Stills similar to the one represented in this drawing were used to make distilled liquors and were commonly used in America during the early 19th-century. And their "descendants" are still being found in the mountains of rural America! A preview of an exhibit planned for 2015 here at the National Archives: “Spirited Republic.” Eli Barnum … Continue reading Patent of the Month: Still Design, 1808
This 1918 valentine refers to the World War I effort to economize on food for the war effort—called "Hooverizing" in honor of the U.S. Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover. From the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
Ken Price, the Hillegass University Professor of American Literature and co-editor of The Walt Whitman Archive at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, needs our help. Mining the records of the Office of the Attorney General here at the National Archives, Price has discovered 3000 documents in Whitman’s hand. His discovery is described in a 2011 Prologue … Continue reading Calling All Walt Whitman Fans
Yesterday we were privileged to host two special advance screenings of The Monuments Men, one especially for the staff of the National Archives. Thanks to the generosity of Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Robert Edsel, author of The Monuments Men upon which the film is based for making this possible. The film will open in … Continue reading The Monuments Men
The National Archives is proud to join other federal agencies in support of the “It Gets Better Project.” Our participation in this project represents an opportunity for federal agencies and employees to openly talk about issues, share messages and stories of hope, and provide resources for support. http://youtu.be/lKia_M9Nj0Y Thanks to all the NARA staff across the country who … Continue reading “It Gets Better” at the National Archives
Happy Holidays! Illuminating-Devices for Christmas Trees, Patent 194421, August 21, 1877. Records of the Patent and Trademark Office. National Archives and Records Administration (Page 1) Illuminating-Devices for Christmas Trees, Patent 194421, August 21, 1877. Records of the Patent and Trademark Office. National Archives and Records Administration (Page 2) Illuminating-Devices for Christmas Trees, Patent 194421, August 21, 1877. … Continue reading Patent of the Month: Illuminating-Devices for Christmas Trees
Last night we opened the David M. Rubenstein Gallery, the home of our new Records of Rights permanent exhibit. The new David M. Rubenstein Gallery, hosting the “Records of Rights” permanent exhibit, which discusses the rights of women, immigrants, and African Americans. David Rubenstein is a passionate advocate for the National Archives and for educating … Continue reading Rubenstein Gallery Opening
Earlier this year, Jessie Kratz was appointed Historian of the National Archives—our first! Jessie has been with the Archives nearly 15 years—most recently on staff at the Center for Legislative Archives. Over the years, many staff members have informally filled that role in various capacities and I want to thank them for recognizing the importance … Continue reading What is Past is Prologue: Appointing the first Historian of the National Archives
The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) recently hosted an open meeting to discuss its recommendations to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System, focusing on declassification prioritization. PIDB continues to advocate for public discussion on the report. This meeting represented opportunities to highlight recommendations from the report, continue the conversation about the current declassification … Continue reading Declassification Prioritization
Last night I had the distinct honor of welcoming director Steven Spielberg to the National Archives and presenting him with the Foundation for the National Archives’ Records of Achievement Award for bringing our nation’s history to life on the big screen. Also joining us was previous award recipient Ken Burns, who spoke with Mr. Spielberg … Continue reading Bringing History to Life
