FHL Film number not given

Hi, Susan:

EE 6.25 provides a model for citing an 1850 census accessed through Ancestry. You'll also find a QuickCheck Model at p. 240. The problem, of course, is that Ancestry's source-data is confusingly presented, so let's dissect it.

The paragraph you quote does say that Ancestry's images of this film were reproduced by FamilySearch. Here, Ancestry is simply giving credit for a service provided.

The paragraph above that, on the Ancestry page you are viewing, gives us both a film publication number and a roll number. What this paragraph doesn't tell us is whose film publication number and roll number. You undoubtedly saw that and realized that it doesn't match the numbering pattern used by FHL.

The paragraph under the one you quoted, titled "Description," has a "Learn more" link. When we click that, we find this:

Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

In short:

The National Archives published the film. The Family History Library (now administered by FamilySearch) bought a copy of the NARA film many years ago; it stocked that film in its library with its own catalog number. FHL did not do a new filming of its own.  When Ancestry wanted to digitize the census, it did not go to NA and ask to use the originals all over again to create the images. It went to FHL/FamilySearch and worked out an agreement to digitize images of FHL's copy of NA's publication.

Therefore, the film ID that we cite as the source of the image is NA's film publication data. The catalog number under which FHL shelved the film is irrelevant.