Hello my fellow Unwritten Recordians, I’m back with an update from the Still Picture Branch regarding progress on the Subject Finding Aid Project! As of my last post in June, we had one batch of descriptions live in the National Archives Catalog, with a second one on the way. As of today, the second AND … Continue reading Subject Finding Aid Project (Update)
Visual Cues and Clues: Cracking the Code of Glass Negatives
Aquarius Plateau. J.K. Hillers at work (as photographer). Local Identifier: 57-PS-809, NAID: 517983. This image is cropped from the original. When you think of photographic negatives today, perhaps you imagine flexible, plastic-like film. However, some of the earliest negative images would be found on glass. Glass served as a viable support to capture the photographic … Continue reading Visual Cues and Clues: Cracking the Code of Glass Negatives
Working for the TVA
On May 18th, 1933, Congress chartered the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), beginning one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first projects of his “New Deal” social welfare programs. Its goals were to “To improve the navigability and to provide for the flood control of the Tennessee River; to provide for reforestation and the proper use of marginal … Continue reading Working for the TVA
Sinking the Fleets of World War I
Some of the National Archives’ finest footage of the bombardment and sinking of World War I-era ships dates from after the war. In 1921, 1923, and 1931, the United States Navy, in cooperation with the Army Air Forces, bombarded American and German vessels with bombs ranging in size from 25 to 2000 pounds. These spectacles … Continue reading Sinking the Fleets of World War I
Keeping Cool with Cool Patents the 4th of July!
One of my favorite record groups is RG 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, because of the dazzling displays of ingenuity! These patents, as usual, do not disappoint. Enjoy!! https://catalog.archives.gov/id/159160063RG 241: Restored Patent Drawings, 1836-1978. Patent 6558-X. J. Barron's Patent Drawing for a Mechanical Fan. NAID: 159160063. RG 241: Utility Patent Drawings, 1837-1911. … Continue reading Keeping Cool with Cool Patents the 4th of July!
Subject Finding Aid Project
While the pandemic significantly altered our day-to-day responsibilities in the Still Picture Branch, our team adapted to the challenges presented by the work-from-home environment and bolstered our Research and Reference capabilities by increasing access to our holdings, digitally and on-site. One of the projects we’ve undertaken to help in this endeavor is the description and … Continue reading Subject Finding Aid Project
Films of State Conference Recordings Now Available
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) recently partnered with the University of Maryland’s Cinema and Media Studies Program to present Films of State: Moving Images Made by Governments, a virtual conference running from April 7 to 9, 2021, highlighting current scholarship on the topic of government films and filmmaking. This inaugural conference featured international … Continue reading Films of State Conference Recordings Now Available
Census Enumeration District Maps for 1940 and 1950 Available Digitally in Our Catalog
The Decennial Census of Population and Housing, aka ‘the census,’ counts each resident of the country every ten years. Conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the Constitution mandates the enumeration to determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first census was taken in 1790 during George Washington’s … Continue reading Census Enumeration District Maps for 1940 and 1950 Available Digitally in Our Catalog
The Voyage of the USS Chimo
Today’s post was written by Alan Walker, archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. For Preservation Month, here is a visual story of how the staff of the National Archives once did important work on a small piece of American naval history. The Union's shallow draft navy was one … Continue reading The Voyage of the USS Chimo
Double Take II: Finding Posters within Photos
This post is by Daniel Dancis, a Textual Records Archivist and blogger at The Text Message. When is a photograph more than just a photograph? Of the millions of digitized images in the National Archives Catalog it is always a thrill to find something new in an old picture. Even more, discovering a connection between two or … Continue reading Double Take II: Finding Posters within Photos