Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. The Civil War was a spy's dream come true. With a porous border between the Union and the Confederacy, and little way to distinguish between friend and foe, spies were everywhere. Both sides used ciphers. Both tapped telegraph wires. Stories … Continue reading Confederate dirty laundry: spies and slaves
We chortled our way through your captions last week! Finally, unable to decide between references to white shoes, Project Runway, or Baltimore, we turned to our guest, Susan Cooper, Director of Communications at the National Archives. Congratulations to Rebecca! Susan thought that her quote by Cecil Beaton best communicated the spirit of this picture. Indeed, … Continue reading Thursday’s Caption Contest
Weather has been front-page news across the country for the last couple of weeks. Winter storms have left up to 50 inches of snow in places, and even in Dallas, TX, snow and ice made the Packers and Steelers feel right at home at the Super Bowl. What’s the outlook for sunshine, snow, or rain in … Continue reading Cloudy with a chance of records
Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. In the summer of 1942, the Allies' war against Japan was in dire straits. China was constantly battling the occupying Japanese forces in its homeland, supplied by India via the Burma Road. Then Japan severed that supply artery. Planes were … Continue reading The OSS and the Dalai Lama
If you have been reading Pieces of History, you know that the National Archives holds many unusual records. But when I started working here, I was excited to learn that we hold the papers of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, at the Hoover Presidential Library. The childhood adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, especially her first … Continue reading Little house in the big archives
We're excited to pass the winning torch to our reader Michael P., whose caption met the high standard of our guest judge, National Archives editrix Maureen MacDonald. Congratulations, Michael P! You can use your 30% discount at the Archives eStore to buy something to read by lantern light. The actual caption on the photo in the Kennedy Library is … Continue reading Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest
Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. These days, the average NFL player receives about $1.2 million a year, not a bad paycheck for throwing around the old pigskin. After all, that's three times what the President makes (though he does get free limo rides), and plenty … Continue reading Green Bay Packer, Detroit Lion, or US President?
