The Spirit of '76 (Air Force One) arriving at the Capital airport near Peking, China. President Nixon and Pat Nixon being greeted by Premier Chou En-Lai and other Chinese officials. A military band playing at the arrival ceremony.

Nixon in China: Audiovisual Records from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

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

Historic Maps and Photos of the National Zoo

This post was written in collaboration with Carla Simms The National Zoo in Washington D.C. is one of the capital’s most celebrated landmarks.  The zoo was created by an act of congress in 1889, and officially made a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution the following year.  Since its founding, the zoo has been a pioneer in … Continue reading Historic Maps and Photos of the National Zoo

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

If You Can’t Take the Heat…

This week’s guest post is from Richard Green, an archives technician in NARA’S motion picture department in College Park, MD.  He is currently studying history and psychology at the University of Maryland and is looking forward to attending graduate school in the fall of 2013.  On July 24, 1959, Vice President Richard Nixon traveled to … Continue reading If You Can’t Take the Heat…