Fifty years ago, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO, destroyed millions of military personnel records. Visit the National Archives website for more information about the fire and its aftermath. Today’s post from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center, was originally published in 2021 and has been … Continue reading Becoming Bigger and Better: The NPRC After the Great Fire of 1973
July 12, 2023, marks 50 years since the disastrous 1973 fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in St. Louis that destroyed millions of military personnel records. To commemorate the occasion, we are featuring a three-part series on the fire and its aftermath. This post comes to you from Jen Hivick, an archives technician at … Continue reading National Personnel Records Center Fire Series: The Fire
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the devastating fire at the National Personnel Records Center, we're featuring a three-part series. Today’s post comes from Jen Hivick, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. July 12, 1973, has loomed large in the history of the National Archives. That day, shortly … Continue reading National Personnel Records Center Fire Series: Origins
Today’s post comes from Meg Phillips, External Affairs Liaison at the National Archives. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and our archival colleagues around the world are celebrating International Archives Week, June 5–9, 2023. Every year, International Archives Week commemorates the creation date of the International Council on Archives (ICA) on June 9, 1948. … Continue reading NARA Celebrates 75 Years of the International Council on Archives
As we say goodbye to 2022, we’re taking a look at the most popular posts of the year. We would like to thank the National Archives staff who have worked so hard this past year to Make Access Happen through their numerous contributions. 10. In 10th place comes a post for Constitution Day—Drafting the U.S. … Continue reading Top Ten of 2022
This post highlights Maryland Civil Case No. 81-803, Atari, Inc. v. Amusement World, Inc., Box 1123, which is one of the many court records held at the National Archives at Philadelphia. It comes from Andrew Salyer, an archives technician at the National Archives at Philadelphia. Detail from advertisement for Asteroids, Play Meter Vol. 7, July … Continue reading Asteroids and Meteors and Lawyers: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Copyright Law
As we move into the new year, we’re looking back on the most popular posts published on Pieces of History in 2021. We would like to give a big thank-you to the National Archives staff who work so hard to Make Access Happen through their numerous contributions. And thank you all for sticking with us … Continue reading Top 10 of 2021
Today's post comes from Dorothy Dougherty, Programs Director at the National Archives at New York City. By current estimate, the National Archives has over 5 million cubic feet of traditional records in its holdings. Those textual records include manuscripts, memorandums, official business letters, and even the occasional personal letter. Today’s post features one such personal … Continue reading Across and Down: An Unusual Civil War Letter
Today’s post comes from Thomas Richardson, an archives technician at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The U.S. Armed Forces have been deployed all over the world, serving in conjunction with foreign militaries carrying out operations for a host of reasons: combating insurgency and enemy regimes, humanitarian relief, and joint training exercises, … Continue reading Valor from Abroad: Foreign Awards in the U.S. Armed Forces
Today's post comes from Maria Adamson, a history education graduate student at Temple University. Maria interned with the National Archives at Philadelphia virtually this fall as a part of the Cultural Fieldwork Initiative (CFI), a partnership with the Temple University College of Education Social Studies faculty and more than 30 regional cultural institutions. The Research … Continue reading Chinese Exclusion and the 1899 National Export Exposition: Imagining the View from Inside an Ethnographic Showcase
