RG 77: Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Lunar Maps, 1961–1962 (NAID 1077479) On April 3, 2023, NASA announced that humans are soaring back to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, since the return of Apollo 17 in 1972. Four astronauts, Americans, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, … Continue reading Mapping the Moon
Mountain Troopers carrying a Ski Cargo Sled (Local ID: 337-TNG-199-1) Found in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, the peaks and valleys that surrounded Camp Hale forged the elite soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division—the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division. During World War II, the soldiers at Camp Hale trained in mountain … Continue reading Camp Hale, Colorado: Training the 10th Mountain Division During World War II
The Cartographic Branch is pleased to announce that three new series of records relating to Puerto Rico have been fully digitized and are now available online for viewing and download through the National Archives Catalog. The first series, RG 95: Map of Puerto Rico Showing Federal Land Management Activities, 1949-1949, (NAID 1011336) contains a map … Continue reading This Just In! Three New Series Relating to Puerto Rico Fully Digitized and Available Online!
With Halloween just around the corner (at last!), I thought our readers would enjoy a little something spooky to get in the spirit.. or perhaps to get in touch with the spirit. Automatic writing, or psychography, as a means of communicating with the spirit world has been in use for almost a thousand years. However, … Continue reading Patent Drawings from Beyond the Grave
When you hear “Cartographic Records”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most likely, you would be inclined to think of maps - topographic maps, geopolitical maps, navigation charts, township plats, and any of a hundred other, different sorts of maps. But did you know that maps aren’t the only type of records … Continue reading Next Round is on the General! Recalling the Time When General “Lightning Joe” Collins Bought a Round for 600 Men
May 29th, 2022 marks the 18th anniversary of the dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, and in honor of the anniversary, the Cartographic Branch would like to highlight a particular set of records relating to the very conceptualization of the monument itself. These records, found in RG 117: Drawings for the … Continue reading RG 117: Drawings for the National WWII Memorial Design Competition
Please Note: Primary source documents used in this post may contain harmful language. See NARA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Language. Are you in need of some winter sports action during the break between the Olympics and Paralympics? The U.S. Forest Service has the perfect film for you, aptly titled Winter Olympics. Winter Olympics documents the 1960 … Continue reading The U.S. Forest Service Presents: Winter Olympics
Gung hay fat choy! Happy Chinese New Year! This year Chinese New Year is on February 1 and it is the year of the Tiger. Each year is based on an animal from the Chinese Zodiac which operates on a 12 year cycle. If you were born in the years 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, … Continue reading A Colorful Chinese New Year Celebration, 1964
All maps provide us with some level of information, but some maps, like the one pictured below, tell us a story. Found within the holdings of the Cartographic Branch in RG 77: Fortifications Map File Plans of Military Forts, 1818-1941, “Falmouth Neck, As It Was When Destroyed By Mowatt, October 18th, 1775” is one … Continue reading Maps as Storytellers: (Map of) Falmouth Neck, as it was When Destroyed by Mowatt, October 18th, 1775
One of America's most iconic memorials will be celebrating its 100th anniversary on Veteran's Day 2021, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. It is visited every year by millions of visitors. The National Archives Still Pictures Branch holds photographs relating to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier depicting visitors paying their … Continue reading 100th Anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
