Chewing gum has a surprisingly storied history. Archaeologists have found evidence that the ancient Greeks, the Mayans, and the Aztecs all chewed sticky substances. It was not until the mid 19th century, however, that American entrepreneurs began mass producing gum. By the 20th century, gum had become a staple of American life, so much so … Continue reading Chewing Gum in WWI (Photos)
While National Elephant Appreciation Day may not be officially recognized as a Federal Holiday, its upcoming celebration (September 22nd) provided an excuse for an expedition through our holdings in the Still Picture Branch. The search for elephants, as it is for all animals here in Still Picture, starts with an established finding aid specifically catered … Continue reading Spotlight: Elephants in the Archive, Eek!
Chances are that if you stop by the Cartographic Research Room on any given day, at least one person will be working with aerial photography. It's easily the most commonly requested record type in our research room and one of the most common offsite reference requests that we receive. The Cartographic Branch holds over 29 … Continue reading Researching Foreign Aerial Photography
If you’ve been following along on our virtual road trip of our nontextual holdings, you’ve journeyed with us from our home base in Maryland, south to Richmond, Virginia and on to North Carolina. You joined us in Charleston, Memphis, New Orleans, and then farther west to Texas. We went to Albuquerque and Las Vegas, and … Continue reading Road Trip Wrap-up and the Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
We head next to Chicago! While we enjoy the modern cosmopolitan sights, it’s fun to remember the lengthy history of the city as an agricultural and industrial hub. The Still Picture Branch collection of Army Signal Corps Photography (111-SC NAID 53707) includes some great images illustrating the Central Department Supply Depot in Chicago’s role in … Continue reading Summer Road Trip: Chicago and Pittsburgh
If there is a straighter stretch of the US Interstate Freeway System than I-90 across South Dakota I'll eat my map. Heading east out of the Badlands, we pass through fields of blooming sunflowers stretching to the horizon and lose count of bikers riding the opposite direction to Sturgis. Before lunch we make our first stop: the … Continue reading Summer Road Trip: Great Plains and 10,000 Lakes
Trans-Continental Motor Convoy crossing the Continental Divide NAID 86733688 and 86733684 This post was co-written with Ashley Behringer and Amy Edwards. We've been offline since saying goodbye to Seattle on Thursday, busy exploring the mountains and high desert of the Northwest, then dropping South to Yellowstone National Park. Fans of the Unwritten … Continue reading Summer Road Trip: Across the Great Divide and into the Badlands
It’s 75 miles from Port Angeles to the City of Bremerton, Washington, the next stop on our NARA summer road trip. Our drive takes us past Discovery Bay and over the Hood Canal Bridge. We can see the Olympic Mountains in the West, prompting us to remember yesterday’s visit to Olympic National Park. As we … Continue reading Summer Road Trip: Maritime Matters in Bremerton and Seattle
This Saturday will be the 75th Anniversary of the failed plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and implement Operation Valkyrie by German military leaders. The assassination attempt was carried out by Lieutenant Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg at Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg placed a bomb housed in … Continue reading 20 July Plot and Operation Valkyrie
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
