NPRC helps solve headstone riddle at Arlington National Cemetery

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. When Washington Post reporter Christian Davenport uncovered the headstones of American veterans lying in a murky stream bed at Arlington National Cemetery this month, NARA's National Personnel Records Center was solicited to help identify one of the partially legible grave markers. … Continue reading NPRC helps solve headstone riddle at Arlington National Cemetery

Swiss you were here!

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. The New York Times called it "engrossing and eminently fascinating." The Richmond Times Dispatch said "Discovering the Civil War" "isn't your typical Civil War retrospective." And the Neue Zurcher Zeitung called the National Archives' newest exhibit, "einer grandiosen Ausstellung in … Continue reading Swiss you were here!

Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. Ladies and Gentlemen, what a contest! After long deliberation, the Archivist of the United States has settled on a winning caption from last week's photo caption contest. Its author will win eternal fame, fortune, and a 30% discount from the … Continue reading Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest

It’s not the Gulf, it’s the Schuylkill

Oil is washing up onto the shores of Louisiana and Florida. But these are not the only American shores to suffer environmental catastrophe from oil spills. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes took an unusual turn over the East Coast. After passing over Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, the storm swung back over the Atlantic and … Continue reading It’s not the Gulf, it’s the Schuylkill

Happy belated Juneteenth, everybody!

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. Juneteenth is actually June 19, the day on which word finally made it to Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War was over and that Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves. As the story goes, these 250,000 slaves were the last … Continue reading Happy belated Juneteenth, everybody!

Facial Hair Friday: Tribute to Mathew Brady

With his goatee and mustache, photographer Mathew Brady himself is an excellent addition to Facial Hair Fridays. In fact, he is the reason we have so many follicle follies to celebrate. There are 6,066 photographs by Brady and his associates in the National Archives collections. Many of the images we’ve looked at and been inspired … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Tribute to Mathew Brady

Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. We here at Prologue's Pieces of History understand that history can be a very solemn study. Understanding past conflicts and pouring over the details of a battle, while exhilarating, can also be a trying, somber process. But for all the … Continue reading Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest

Mother–she isn’t quite herself today

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. Few individuals had a more, ah, peculiar relationship with their mother than Norman Bates in the movie Psycho, which premiered 50 years ago today in New York City. The movie was a one-of-a-kind in terms of suspense and shock, but … Continue reading Mother–she isn’t quite herself today

What should I read next?

Boy reading a magazine at the Manzanar Relocation Center (538076)Four times a year in Prologue magazine, we feature an interview with an author who has written a book that draws on the holdings of the National Archives. So, far I have learned about the naval aspect of the Civil War and the unexpected connection that … Continue reading What should I read next?