Dong Kingman: Watercolor Master

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and in honor of this, we will be highlighting records related to the Chinse American watercolor artist, Dong Kingman.  The Moving Image and Sound Branch has two beautiful color films that capture the work of Kingman and show the process of how he painted his masterpieces.  … Continue reading Dong Kingman: Watercolor Master

A Symbol of Spring: The Cherry Blossoms of Washington, D.C.

Happy Peak Bloom Week!  According the The National Park Service, peak bloom for the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. means that "70% of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) blossoms are open.  Peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions. The most likely time to reach peak bloom is between the last week of March … Continue reading A Symbol of Spring: The Cherry Blossoms of Washington, D.C.

The Draggin’ Wagon: An All American Soap Box Derby

This week’s blog post covers the U.S. Information Agency (USIA)’s film The Draggin’ Wagon, (Local Identifier: 306.6618).  The film offers a unique look into the life of a young African American boy, Clarence Carter Jr., and his journey to create a homemade Soap Box car for the 1963 Soap Box Derby in Washington, D.C. The … Continue reading The Draggin’ Wagon: An All American Soap Box Derby

A Trip to the Hawaiian Islands

The Hawaiian Islands (FC-FC-484) is a silent, black and white film from 1924, part of the Ford Motor Company Collection.  At the time this film was made, Hawaii was a territory to the United States and would remain that way until it achieved statehood on August 21, 1959.  The film consists of unique footage of … Continue reading A Trip to the Hawaiian Islands

Spotlight: Saving Time with “A Step Saving Kitchen”

Since many of us have been spending more time in our kitchens cooking lately, we thought this would be a good time to highlight the film A Step Saving Kitchen (16-P-1783).  It comes from the Records of the Department of Agriculture, in the series "Public Information and Training Motion Picture and Television Productions, 1990 – … Continue reading Spotlight: Saving Time with “A Step Saving Kitchen”