Photograph of Members of the Tokyo Raid; Local Identifier: 342-FH-3A-48559-59885AC; NAID: 148728204 If you’re searching for World War II-era United States Air Force photography, look no further! Earlier this year, scans were added to our online catalog for nearly all of the World War II, US Air Force photography. Originally, the military branch was known … Continue reading Spotlight: US Air Force World War II Photography
Lighthouses have served as aids to navigation along coasts and shores throughout the United States’ history and many continue to do so today. Recently added to the Catalog, series 26-LGL: Photographs of Lighthouses includes photographs of many of these landmarks from the early 20th century. Consisting of black and white glass lantern slides and a … Continue reading Lantern Slides of Lighthouses
In the mid-1930's, Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes conceived the idea of commissioning painted murals for the department's headquarters building in Washington, DC. However, impressed by Ansel Adams' work, Ickes later broadened the scope of the project to include mural-size photographs and recommended Adams. According to Ansel Adams autobiography, he was "appointed at the … Continue reading 79-AA: Ansel Adams Photographs of National Parks and Monuments, 1941 – 1942
Recently, a series of photographs entitled Photographs Related to the Operation and Development of the Panama Canal Zone, ca. 1938 - ca. 1960 (185-CZ), went live on NARA's online catalog. The 2,483 photographs document various functions of the civil government and the Department of Operations and Maintenance of the Canal Zone. Included in the images … Continue reading Panama Canal Zone Photographs
Photograph of Josephine Cobb holding a Mathew Brady photograph. Local Identifier: 64-NA-1595, NAID: 12169321. Finding a specific photograph on the internet can be easy. Finding a specific photograph within the holdings of the National Archives can be trickier. If you have a specific photograph you found in the course of your research and it is … Continue reading Visual Cues and Clues: Picking the Right Record Group for Still Pictures
Happy Peak Bloom Week! According the The National Park Service, peak bloom for the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. means that "70% of the Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis) blossoms are open. Peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions. The most likely time to reach peak bloom is between the last week of March … Continue reading A Symbol of Spring: The Cherry Blossoms of Washington, D.C.
The Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit, known as the "Hello Girls", was a unit of women who operated telephone switchboards, sworn into the U.S. Army Signal Corps, during World War I. The term, "Hello Girls", was used for women who first greeted callers with the word "hello". The corps was formed due to a … Continue reading “Hello Girls” – Women Telephone Operators during WWI
You may have heard that the National Archives is partnering with the University of Maryland Cinema and Media Studies Program to present Films of State, an online conference on government-produced moving images (if not, check out my last blog post for more background). What you may not know is that the National Archives sponsored a … Continue reading 50 Years Makes a Difference! How Film Research Has Changed Since the 1972 Conference on Audiovisual Archives
The Universal Newsreel Collection chronicles some of the most important historical, cultural and sporting events and trends of the early to mid 20th Century. Among the footage of military invasions, coronations, and Olympics it is possible to find footage of lesser known citizens who also made their mark on history. One such story comes from a … Continue reading Spotlight: Learning More About Female Firefighters From Universal News Production Files
Today I am thrilled to tell you about something we’ve been working on: Films of State, a three day online conference focused on government films and NARA’s holdings, scheduled for April 7-9, 2021. We’ve partnered with the University of Maryland Cinema and Media Studies program and gathered an international slate of scholars to discuss some … Continue reading Introducing Films of State, a Conference on Government Films
