This post was written in collaboration with Beth Fortson. We are approaching the end of October and fall is in full bloom. Trees are changing colors, pumpkin-flavored foods are on the shelves, and people are swapping their short-sleeves for winter coats. But amidst this lovely season, a more frightening day is lurking around the corner. This … Continue reading Circus Clowns and Masks: 13 Images from the Stacks
Guest blogger Jan Hodges became interested in World War I combat art as a result of her involvement as a volunteer in a holdings maintenance project for American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) documents at the National Archives at College Park. This article is part six of the series about World War I Art and Artists. Captain … Continue reading World War I Combat Artists – Wallace Morgan
Back in June, we published a post about animals in the military. It featured war dogs, bat and pigeon bombs, and monkey saboteurs. We thought we’d covered everything, but almost as soon as that post was published, we digitized a film for our research room that highlights torpedo-retrieving whales. One of these whales is Ahab. … Continue reading Playing Fetch with Pilot Whales: The Navy’s Project Deep Ops
This post was written by Beth Fortson. Beth is an Archives Technician with the Still Photos Branch in College Park, MD. In April 1980, after desperate attempts by Cubans to gain asylum at the gates of the Peruvian Embassy, Fidel Castro was pressured to ease restrictions on emigration and granted those wishing to immigrate to … Continue reading From Mariel Harbor to Eglin Air Force Base: Cuban Refugees and the Mariel Boatlift
Many Americans living along the Gulf Coast do not need an anniversary to reflect upon Hurricane Katrina. The natural disaster caused overwhelming hardship for thousands, irreparably damaging houses, businesses and entire cities. Katrina left a legacy that they will never forget. Yet for some, the ten years since the hurricane has blunted Katrina’s gravity. While … Continue reading Remembering Hurricane Katrina (Photos)
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later another bomb was detonated over Nagasaki. Whether the United States needed to use the bomb to ensure a Japanese surrender is a point that is debated to this day. It is not controversial to acknowledge that the actual results of … Continue reading Witness to Destruction: Photographs and Sound Recordings Documenting the Hiroshima Bombing
For more than half a century, the people at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have captured the hearts and minds of the American people. From man’s initial voyages through Earth’s atmosphere, to the recent exploration of Pluto, NASA has continued push the limits of scientific exploration. While NASA’s accomplishments are too numerous for … Continue reading Pushing the Limits: The NASA Space Shuttle (Photos)
It has been 54 years since the U.S. Embassy in Havana closed its doors. Upon ending diplomatic relations with our neighboring island nation, President Eisenhower announced, “It is my hope and my conviction that it is in the not too distant future that it will be possible for the historic friendship between us once again … Continue reading Re-establishing Diplomatic Relations with Cuba (Historic Photos)
In 1990, editors at the Harvard Law Review elected their first black president in the journal’s 102-year history. The newly elected 28-year-old president was a law student and community activist. By that time, the lawyer-to-be had gained the respect of his peers and professors, all of who praised the student’s modesty, integrity, and drive to … Continue reading Topic Magazine: Spreading Information to Africa
This post was written by Mark Meader. Mark is an Archives Specialist with the Motion Picture, Sound and Video branch. He participated in historical reenactments for over forty years, including over twenty years as a Union private in Civil War reenactments. There is a scene in Frank Capra’s film “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town” where Longfellow Deeds … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Ulysses S. Grant!
