Historic Staff Spotlight: Blanca Tomé

We are taking a look at past staff and their many contributions to the National Archives throughout its history. Today’s staff spotlight is Blanca Tomé, who immigrated to the United States from Cuba in her 50s and became an expert bookbinder at the National Archives.  Blanca Tomé (née Biosca) was born on June 24, 1907, … Continue reading Historic Staff Spotlight: Blanca Tomé

New Year’s poems from Navy Deck logs

Today’s post comes from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD.  In 2019 the National Archives entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to digitize U.S. Navy and Coast Guard deck logs from vessels with Vietnam-era service (1956–78). The more than 200 million images will … Continue reading New Year’s poems from Navy Deck logs

Preserving the Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence

Today’s post comes from Morgan Browning, Senior Conservator in the National Archives Document Conservation Division. Visit our July 4th webpage to learn more about the Declaration of Independence and our celebration of it at the National Archives. Few records created during momentous historical events are as compelling and influential as those associated with the adoption … Continue reading Preserving the Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence

USS Monitor Gun Carriages

March 8–9, 2021, marks the 159th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads, also known as the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack. This battle is significant as the first fight between two ironclad warships, USS Monitor and CSS Virginia. Today’s post comes from Rachel Bartgis, conservator technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. … Continue reading USS Monitor Gun Carriages

Is it Governor’s Island or Governors Island?

Today's post comes from John LeGloahec, an archives specialist with the Electronic Records Reference Services at the National Archives. Recently the Electronic Records Division has made available, through the National Archives Catalog, the scanned images of Governors Island Maps and Plans and Architectural and Engineering Drawings, which comprises more than 11,000 Tagged Image Format Files … Continue reading Is it Governor’s Island or Governors Island?

Quiet Revelations at Navajo Nation

November is Native American Heritage Month. Visit National Archives News for more information on related events and resources. Today's post comes from DongEun Kim, a conservator at the National Archives.  Just under two years ago, I joined the staff of the National Archives as a conservator to focus exclusively on records and documents. It was … Continue reading Quiet Revelations at Navajo Nation

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is on the “Border”

Today’s post comes from Jim Zeender, Senior Registrar in the National Archives Exhibits Office. Recently, National Archives conservator Morgan Zinsmeister and I traveled to Pueblo, Colorado, which once stood on the border between the United States and Mexico. We were there to install the original Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in the “Borderlands of Southern Colorado” exhibition … Continue reading Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo is on the “Border”

The “EP” at the National Archives

On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation (what some of us here at the Archives call the “EP”)—in the middle of the U.S. Civil War. In it, he declared all slaves within the states that were currently in rebellion to be free. Although it did not abolish slavery altogether, the document … Continue reading The “EP” at the National Archives

The Lifecycle and Preservation of Electronic Records

November 30, 2017, is International Digital Preservation Day (Twitter hashtag #IDPD17). The National Archives is participating in this worldwide initiative to promote digital preservation by talking about its work with electronic records. Today’s post comes from Ted Hull (Electronic Records Division), Leslie Johnston (Digital Preservation), and John Martinez (Policy and Standards Team). The National Archives … Continue reading The Lifecycle and Preservation of Electronic Records

Nation to Nation: Treaties at the National Museum of the American Indian

November is National Native American Heritage Month! Visit our web page for resources on related records and how we are commemorating the month. Today’s post comes from Becca Watford from the National Archives History Office. Every few months the National Archives lends a treaty negotiated between the United States and Native Americans to the National … Continue reading Nation to Nation: Treaties at the National Museum of the American Indian