Uncle Sam-I-Am: Dr. Seuss’s Private Snafu

With the 110th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s birth, we are reminded of his enormous impact on children’s literature. Less remembered, however, was his time spent serving in the US Army’s Information and Education Division. During World War II, Theodor Seuss Geisel inspired thousands of soldiers and honed his storytelling skills. And, before there were cats wearing … Continue reading Uncle Sam-I-Am: Dr. Seuss’s Private Snafu

The Real Monuments Men

Nestled within the Italian Alps, in the small village of San Leonardo, behind the doors of an abandoned jail cell, sat some of the world’s most cherished pieces of art. Together with a nearby repository in Campo Tures, it was estimated that the hidden artwork was worth about 500 million dollars. That was in 1945. … Continue reading The Real Monuments Men

Gangsters, G-Men, and Archivists

The gangster was an icon in the 1920s and 30s.  While prohibition limited the sale of alcohol, the gangster smuggled in liquor from Canada and established speakeasies across the country.  As the Great Depression left thousands unemployed, the gangster embodied a sense of rebellion.  Gangsters were immortalized in cinema and talked about in the papers.  … Continue reading Gangsters, G-Men, and Archivists

The Great Train Robbery

It’s not very often that we celebrate the 110th anniversary of a film.  When The Great Train Robbery debuted in December of 1903, Henry Ford had recently sold his first car, the Boston Americans had just won the first modern World Series, and Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States.  Filmmaking was in its … Continue reading The Great Train Robbery

Finding a Finding Aid: World War I

This week’s post is from Richard Green, an Archives Technician with the Motion Picture, Video and Recorded Sound Division of NARA's Research Services.  Richard is enrolled in the History and Library Science (HiLS) dual-degree graduate program at the University of Maryland.  The assassination of Franz Ferdinand in the summer of 1914 sparked the beginning of World War I. … Continue reading Finding a Finding Aid: World War I