that most works I was aware of were on current or old internet auction sites.
I was lucky that I got copies from them, and some are still on the National Portrait Gallery site., which I also copied and maybe one day I'll see them.
What occurs to me though, is that while we are happily under the impression that these treasures are safe gathering dust in some archive cellar somewhere, they are cheerfully walking out of the country, and if we are not aware of them now, we will never see them and nor will later generations.
I know they need funds, but at very least, it's worth thinking about, and especially if you have any arty or literary branches, it's worth googling occasionally and keeping copies.
I think I'm off to change my email address and passwords and double check all my updates! I'm glad you got a copy though!
Best wishes
Emms
