This post is part of a series, written by Jim Zeender, devoted to letters written by the Founding Fathers in their own words and often in their own hand. Jim is a senior registrar in Exhibits. On July 14, 1789, the U.S. Ambassador to France, Thomas Jefferson, was a witness to the events of a … Continue reading In their own words: Thomas Jefferson and the Storming of the Bastille
It's been hot here in Washington, DC. So hot that a plane got stuck in "soft spot" in the asphalt of the runway at Reagan National Airport just across the river in Alexandria, Virginia. So hot that our brains melted and we could not choose a winner from last week's caption contest. So we turned … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest: July 12
Today's post is written by Kimberlee Ried, public programs specialist at the National Archives in Kansas City. "Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd . . ." These words, written by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer in 1908, are still heard every night at baseball parks across America, … Continue reading Take me out to the ballgame (and then to court)
Temporary tattoos on July 4! 10: The reading starts at 10 am, so the Metro isn’t crowded. 9: Your Facebook pictures will make everyone jealous. 8: You love the sound of the fife and drums. 7: Secretly you wish were a historical reenactor! 6: Everyone gets a free fan. 5: Audience participation: boo (at … Continue reading Top Ten Reasons to Celebrate July 4 at the National Archives
We waded into your captions like a man driving a car into a lake! How to choose between splashy captions that referenced Secret Service men wearing floaties, the Aflac duck, James Bond, or water taxis? Waterlogged with indecision, we turned to Liza Talbot, who in turn turned to the crew of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library. … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest: June 28
This is part of a series, written by Jim Zeender, devoted to letters written by the Founding Fathers in their own words and often in their own hand. Jim is a senior registrar in Exhibits. The leadership of John Adams in the independence movement and the publication of his “Thoughts on Government” in the same … Continue reading In their own words: John Adams and Ben Franklin, Part IIa
Nothing is sweeter than a girl and her dog . . . competing for treats? We enjoyed your captions suggesting the competition between a girl and her same-size canine companion, but like this little girl, the winner seemed just out of our grasp. So we turned to guest judge Sarah Malcolm, who writes for the … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest: June 21
This is part of a series, written by Jim Zeender, devoted to letters written by the Founding Fathers in their own words and often in their own hand. Jim is a senior registrar in National Archives Exhibits. John Adams of Massachusetts and Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania crossed paths during “critical moments” in the earliest days … Continue reading In their own words: John Adams and Ben Franklin, Part I
We got a kick out of your captions, especially the suggestion that Fala might still be alive, stored in an archival box for preservation. (Who knows, there are all kinds of things in our holdings, from nuclear plugs to mole skins!) We had a hard time choosing this week's winner from among the slighty salacious "drawers" … Continue reading Thursday Photo Caption Contest: June 14
His parents were victims of the Nazis when he was only four, and he and his uncle spent two years hiding in the forests of Poland, waiting until the end of World War II. But the ordeal of Michael Pupa was far from over. He became a “displaced person,” or DP, moving from one DP … Continue reading An Orphan of the Holocaust
