From Men and Coal to Power & Light: Russell Lee Photos on Display in Washington, DC, Eight Decades Apart

Today’s post by Robert Pines, a public affairs specialist with Public and Media Communications in Washington, DC, is inspired by a photo series he found while browsing the National Archives Catalog. "All the essential characteristics of a coal-mining community—except for the coal dust and the odors—are portrayed." These are the words used in promotional material … Continue reading From Men and Coal to Power & Light: Russell Lee Photos on Display in Washington, DC, Eight Decades Apart

Historic Staff Spotlight: Lillian Grandy

We are taking a look at past staff and their many contributions to the National Archives throughout its history. Today’s staff spotlight is on Lillian Grandy, who began her National Archives career as a secretary and ended it as an exhibit specialist with a focus on Black history. Lillian Elizabeth Grandy (née Love) was born … Continue reading Historic Staff Spotlight: Lillian Grandy

The Birth of an Eternal Document: The Point Elliott Treaty

Today’s post comes from Tessa Campbell, senior curator at the Hibulb Cultural Center located on the Tulalip Reservation. The Tulalip Reservation is located in the State of Washington, 30 miles north of Seattle, and is the name of a place; not the name of a people. Their current exhibit, The Power of Words: A History … Continue reading The Birth of an Eternal Document: The Point Elliott Treaty

Reaching Communities: National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service

Today’s post comes from Jennifer Johnson, curator in the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service (NATES). On December 21, 2018, NATES program manager Dee Harris and I went to the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library in Topeka, Kansas, where one of our traveling exhibits, “Over There” was on display in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery. … Continue reading Reaching Communities: National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service

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

Vietnam: The First Television War

Today’s post comes from Madie Ward in the National Archives History Office. The Vietnam War (1955–75) was a time of great controversy in the United States. Cold War tensions ran high as the country relentlessly fought against the alleged evils of communism. At the same time, advances in video and audio recording enabled both easier … Continue reading Vietnam: The First Television War

A Gift from an Archivist

Today's post comes from Corinne Porter, a curator from the National Archives Exhibits Program in Washington, DC. The Featured Document exhibit is the place in the National Archives Museum where we share—a document or two at a time—some of the most incredible records that belong to the American people. Featured Document exhibits often commemorate landmark … Continue reading A Gift from an Archivist

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

On Exhibit: The “Yeti Memo”

Today’s post comes from Sanjana Barr from the National Archives History Office. In 1959, the U.S. State Department received a curious memo from the new U.S. Embassy in Nepal concerning the regulations for Yeti hunting. The Himalayan Yeti, a mythological creature often compared to Bigfoot, achieved international infamy in the 1950s. Western climbers ascending Mount … Continue reading On Exhibit: The “Yeti Memo”