Films from the National Archives can be found all over the world. Clips from our collection end up in documentaries, television shows, museums, classrooms, and living rooms. But sometimes, they end up in places you would not expect. When dealing with archival film, you never know what you’re going to get… In commemoration of the … Continue reading Forrest Gump at the Archives
This week, we return to the 1964 World's Fair, where a special exhibit for children touted the wonders of atomic energy. Among other activities, the children learned how to use mechanical hands to safely handle uranium, searched for ore on a light-up map, and rode a stationary bike to discover that it would take thirty … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: World’s Fair Children’s Exhibit, 1964
What are you doing with your summer? Ever thought of building your own submarine? This week, we're featuring a homemade submarine, built by amateur inventor Byron Connett in the early 1930s. The underwater vessel was only ten feet long and 34 inches high. The inaugural voyage lasted 45 minutes and covered one mile. http://youtu.be/-yD79xSkUGE From … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: A Homemade Submarine, 1934
On June 11, 1963, Vivian Malone and James Hood arrived at the University of Alabama to register for summer classes. Instead of a helpful low-level administrator guiding them through the process, it took the National Guard to ensure their enrollment-- George Wallace, the governor of their state, was blocking the door. Wallace's "Stand in the Schoolhouse … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The University of Alabama is Desegregated, 1963
There was a time when it was legal to set up a tower of scaffolding and charge spectators for a ticket to climb it and watch the Indianapolis 500. That changed in 1960 when a tower holding more than a hundred spectators toppled, killing two and injuring dozens. This week's Universal newsreel features the Indianapolis … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Tragedy at the Indianapolis 500, 1960
This week in Universal News, the 1967 Fall fashion preview, featuring an outfit for the fashionable highway robber and "wearable" butterfly decals that are "up-to-the-minute but not gimmicky." http://youtu.be/Grz5MJKDNhs?t=4m6s From the release sheet: FASHIONS London designers show Fall Fashions. Included: capes, high collars, highway-robber outfits, complete with mask and two flint-guns. More practical: black tunics … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Fall Fashion Preview, 1967
In 1955, after years of research and testing, the polio vaccine created by Jonas Salk was declared safe and effective. The devastating virus is nearly eradicated in the United States today. In 1946, however, two years before Jonas Salk first began his research, the city of San Antonio, Texas tried to prevent the spread of … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Spraying DDT to Prevent Polio, 1946
This week, we have a performance from Elmer Trudgen, who created a one-man band with an impressive eleven different instruments. And yet Trudgen was not content to stop at that achievement--according to a 1939 newspaper article, he added a banjo to bring the grand total to fourteen instruments. http://youtu.be/Z6eDRCdg9bc From the Release Sheet: Elmer’s A … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Elmer Trudgen’s One-Man Band, 1937.
Did you enjoy a mint julep over the weekend in honor of the Kentucky Derby? This week, we look back to the sixty-fourth running of the Kentucky Derby, held on May 7th, 1938. The winner was long-shot Lawrin, the only Kansas-bred horse ever to win the race. Lawrin was buried beside his sire, Inisco, in his … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The 64th Running of the Kentucky Derby, 1938
The 1939 New York World's Fair opened 75 years ago this week. The international exposition was partly a trade show where companies like General Motors and Westinghouse showcased their newest technology, like the latest car models or home appliances, and partly a venue for sixty foreign governments to display their national art, culture, and industry. … Continue reading The World of Tomorrow: The 1939 New York World’s Fair
