The World Series gets underway this week as the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Regardless which home team you root for during the regular season, anyone who enjoys history should enjoy the series between these two iconic baseball teams. They’ve played each other twelve times for the baseball world championship, beginning in 1941, … Continue reading Spotlight-1955 World Series: Dodgers and Yankees
Sinking of the SS [President] Coolidge. October 26, 1942. Local ID: 80-G-36993 This October 26, 2024 marks the 82nd anniversary of the sinking of the SS President Coolidge. On October 26, 1942, the ship attempted to enter the harbor of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. However, as the ship entered the largest channel, it struck an American … Continue reading The Sinking of the SS President Coolidge
Still is taken from Universal Newsreel Volume 7, Release 406. “Thirty women pilots have groomed their ships for a wholesale assault today and tomorrow on man’s supremacy in the air.” This quote is taken from a newspaper clipping from the production file for Universal Newsreel volume 7, release 406. Since the early years of aviation, … Continue reading Girl Aces Hold Own Air Show: Universal Newsreel and the 1935 Women’s Championship Air Show
Over the course of 78 years, more than 500 million people have seen the Blue Angels perform at air shows around the world and have witnessed the power and grace of some of the US Navy’s aircraft. The vision to establish a Naval flight exhibition team came in 1946 from the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz, with hopes of boosting Navy morale and demonstrating Naval air superiority. Within a year, the team began flying its famous diamond formation that is still used to this day.
The mini-subs, manned torpedoes, and other vessels depicted in the 1945 film German and Italian Sneak Craft (local identifier 80-MN-5132) did not make much of a difference in the course of World War II. In fact, the film features many failed experimental designs - and suggests that the operators of some of these vessels were … Continue reading Stealth Subs and Devious Divers of WWII
The Detroit Industry Murals were commissioned by Detroit Institute of Arts director William Valentiner and funded by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford and heir to the Ford Motor Company. The creation of these murals was filmed by the Moving Picture Department of the Ford Company from 1932-33. 11,512 feet of edited and unedited footage … Continue reading Documenting the Detroit Industry Murals
As the summer winds down and we brace ourselves for a transition to cooler (albeit still humid) weather, we would like to say goodbye and good riddance to a constant presence in most outdoor summer plans: the mosquito. August 20th is designated as World Mosquito Day, which commemorates the discovery that mosquitoes were the main culprits of transmitting malaria to humans. What an exciting event to celebrate!
Mary Pickford Departure, Union Station, Los Angeles, March 23, 1953. Local Identifier Number: 56-MP-12 Mary Pickford—born in Canada as Gladys Louise Smith—started her career in the American film industry at the turn of the century. As she rose to fame, she became known as “America’s Sweetheart” through her work in silent films. She was one … Continue reading Mary Pickford’s 1953 Savings Bond Tour
"Only You Can Prevent Wildfires" a wise bear once said. In 1944 Smokey Bear was introduced to the world by the US Forest Service in a campaign to help prevent wildfires throughout the United States. While he is known today by his "Only You" phrase, his slogan started as "Smokey Says – Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires."
Chicago has changed a lot since it was incorporated as a city in 1837. Back then, it was home to just over 4,000 residents, compared to the 2,746,388 counted in the 2020 Census with over 9 million in the metro area. Let’s take a look back at Chicago as it was captured on celluloid both … Continue reading A Brief Visit to Chicago
