This blog was composed by Todd Crumley and Aaron Arthur This series of color transparencies documents the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the U.S. Army’s first African-American paratrooper unit, and their participation in Operation Firefly. Firefly was initiated in response to the threat of potential wildfires caused by Japanese balloon bombs arriving on the west coast beginning in … Continue reading The Triple Nickles and Operation Firefly
We are very excited to announce that all of the maps in the US File Unit RG 77: Civil Works Map File have now been digitized and are available online for viewing and download! These images can be found by searching the National Archives Catalog, NAID #7491452. The records in this series comprised the main … Continue reading Now Available Online: RG 77, Civil Works Map Files, US File Unit!
The Cartographic Branch holds aerial imagery covering much of the United States and also many areas around the world. Today's post will focus on getting started with aerial imagery covering the United States, and specifically, Record Group (RG) 145 imagery. For more information on locating foreign aerial photography, see our previous posts: Researching Foreign Aerial … Continue reading Researching Aerial Photography of the United States : RG 145 Aerial Indexes Now Digitized
In what seems to be turning into a recurring theme, I’m back again to tame some of our wildest records here in the Still Picture Branch…this time, famed warhorse, Sergeant Reckless! As the de facto animal expert here in Stills, I’ve developed quite the nose for sniffing out hidden gems depicting our furry friends. Recently, … Continue reading Hold Your Horses
This post was written by guest blogger Tanya Goldman. Goldman is a PhD Candidate in Cinema Studies at New York University. The ease with which most of us stream movies and television makes it hard to envision the labor of media distribution. Before home video and streaming, transporting films as physical objects demanded careful logistical … Continue reading How the U.S. Army Served its Movie-Mad GIs during World War II
This post was produced with help from Heidi Holmstrom and Ivy Donnell, who made the GIFs. In December of 1920, Ford Motor Company sent prints of the film Christmas Thoughts (FC-FC-328) to Ford dealers around the country. The film encouraged viewers to establish a local Goodfellows’ Club, with their local dealer serving as the headquarters. … Continue reading Christmas Thoughts: Giving for the Holidays
In honor of our colleagues across the country that are dealing with rough instances of winter weather, we'd like to draw your attention to some fun images from our collection of Photographs Related to Byrd Antarctic Expedition II , 1933 - 1935. (Local Identifier XSC-G, NAID 139058663). These images were accumulated and maintained by Stevenson … Continue reading It’s Cold Outside: Photos from the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition
In the 1970s, the United States Information Agency’s "Vision USA" brought images of American life to television screens across the globe. The program focused on current events, and occasionally, Muppets. Episode 72 of "Vision USA," released in 1978, takes a behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas." Emmet Otter was one of the … Continue reading Season’s Greetings from the U.S. Information Agency: “Vision USA” Visits Emmet Otter
Executive Order 6101, which established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)*, was signed on April 5, 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was signed just one month into Roosevelt's presidency, making the CCC one of the earliest New Deal programs. The program was by no means perfect and was met with some criticism. However, the … Continue reading Spotlight: Photographs Documenting the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
The Cartographic Branch holds maps relating to many well known Civil War battles like Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and Shiloh. However, we also hold a variety of maps relating to some lesser-known battles. Today we're featuring maps relating to the Battle of Franklin, which took place on November 30, 1864 in Tennessee. In the fall … Continue reading Mapping the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee
