Today marks 100 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire—a blaze that lasted 18 minutes and left 146 workers dead. Among the many in New York City who witnessed the tragedy was Frances Perkins, who would later become FDR's Secretary of Labor, making her the first woman to serve in a Presidential cabinet. As Secretary … Continue reading A Factory Fire and Frances Perkins
If Grover Cleveland were alive today, he would need to blow out 174 candles. And of course, he would need to be careful not to set his mustache alight as he bent toward the mighty blaze of his birthday cake. Grover Cleveland's election marked a turning point in Presidential facial hair. The beard was going … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Happy Birthday, Grover Cleveland!
The USS Monitor was the Navy's first ironclad vessel, but it was not the only one in Civil War waters. The Virginia had started life in 1855 as the Merrimack, a Union ship that had been burned to the waterline, sunk, and abandoned in the Gosport Navy Yard in Norfolk, VA. The Confederates raised what … Continue reading A Submerged House: Ironclads and the Civil War
Archivists handle fascinating records, but the people who lived the lives recorded in the documents are even more fascinating. Such was the life of Frank Buckles, who passed away on February 27, aged 110. Buckles's passing means that there are no longer any living American servicemen who fought during World War I. Any memories and experiences from … Continue reading The last doughboy: In memory of Frank Buckles
The work the National Archives Preservation staff does every day is hardly "everyday." A recent post about Hawaii's petition for statehood on the Preservation Program's Facebook page demonstrated this fact. This preservation project stemmed from a request from our Center for Legislative Archives. Each archival unit creates annual and long-term preservation plans, and the Center's … Continue reading Aloha treatment for a 1954 Hawaii petition
Errol Flynn may not have changed his name to become a famous movie actor, but his declaration of intention (a form that starts the process to being naturalized as a U.S. citizen) is surprisingly complex. In 1938, he listed four countries and two nationalities on one form. Flynn was born in Australia, but on his … Continue reading The silver screen, the stylish paperwork
Today we have a special guest post from Tom Nastick, public programs producer at the National Archives. This week, from February 23 to 27, we’ll be presenting the seventh annual free screenings of Oscar®-nominated documentaries and Short Subjects in the William G. McGowan Theater. Our friends at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will … Continue reading Roll out the red carpet at the National Archives!
After a brief hiatus, Facial Hair Friday is back with a special Valentine's week post! When Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri wanted to encourage Americans to emigrate to the west as part of the Manifest Destiny movement, he decided that eyewitness descriptions of the landscape were necessary. So in 1842, Benton sent off his son-in-law … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Grow West, young man!
This week's winner is Tommy R! His clever caption combines the discoveries of the atomic age with a nifty Latin neologism. Tommy, we'll be sending you a 15% discount for the National Archives eStore. The original caption tell us that "Sister Mary Helene ven Horst, science instructor at Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa, teaches students … Continue reading Thursday’s Photo Caption Contest
Do you like jelly beans? So did Ronald Reagan—and this month marks his 100th birthday. Even if you didn't share Reagan's political views, you might share his sweet tooth! Tweet your favorite jelly bean flavor using the hashtag #100jellybeans at twitter.com, and on Friday we'll randomly pick a winner to receive a discount at our eStore. … Continue reading Tweet if you like jelly beans!
