Play Ball, Mr. President!

In honor of Opening Day for the 2013 baseball season, we’ve put together this gallery of baseball-related photos, documents, and artifacts from the holdings of the 13 Presidential Libraries of the National Archives. This summary of Presidential baseball history was compiled by James Kratsas, Deputy Director at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. … Continue reading Play Ball, Mr. President!

Facial Hair Friday: Opening Day Mustache

Opening Day of the 2013 Baseball Season is this Sunday! What better way to celebrate than to crack open some peanuts, download our free eBook “Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives,” and grow a luxuriant mustache in honor of President Taft. Taft is the newest addition to the Nationals Racing Presidents.The 27th President … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Opening Day Mustache

The Remarkable Story of Ann Lowe: From Alabama to Madison Avenue

Today's guest post comes from Margaret Powell, MA, a decorative arts historian from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her areas of concentration are textile and costume history. She is a graduate of the Smithsonian Associates–Corcoran College of Art and Design History of Decorative Arts Masters Program. On September 13, 1953, the New York Times featured the wedding of … Continue reading The Remarkable Story of Ann Lowe: From Alabama to Madison Avenue

Did Knute Rockne ever box Dwight D. Eisenhower?

Today’s post comes from Christopher Abraham at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. He answers a question each week on Facebook. This week’s Ask an Archivist query comes from Kansas. “Did Knute Rockne ever box Dwight D. Eisenhower? I heard that this took place in Abilene, Kansas, around 1913.” - Anonymous We have heard this story before. … Continue reading Did Knute Rockne ever box Dwight D. Eisenhower?

Eisenhower and (Tank) Driver’s Ed

Today’s post comes from Christopher Abraham at the Eisenhower Presidential Library. He answers a question each week on Facebook. This week’s Ask an Archivist query comes from Pennsylvania. "Did Eisenhower teach Patton how to drive a tank at Camp Colt in Gettysburg?" Anonymous Captain George S. Patton knew how to drive a tank by the … Continue reading Eisenhower and (Tank) Driver’s Ed

Facial Hair Friday: Portrait of the Artist with a Mustache

This self portrait, with carefully groomed mustache in the center, is a glamorous photo of a hardworking, groundbreaking photographer. James Stephen "Steve" Wright was from a working-class family in Washington, DC. By the 1940s he was head of photographic operations for the Federal Works Agency. But like many young black men at the time, he … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Portrait of the Artist with a Mustache

“I am a little country boy eight years old.”

Today's guest post is from Sherri DeCoursey, who used the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library to find a special piece of history for her father. For as long as I can remember, a photo of FDR and a letter have hung side-by-side in the den of Mom and Dad’s home.  The yellowed letter, written by … Continue reading “I am a little country boy eight years old.”

George Washington Writes in the Margins

Today's blog post comes from Susan K. Donius, Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives. This post originally appeared on the White House blog. Last month, President Obama began his second Inaugural Address by saying, “Each time we gather to inaugurate a President we bear witness to the enduring strength of … Continue reading George Washington Writes in the Margins

90 letters in 90 days: The courtship of Lady Bird and LBJ

“I do believe before the day was over he did ask me to marry him and I thought he was just out of his mind.” Claudia Alta "Lady Bird” Taylor Two teenagers in love might exchange hundreds of texts on their phones. But during their two-and-a-half month courtship, Lyndon Baines Johnson and Claudia Alta “Lady … Continue reading 90 letters in 90 days: The courtship of Lady Bird and LBJ

Honoring the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”

Today's post comes to us from Michael Hussey, education and exhibition specialist at the National Archives.(He's also a speaker at tonight's program!) Rosa Parks was born on February 4, 1913. In honor of her centennial, "Public Law 106-26, An Act to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to … Continue reading Honoring the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”