About the Bloggers

Audrey Amidon is a preservation specialist in the Motion Picture Preservation Lab, where she and her colleagues perform conservation and preservation work on motion picture records held across the National Archives. Before joining her lab family in 2006, Audrey worked with the Donald B. MacMillan film collection at the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College. When not at her inspection bench or in the dark rooms, Audrey can be found trolling the stacks in search of Arctic films or tracking down information about the earliest movie theaters in the mill towns of southern Maine.

Corbin Apkin is an archivist in the Cartographic Branch.

Aaron Arthur is an archivist with the Still Pictures Unit. Originally from Texas, Aaron holds a BA in History and Political Science and an MA in Political Science from Texas State University.

Ashley S. Behringer is an Archivist in the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch. She earned M.A. and M.L.S. degrees through the History and Library Science program at the University of Maryland, where she worked in Special Collections in Mass Media and Culture.

Kaitlyn Crain Enriquez is an archivist in the Still Picture Branch. Originally from California, Kaitlyn holds a B.A. in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Master of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University.

Ivy Donnell is a Preservation Specialist in the Motion Picture Preservation Lab. Ivy received a BS in Electronic Media and Film from Towson University and a MLIS in Archives and Digital Curation from the University of Maryland. Ivy has over a decade of experience in video and film production and preservation, with a special interest in experimental film and animation.

Amy Edwards is an archivist working in the Cartographic Branch. She began working at NARA in 2016 and very much enjoys interacting with researchers concerning old maps and drawings. She holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Tennessee, a BA in Anthropology from the University of Maryland, and an MA in Anthropology from The George Washington University. With a background that includes work as a field archaeologist, she is passionate about the past and preserving our nation’s history. Away from work, she enjoys playing with her cats, travel, kayaking, and sewing projects using vintage sewing machines.

Meghan Ryan Guthorn is a supervisory archivist in the Still Pictures Branch.

Heidi Holmstrom works in the Motion Picture Preservation Lab, which is responsible for performing conservation and preservation work on motion picture records held across the National Archives. Heidi completed her archival education at Western Washington University, earning a Master’s in History with a certificate in Archives and Records Management. She came to NARA in 2009. In her free time, Heidi is working on organizing and preserving her grandfather’s home movie collection.

Caitlin Hucik is an archivist in the Moving Image and Sound Branch. She began working at NARA in 2016. She received a BA in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh in 2009, and a MA in History from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Before working at NARA, she worked at several museums in Western Pennsylvania and served a 2 year term with Preserve WV AmeriCorps. She enjoys traveling, women’s history, and women’s soccer.

James Konicek is an archives specialist in the Moving Image and Sound branch. He began his career at the National Archives in textual research in 1989 and has worked in the motion picture research room since 1994. James has also worked as a freelance researcher.

Alex Lange is an archivist in the Still Picture Branch.

Sarah Lepianka is an Archives Specialist in the Still Picture Branch. Before joining NARA in 2018, she received her BA in History/Art History from Goucher College, and her MA in Public History from American University.

Ellen Mulligan is a supervisory archivist in the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch. She was previously an archivist in the Cartographic and Architectural Branch.

Brandi Oswald is a supervisory archivist with the Cartographic Branch. She began working at NARA in 2015. She holds a BA in History and Anthropology from Heidelberg University and a MA in Public History from West Virginia University.

Amanda Pritchard is an Archives Technician in the Cartographic Branch. She began working at NARA in 2016 as an Archives Technician in the Textual Research Room. Originally from Maryland, Amanda holds a BA in History from James Madison University and a MLIS with a focus in Archives, Preservation, and Records Management from the University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys reading, doing genealogy, and traveling.

Kevin Quinn is a Digital Imaging Specialist in the Still Picture Branch.  He received a BA in Social Studies Education from SUNY Cortland, and a MLIS from St. John’s University.

Katherine Stinson is an Archives Specialist in the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch.  She began working at NARA in 2017 in the Special Media research rooms.  She received a BA in History and Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington and a MLS in Library and Information Science from the Catholic University of America.

Carol Swain is a reference archivist with the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch. She began working at NARA in 2009 while studying for a MLS degree at Pratt Institute in New York. Her professional life prior to NARA included work in the video production field, and with the Public Broadcasting Service and C-SPAN. She received an undergraduate degree in Broadcasting and Film from Boston University’s College of Communication. A Massachusetts native and a life-long Red Sox fan, she looks forward to a Sox/Washington Nationals World Series in the (hopefully) not-too-distant future.

Billy Wade is a supervisory archivist within the Still Picture Branch.  He joined the unit in 2000 and specializes in the accessioning and processing of digital and analog photography and other graphic materials, including posters.

Jake Miller is an Archives Technician in the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch.  He began working at the National Archives in 2017.  He received a Bachelor of Science in History and Geography from Wayne State College in 2012 and received a Master of Arts in History from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016.

Kenneth Myers recently became a Preservation Technician in the Motion Picture Preservation Lab. Kenneth received a B.A. in Film/Video Art from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and an M.A. in Film Studies/Film Archiving from the University of East Anglia. He has also worked as an Archives Technician for the Motion Picture, Sound and Video branch of the National Archives for 23 years.

Former Contributors:

Kelsey Noel was a processing archivist in the Still Picture Branch. She began working at NARA in 2014, and cannot imagine ever working anywhere else. She has a BA in Historic Preservation and Museum Studies from the University of Mary Washington and an MSLIS, concentration in Cultural Heritage Information Management, from the Catholic University of America. When not blogging or processing, Kelsey can be found traveling and exploring (primarily in pursuit of new and delicious foods) with her husband.

Michael Bloomfield  was an archives technician with the Still Pictures Branch focusing on reference activities. He holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and a M.A. from the George Washington University.

Matthew Margis was an archives technician in the Still Picture Branch.  He holds a B.A. in History from Northern Illinois University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Rural, Agricultural, Technological, and Environmental History from Iowa State University.

Beth Fortson was an archivist in the Still Picture Branch from 2015-2020 and now works in the Electronic Records Accessioning Branch. She started her career at NARA in 2008

Randall Fortson joined the National Archives and Records Administration in 2001 and was a reference librarian with the Archives Library Information Center for ten years before becoming an archives specialist with the Cartographic and Architectural Records Branch at College Park, MD in 2011.  His areas of special interest include the antebellum and civil war periods of United States history. He is now a reference librarian at the United States Department of Navy Library.

Richard Green was an archivist with the Still Pictures Unit. He now works in the Appraisal office. He began working at NARA in 2011 while completing an undergraduate degree in History and Psychology from the University of Maryland. Richard later enrolled in the University of Maryland’s History and Library Science (HiLS) graduate program to earn his MLS and MA in History.

Laurel Macondray was an archivist with the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch. She began working at NARA in 2005 in the Still Pictures Branch and earned her MLS from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2007. She also worked in the Lifecycle Management Division before joining Motion Pictures in 2008. Laurel now works for the Special Access and FOIA Branch.

Gregory Tavormina was an archives technician within the Still Picture Branch and now works in the Textual Processing Division as an archivist. Before joining NARA in 2008, he earned his MLS and a Certificate in Archives, Records Management, and Preservation from Queens College, City University of New York. During that time he has processed manuscripts at the New-York Historical Society, developed the video archive for Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and volunteered at NARA’s Regional facility in New York City. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, photography, learning Italian, art projects, and researching genealogy.