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National Archives

Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs

September 25, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Formation Review at West Point courtesy National Archives CatalogMore than 2,500 photographs taken at the West Point Military Academy in the early 20th century are now available in the National Archives Catalog. [Read more…] about Featured Collections: West Point Military Academy Photographs

Filed Under: History, Hudson Valley - Catskills Tagged With: Black History, Featured Collections, Highlands, Horses, Military History, National Archives, Orange County, Photography, West Point, World War One

US Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Logbooks Go Online

September 11, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

List of OfficersMore than 500 logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships (USC & GSS) are now available to view and download in the National Archives Catalog.

[Read more…] about US Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Logbooks Go Online

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Maritime History, National Archives, oceanography, Search and Rescue, Transportation History

Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings

August 28, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Drawings of Naval Vessels and Equipment, 1939 - 1945The Cartographic Branch at the National Archives is home to over one million ship plans, with records spanning more than 15 distinct Record Groups and over 25 separate series. These drawings are among the most requested records from researchers in the Cartographic Branch. [Read more…] about Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Engineering History, Maritime History, Material Culture, Military History, National Archives, Naval History, Navy

Mapping World War II: Archival Resources

June 21, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

71st Infantry Division - World War IIMaps and charts have always played an important role in the planning and execution of military operations. Military maps, nautical charts, and fortification plans form a significant part of the holdings in the Cartographic Branch of the National Archives.

Among these records include a recently digitized series of World War II Records from the Adjutant General’s Office of the War Department (Record Group 407). These records are available to view and download from the National Archives Catalog. [Read more…] about Mapping World War II: Archival Resources

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Geography, Maps, Military History, National Archives, World War Two

Photographing the Civil War: Mathew Brady at 200

May 26, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Transport between decks on steamer by Matthew Brady Mathew Brady was one of the most prolific photographers of the nineteenth century, creating visual documentation of the Civil War period. While Mathew Brady’s exact birth-date in Warren County, NY is unknown (circa 1822 – 1824), this year marks the beginning of the commemoration of Brady’s 200th birthday. [Read more…] about Photographing the Civil War: Mathew Brady at 200

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Arts, History Tagged With: Civil War, Documentary, Johnsburg, National Archives, New York City, Photography, Warren County

Don’t Be a Dope: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters

May 22, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

World War II Poster by Will EisnerThe Still Picture Branch at the National Archives safeguards many series of posters used during World War II by the United States Government. The messages range from the promotion of Victory Gardens and the war effort to military recruitment, education, safety and more.

Cartoonist and writer Will Eisner (1917-2005) was one of the most significant pioneers and innovators within the 20th-century comic book industry. Though his career spanned over half of the century, Eisner is perhaps best known for one of his earliest works — his comic strip The Spirit, which debuted in newspapers in 1940. [Read more…] about Don’t Be a Dope: Will Eisner’s World War II Posters

Filed Under: Arts, History Tagged With: Art History, Material Culture, Military History, National Archives, World War Two

Help Transcribe the 1950 Census

April 15, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

transcribe the censusThe National Archives launched the 1950 Census website on April 1st, and is seeking help from the public to transcribe and refine the name index.

The website has already had more than 1.4 million visitors, including 44 million page views and over 1.2 million names transcribed. Transcribing or submitting name updates helps improve the accuracy of the name index and make the records more searchable. [Read more…] about Help Transcribe the 1950 Census

Filed Under: History Tagged With: 1950 Census, Family History, Genealogy, National Archives

World War II Escape and Evasion Firsthand Accounts

January 7, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Hamblin, Oscar Klass Escape and Evasion Reports, 1942-1945 At the National Archives there are nearly 3,000 reports containing information on escape and evasion activities and training of U.S. soldiers serving in the European theater during the Second World War.

These records contain dramatic and gripping firsthand accounts of survival, including these three: [Read more…] about World War II Escape and Evasion Firsthand Accounts

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Archives, Aviation History, Featured Collections, Military History, National Archives, World War Two

The Civil War Confederate Army’s Forced Labor Slave Records

December 27, 2021 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

Confederate breastworks in front of Petersburg, Virginia, 1865During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate Army required enslavers to loan the people they held enslaved to the military. Throughout the Confederacy from Florida to Virginia, these enslaved people served as cooks and laundresses, labored in deadly conditions to mine potassium nitrate to create gunpowder, worked in ordnance factories, and dug the extensive defensive trench networks that defended cities such as Petersburg, Virginia.

To track this extensive network of thousands of enslaved people and the pay their enslavers received for their lease, the Confederate Quartermaster Department created the record series now called the “Confederate Slave Payrolls.” [Read more…] about The Civil War Confederate Army’s Forced Labor Slave Records

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Archives, Black History, Civil War, Labor History, Military History, National Archives, Slavery

National Archives Adds Donated Collection Explorer

October 2, 2021 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Robert Peary in Furs with DogsThe National Archives safeguards billions of documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States government.

In addition to these federal records, the National Archives holds collections of donated historical materials, many of which pertain to and illustrate historical activities of the United States, or document a significant program or activity of the U.S. government. [Read more…] about National Archives Adds Donated Collection Explorer

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Archives, Genealogy, National Archives

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