Declassified Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings – 4th Quarter

In an effort to provide information on recently declassified motion pictures and sound recordings the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch will publish a quarterly list of newly declassified records. From July 1, 2014 through September 30, 2014 the following records were declassified. Motion Pictures: Local Identifier           Title 342-SFP-387 Operation of System 119-L     … Continue reading Declassified Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings – 4th Quarter

A Mitzvah to Serve

This post was written by Marcia Kolko. Marcia is an archives specialist in the National Archives Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch. September represents one of the holiest months of the year for members of the Jewish faith, as it includes the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day … Continue reading A Mitzvah to Serve

“An Awful Lot to Live For”: Lou Gehrig’s Final Season in the News

In 1939, the Fourth of July coincided with Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium. A day usually reserved for parades and fireworks was transformed into one of the most solemn, heart-wrenching, and inspiring moments in the history of sports. It was here, before 62,000 fans, that Gehrig proclaimed he was the “Luckiest man on the … Continue reading “An Awful Lot to Live For”: Lou Gehrig’s Final Season in the News

Forrest Gump at the Archives

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

Happy Birthday National Archives!

The National Archives turns the big 8-0 on June 19. You may have thought the Archives was older considering our country is almost 250 years old, but it wasn’t until 1934 that President Franklin Roosevelt signed the National Archives Act (48 Stat. 1122) creating the National Archives as an independent agency. What, you might ask, … Continue reading Happy Birthday National Archives!

How Computers Changed the Tax Game

As April 15 approaches, Americans across the country are filled with dread as they file their taxes and watch money disappear from their pockets. If history provides any relief, we are not the first to feel the burden. In 1789, Ben Franklin famously wrote, “In this world nothing can said to be certain, except death … Continue reading How Computers Changed the Tax Game

Declassified Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings – 2nd Quarter

In an effort to provide information on recently declassified motion pictures and sound recordings the Motion Picture, Sound and Video Branch will publish a quarterly list of newly declassified records. This quarter's list consists of films from a series of Army records (Local Identifier 319-IDF/National Archives Identifier 7851390). They are intelligence reports that were obtained … Continue reading Declassified Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings – 2nd Quarter

Images of the Week: Geological Surveys

The theme this week is Geological Surveys. Local Identifier: 57-PS-431A, Photograph of the Grand Canyon Looking East from the Foot of Toroweap, Photograph by John K. Hillers (Powell Survey) Local Identifier: 57-HS-188, “Old Faithful in eruption, Yellowstone, 1872”, Photograph by William H. Jackson (Hayden Survey) Local Identifier: 57-HS-82, “The lower falls of Yellowstone, 1871”, Photograph … Continue reading Images of the Week: Geological Surveys

Uncle Sam-I-Am: Dr. Seuss’s Private Snafu

With the 110th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s birth, we are reminded of his enormous impact on children’s literature. Less remembered, however, was his time spent serving in the US Army’s Information and Education Division. During World War II, Theodor Seuss Geisel inspired thousands of soldiers and honed his storytelling skills. And, before there were cats wearing … Continue reading Uncle Sam-I-Am: Dr. Seuss’s Private Snafu

Images of the Week: Construction of Federal Buildings

Photographs featured this week come from the series "Construction of Federal Buildings, 1885-1954" (121-BCP). Local Identifier: 121-BCP-137C-6, "Photograph of the Foundation of the Department of Justice Building", July 9, 1932 Local Identifier: 121-BCP-133C-9, "Photograph of the U.S. General Services Administration Building Being Constructed", November 23, 1915 (Originally housed the Department of the Interior from 1917 … Continue reading Images of the Week: Construction of Federal Buildings