This post was co-written by Amy Edwards and Beth Fortson. In this installment of the Summer Road Trip series, we make our way to the desert where we find ourselves at the lowest point in North America, and later, staring at the tallest mountains in southern California. Join us as we explore Death Valley National … Continue reading Summer Road Trip 2019: Ambling Through the California Desert
Beef up your knowledge of polar exploration by taking a look at these trading cards from Hassan Cork Tip Cigarettes found in the Brainard Collection of Arctic Exploration, DLB-AA. The set of 49 cards depicts portraits of explorers, scenes of Inuit life, expedition ships, and scenic landscape views. The reverse side of the cards provides biographical … Continue reading Polar Pack: Your Favorite Arctic Explorers in Trading Card Form
This past Sunday marked the 81st observance of Gold Star Mother’s Day in the United States. On June 23, 1936, a joint congressional resolution was passed that designated the last Sunday in September as Gold Star Mother’s Day - a day to honor, support, and show gratitude to Gold Star Mothers and their families. Today, … Continue reading Spotlight: The Pilgrimages of Gold Star Mothers and Widows
This week’s post highlights photographs from RG 30, Records of the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR). These images come from series 30-RW and depict the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway from the clearing of land to paving. The series begins with images from 1931 depicting the construction of Skyline Drive, a scenic road that connects to the … Continue reading Spotlight: Construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Previously we shared a blog post about counterfeiters and briefly mentioned how the artistic gifts of some were used to counterfeit money. This installment will discuss the creation of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and how currency was legitimately made in 1914. In 1914, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s (BEP) operations moved to … Continue reading Engraving, Inking, Trimming: The Production of Paper Currency in 1914
Last year marked the sesquicentennial of the establishment of the United States Secret Service, the federal law enforcement agency assigned to protect the nation’s highest elected leaders and investigate and prevent counterfeiting activities. However, when the agency was formed on July 5, 1865, their mission was not twofold but rather concerned with combating the illegal production, … Continue reading Faces of Counterfeiters Past: Mugshots from the United States Secret Service Collections
This post was written in collaboration with Kelsey Noel. "This is the lesson of the penny. Some have too many, Some have too few, But share with those who haven't any." … Continue reading Original Costume Sketches for a Production of Pinocchio, 1939
This post was written in collaboration with Kelsey Noel. Kelsey is an Archives Technician with the Still Picture Branch in College Park, MD. This week we are highlighting images from RG 111-CCS, the General Subject Photographic Files of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, which documents non-combat activities in the United States and abroad. These photos, taken … Continue reading Christmas on Base: 13 Images of Our Soldiers at Christmas
A few years ago the Still Picture Branch accessioned two 19th century French gold tooled albums that contain photographs of a portion of the Schloss art collection. Regarded as one of the last great Dutch art collections to be assembled in 19th century France, the Schloss Collection was curated by internationally renowned French art collector, Adolphe … Continue reading The Lost Paintings – The Schloss Art Collection
