Give a Hoot! Don’t Pollute: Earth Day with Woodsy Owl

Since 1970, every April 22nd is recognized as Earth Day. The day is set aside to promote environmental protection and teach the public how to better care for the planet. This year to celebrate Earth Day, we wanted to share a fun jingle from U.S. Forest Service environmental icon, Woodsy Owl. The song is taken … Continue reading Give a Hoot! Don’t Pollute: Earth Day with Woodsy Owl

James Reese Europe: America’s Jazz Ambassador

Today's post was written by Robert Nowatzki. Robert is an Archives Technician in Research Services at the National Archives at College Park. The musical career of American jazz bandleader, composer, and arranger James Reese Europe (1881-1919) was as influential and unique as it was tragically short. He played a leading role in introducing early jazz … Continue reading James Reese Europe: America’s Jazz Ambassador

Spotlight: 1950 Census Public Service Announcements

Still taken from 29-General-81, 1950 Census On April 1, 2022, the National Archives will release the 1950 Census population schedules online. By law, these records have been confidential for 72 years, but on April 1, the public will be able to access and search the census through a dedicated website. To mark this special occasion, … Continue reading Spotlight: 1950 Census Public Service Announcements

Carl Louis Gregory, Founder of Film Preservation at NARA

Before the National Archives held more than half a million reels of film, nearly 200,000 videos, and over 300,000 sound recordings originating from dozens of government agencies (and decades before the existence of the National Archives) Carl Louis Gregory was a motion picture cameraman dedicated to the evolution of the field. Staff identification card for … Continue reading Carl Louis Gregory, Founder of Film Preservation at NARA

Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers

This post was co-written with Katherine Stinson, an Archives Specialist in the National Archives (NARA) Moving Image and Sound Branch. One of the joys of archives is discovering a research subject you never even knew was missing from your life. The NARA Moving Image and Sound Branch and the Motion Picture Preservation Lab collaborated on … Continue reading Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers

The U.S. Forest Service Presents: Winter Olympics

Please Note: Primary source documents used in this post may contain harmful language. See NARA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Language. Are you in need of some winter sports action during the break between the Olympics and Paralympics? The U.S. Forest Service has the perfect film for you, aptly titled Winter Olympics. Winter Olympics documents the 1960 … Continue reading The U.S. Forest Service Presents: Winter Olympics

The Spirit of '76 (Air Force One) arriving at the Capital airport near Peking, China. President Nixon and Pat Nixon being greeted by Premier Chou En-Lai and other Chinese officials. A military band playing at the arrival ceremony.

Nixon in China: Audiovisual Records from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Today's post was written by Ryan Pettigrew. Ryan is an AV Archivist at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. On February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, a cadre of political advisors and administrative staff, as well as select members of the American press corps arrived in the People’s Republic of … Continue reading Nixon in China: Audiovisual Records from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Back to Work with Puppets: The Wonderful Night of Hercules Brown

This post was written by Criss Austin. Criss is the supervisor of the Motion Picture Preservation Lab. I think it’s safe to say that we all agree the last 21 months have been long and trying. During much of this time, NARA staff were working on projects at home which helped to serve our researchers' … Continue reading Back to Work with Puppets: The Wonderful Night of Hercules Brown

The Problem Solvers

Have you ever seen a dam or road or some other massive public works project and wondered who could be responsible for such a massive project? Chances are it was the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).  George Washington appointed the first army engineers on June 16th, 1775 and the Corps of Engineers was … Continue reading The Problem Solvers

Hitler’s Downfall, The Hidden Army

Still taken from 111-WF-25, The Hidden Army Sometimes films in our holdings stand out for their entertainment value in addition to their historical value, The Hidden Army is one such film. When I came across it looking for another item, it stood out because of the unique way it covers a common topic in propaganda … Continue reading Hitler’s Downfall, The Hidden Army