Documerica Photographer Spotlight: Erik Calonius

Today’s post is written by Larry Shockley, archives specialist in NARA’s Office of Innovation.  In 1972 a freelance photographer by the name of Erik Calonius was hired by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to capture photographs relating to EPA activities, environmental problems, and everyday American life in the 1970’s. Many of the photos that Calonius … Continue reading Documerica Photographer Spotlight: Erik Calonius

The Indian School for Practical Nursing

By: Kelsey Noel Several weeks ago, the Still Picture Branch received a particularly fascinating accession when a number of boxes arrived filled with records from the Indian Health Service. On any given day around here it is almost impossible not to encounter something fantastic and fascinating. Yet every now and then, something of particular interest … Continue reading The Indian School for Practical Nursing

Holiday Mail Call! A Package’s Path to You

It’s the time of year when fireplace mantles are filling up with holiday cards and brown-wrapped parcels are delivered to doorsteps. The packages, letters, and cards we drop into mail-slots across the country contribute to an annual crescendo in the activities of the United States Postal Service (USPS). In the 2015 holiday season, the USPS … Continue reading Holiday Mail Call! A Package’s Path to You

In Search of…Leonard Nimoy

A few months ago, I spent more time than usual with a film reference request. The film copy that came down for Clear Skies, Clean Air (1971) was 35/32mm, which meant that I had to make a print before I could run it on the film scanner. I listened to the soundtrack several times while … Continue reading In Search of…Leonard Nimoy

A Curious Alice Coloring Book

I still remember the coloring book I received after a man from the power company came to my school and showed us a cartoon about a cat that is repeatedly "zapped" when it makes bad decisions around electricity. Like visits from the fire department and McGruff the Crime Dog, coloring books are a staple of public safety education for children. Much … Continue reading A Curious Alice Coloring Book

Romancing the Vanpool: Energy Conservation on Film

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you already know that there are some amazing films at the National Archives and Records Administration (see: Curious Alice). One of my favorites is No Fuelin’, We’re Poolin’: An Altogether Way of Getting to Work. Aside from having one of the best titles of any government … Continue reading Romancing the Vanpool: Energy Conservation on Film

A Superfly Shambles: Weekend with a Superman

Sometimes we come across government films that are so well-produced and visually appealing that it stands to reason that they must also have an effective message. Sometimes that's just not the case. Curious Alice is one such film. Weekend with a Superman is another. http://youtu.be/OBaZNBxIlHk Produced in 1975, “Weekend with a Superman” was part of the Army’s … Continue reading A Superfly Shambles: Weekend with a Superman

The Women’s Army Corps Requests “The Pleasure of Your Company”

The Navy film How to Succeed with Brunettes teaches male officers how to behave like gentlemen, but what were the military’s expectations for the many female recruits? Once again, staff in NARA’s Motion Picture Preservation Lab and Special Media’s Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch were able to find the answer in the large accession … Continue reading The Women’s Army Corps Requests “The Pleasure of Your Company”