Since 2001, Icelandic Canadian historian Nelson Gerrard has assisted during the summer months with genealogical inquiries and exhibit development at the Emigration Center.  Based at Eyrarbakki on Lake Winnipeg, a descendant of pioneers in New Iceland, Nelson specializes in recording the history of Icelandic emigrants in North America and solving family history mysteries.  His books include Icelandic River Saga and The Icelandic Heritage, and he is currently researching Gimlunga Saga, a 3-volume history of pioneers in the Gimli area. 

Early photography among the Icelanders in North America is also one of Nelson's specialties, including the dating and identification of photos from the settlement era (1870-1910).  In connection with the current exhibit Silent Flashes (Þögul Leiftur), which explores pioneer photography from this era, he is compiling a book by the same name. Visitors/correspondents are encouraged to bring along or send copies of old photos, both known and unknown.

During the summer of 2010, Nelson plans to be at Hofsós from mid- June to mid-July.  For those seeking information on family history and ancestral places in Iceland, advance contact (www.hofso@hofsos.is) is encouraged (though certainly not required), as many cases require careful investigation."