Favorite Film Finds of 2016

This post was written with Heidi Holmstrom. In the past year, staff in the motion picture preservation lab handled millions of feet of film. Films might come to us for inspection and repair, photochemical duplication, or digitization. To follow up last year’s list, we’ve identified a handful of films that were digitized in 2016 and … Continue reading Favorite Film Finds of 2016

Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisholm

In this week of firsts, we consider the women who first ran for major party nominations in the United States: Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisholm. Margaret Chase Smith Margaret Chase Smith won her first seat in the House of Representatives in a special election after her husband, Clyde Smith, died in 1940. One week … Continue reading Cracking the Glass Ceiling: Margaret Chase Smith and Shirley Chisholm

Hidden Women: The Art of WWI Camouflage (Photos)

If you've ever read a Highlights magazine, you've likely played the hidden picture game--the one where children are asked to find out-of-place objects like pencils hidden in trees and candy canes hidden in striped dresses.  As I came across photographs from the Women's Reserve Camouflage Corps, I was instantly reminded of the classic childhood time-killer.  Only this time, … Continue reading Hidden Women: The Art of WWI Camouflage (Photos)

Happy Mother’s Day from the National Archives!

To the women who play with us: Teach us: Keep us well and well-fed: Who work: Multi-task: And to mamas of pets: Happy Mother's Day

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

This Week in Universal News: New Cocktail Gadgets, 1935

This week in Universal News, fashionable ladies demonstrate the latest gadgets at the National Wine and Liquor Show in Chicago, including cocktail mittens and a portable keg tap that makes beach picnics a breeze. The soundtrack for this reel no longer exists, but you can read the script below to get a sense of how … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: New Cocktail Gadgets, 1935