How do I find an image in an unindexed collection in Historical Records?

Article Id: 1595
March 27, 2023

On the list of all published historical records collections, some collections show as "Browse Images." Browse Images collections are unindexed. The images are available for you to view.

The images are grouped to make it easier to search. The groupings are called browse points or waypoints. You can browse through these images to see if the collection contains the record that you want.

Steps (website)

  1. Sign in to FamilySearch.org. 
  2. At the top of the page, click Search. 
  3. Click Records.
  4. Scroll down to Find a Collection.
  5. Click Browse all collections.
  6. Find a collection that says "Browse Images" in the Records column.
  7. Click Browse Images.
  8. The next screen shows a first-level grouping of the records. Click a link to continue. Collections can have multiple groupings to navigate before you see the images. 
  9. Use the viewer tools as you browse the images:
    • To move image by image through the collection, in the upper left portion of the image screen, use the arrows.
    • In the box between the arrows, enter a number to jump to a specific image number.
    • To change between smaller images (thumbnails) and full images, on the far left of the image, click the icon directly below the minus sign. 
    • To make an image larger, in the thumbnail view, double-click the image.

Steps (mobile app)

On a small screen, turn the device to landscape mode so you can see the Browse Images designation.

  1. Open the FamilySearch Family Tree mobile app. 
  2. Open the menu. 
    • Apple iOS: Tap More in the bottom-right corner of the screen. 
    • Android: Tap the three bars in the top-left corner of the screen. 
  3. Tap Search Historical Records. 
  4. Tap Browse all collections.
  5. In the Records column, tap Browse Images.
  6. Continue the same as for the website. 

Find a specific image—tips

  • Look for a table of contents in the first few images. Check for an index at the end of the film. 
  • If the film has multiple items, use the thumbnail view to look for the leading image for each item. 
  • Some films consist of images of books (such as marriage registers). From the thumbnail view, you can usually see when a new book begins. Use the book titles to find the portion of the film of interest.
  • To determine the order of the images, look at the first few. For instance, they could be in alphabetical order by name. Or they could be in chronological order.
  • Make your best guess as to where to find the image you want. Here is an example:
    • The digitized film has marriage records. The 1,874 images are chronological and cover from 1840–1898. 
    • Your ancestor married in 1870 (about half way 1840 and 1898). 
    • Try moving to image 937. How close are you to the date you need?
    • Move forward or back in chunks until you get close to the date. Then use the arrows to go image by image until you find the specific record of interest.

Why are some catalog films unindexed?
Can I use an unindexed image as a source in Family Tree?
How do I get started in Explore Historical Images?
Getting the Most from Your Search: Understanding the Search Records Page
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