Strange-but-true stories about the Declaration of Independence
On June 29, 1954, a 600 pound model of the vault that held the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights went on display in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. It was one of two models the Mosler Safe Company made to demonstrate how such a mechanism would work to secure the … Continue reading The Mosler Model
Today's post comes from Michael Hancock of the National Archives History Office. Declaration of Independence in the National Archives Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. (Photo by Jeff Reed, National Archives) During my time working at the National Archives in Washington, DC, I often make it a point to visit the Rotunda at the end … Continue reading John Hancock and His Signature
On Tuesday, July 2, 2019, Lester Gorelic gave a talk in the William G. McGowan Theater in the National Archives Building in Washington, DC, on The Faulkner Murals: Revealing Their Stories. It is available for viewing on YouTube. In 2014 the National Archives' Prologue magazine published Lester Gorelic’s article, The Faulkner Murals: Depicting the Creation … Continue reading The Story of the Faulkner Murals
Today’s post comes from Megan Huang, an intern in the National Archives History Office. Visit our July 4th web page to learn more about the Declaration and our celebration of it at the National Archives. Before people came to see the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives, the Declaration came to the people, only … Continue reading Dunlap’s Declaration of Independence
On Friday, April 13, 2018, the memorial dedicated to Thomas Jefferson—our third President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence—turns 75. The memorial’s architect, John Russell Pope (1874–1937), was also architect of the National Archives Building. While Pope lived long enough to see the opening of the Archives, he died before groundbreaking for the … Continue reading The Jefferson Memorial Turns 75
December 15 is Bill of Rights Day, which commemorates the ratification of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Today’s post comes from Bailey Martin from the National Archives History Office. December 15, Bill of Rights Day, is an important day for the National Archives because it is the one day of the year … Continue reading Bill of Rights Day: The People’s Vote
Today’s piece comes from Lily Tyndall from the National Archives History Office. In 1933, the artist Barry Faulkner began work on two murals that were to adorn the walls of the National Archives Rotunda. The paintings were to reflect and honor the spirit of our nation’s founding documents. After three years of sketching and editing … Continue reading Masterpieces of Freedom: The Faulkner Murals
Since the National Archives was established more than 80 years ago, millions of people from the United States and abroad have visited our historic building in Washington, DC. Ten of those visitors were sitting U.S. Presidents. In 1933, before there was a building, President Herbert Hoover became the first President to visit when he laid … Continue reading From 1600 to 700 Pennsylvania Avenue: Presidential Visits to the National Archives
Today’s post comes from Sanjana Barr of the National Archives History Office. Even though the National Archives Rotunda was completed in the mid-1930s as a shrine for the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the documents were not transferred to the National Archives until 1952. The National Archives History Office has produced a new online exhibit … Continue reading New Online Exhibit: “Carting the Charters”
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part one of a series on the history behind some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. When you think of the holdings at the National Archives, it’s likely that three prominent documents immediately come to mind. After … Continue reading The Gems of Record Group 242 – Foreign Records Seized
