History Through the Camera Lens

Earlier this fall, I was struck by the photograph below, located on the wall outside the Still Pictures Room in our College Park facility. Capt. Edward J. Steichen, USNR, (retired), photographic expert on island platform, studies his surroundings for one of his outstanding photographs of life aboard an aircraft carrier. Capt. Steichen held the rank … Continue reading History Through the Camera Lens

Blessings of Peace, Union and Harmony

President Lincoln issued a Proclamation of Thanksgiving in October 1863, which is well known for setting the precedent of our national holiday. Since 1863, we have celebrated Thanksgiving every year as a nation. Another Proclamation of Thanksgiving was issued a year later by President Lincoln. October 1864 was a pivotal time during the Civil War. … Continue reading Blessings of Peace, Union and Harmony

On Hallowed Ground: The History of Arlington National Cemetery

Last Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Poole, author of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery. In the following video, Mr. Poole discusses his experience as a researcher at the National Archives and several Presidential Libraries, as well as the very first burial at Arlington National Cemetery. http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/pmzrE0D_obY?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6 What … Continue reading On Hallowed Ground: The History of Arlington National Cemetery

Happy Veterans Day!

Every day at the National Archives, we fulfill veterans' requests for copies of their military records that document their service to our country. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, MO is an office of the National Archives, which has over 80 million permanent records and receives over 5,000 requests for military records … Continue reading Happy Veterans Day!

Open to Change

Since my swearing in as the 10th Archivist of the United States less than a year ago, we've taken important steps to become a more open, transparent, participatory, and collaborative agency. I'm proud of our accomplishments: The development of our Open Government Plan A 300 percent increase in the use of social media tools to … Continue reading Open to Change

Hometown Rivalries Debate the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy

Last Wednesday, I celebrated the 235th birthday of the U.S. Navy at the USS Constitution Museum at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston. It was a fun event full of hometown pride and spirited debate. I brought with me Senior Archivist Trevor Plante and original records from the National Archives to discuss the Revolutionary origins … Continue reading Hometown Rivalries Debate the Birthplace of the U.S. Navy

Croutons, Pepper, and the Hole

While visiting the National Archives at San Francisco this summer, the Director, Daniel Nealand, introduced me to a rare and fascinating audio recording of an Alcatraz prisoner. The recording was recovered from a 1947 SoundScriber disc within Record Group 129, Records of the Bureau of Prisons at the National Archives. The recording is twelve and … Continue reading Croutons, Pepper, and the Hole

Happy Constitution Day!

Today we celebrate the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States. On this date in 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. At the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., where the Constitution is on permanent display in the Rotunda, there is a celebration planned. … Continue reading Happy Constitution Day!