Before the National Archives held more than half a million reels of film, nearly 200,000 videos, and over 300,000 sound recordings originating from dozens of government agencies (and decades before the existence of the National Archives) Carl Louis Gregory was a motion picture cameraman dedicated to the evolution of the field. Staff identification card for … Continue reading Carl Louis Gregory, Founder of Film Preservation at NARA
This post was co-written with Katherine Stinson, an Archives Specialist in the National Archives (NARA) Moving Image and Sound Branch. One of the joys of archives is discovering a research subject you never even knew was missing from your life. The NARA Moving Image and Sound Branch and the Motion Picture Preservation Lab collaborated on … Continue reading Queens of the Air: American Women Aviation Pioneers
Today's post was written by Ryan Pettigrew. Ryan is an AV Archivist at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. On February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon, First Lady Pat Nixon, a cadre of political advisors and administrative staff, as well as select members of the American press corps arrived in the People’s Republic of … Continue reading Nixon in China: Audiovisual Records from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum
Photograph of Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) Captain Charity Adams of Columbia, NC Drilling Her Company. Local Identifier: 111-SC-238651; National Archives Identifier: 531334. “No mail, low morale,” or so the motto goes. Even before the founding of the 6888th Central Postal Battalion, the mail was piling up for the soldiers serving during World War II. … Continue reading No Mail, Low Morale: The 6888th Central Postal Battalion
Cartoonist and writer Will Eisner (1917-2005) was one of the most significant pioneers and innovators within the 20th-century comic book industry. Eisner’s contributions are reflected in its annual awards for creative achievement that bear his name -- the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. Though his career spanned over half of the century, Eisner is perhaps … Continue reading “Don’t Be a Dope”: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters
Maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay from the Army Corps of Engineers have been digitized and are available to view and download from the National Archives Catalog. The records are part of the Civil Works Map File series from Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers. The records make … Continue reading Maps of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay from the Army Corps of Engineers Now Digitized
This post was written by Criss Austin. Criss is the supervisor of the Motion Picture Preservation Lab. I think it’s safe to say that we all agree the last 21 months have been long and trying. During much of this time, NARA staff were working on projects at home which helped to serve our researchers' … Continue reading Back to Work with Puppets: The Wonderful Night of Hercules Brown
As we move into 2022, celebrations of the New Year take shape in many different forms. Due to the current circumstances, the celebrations for 2022 most likely looked very different than those in 2021, and even 2020. However, consider how different the New Year celebrations looked in 2004, 1952, 1943, and even 1869. Pictured in … Continue reading Different Years, Always New: The New Year in Photos
After such a tumultuous year, all the staff at the National Archives Special Media Division would like to extend our best holiday wishes to those of you reading this as well as our hopes for a bright new year in 2022. It’s hard to believe that another year has already come and gone and to … Continue reading Holiday Catalog Roundup: The 1941 Christmas Tree Lighting, an Electric Menorah, and More!
Have you ever seen a dam or road or some other massive public works project and wondered who could be responsible for such a massive project? Chances are it was the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). George Washington appointed the first army engineers on June 16th, 1775 and the Corps of Engineers was … Continue reading The Problem Solvers
