Happy World Red Cross Red Crescent Day!

By Jason Clingerman

Today is Henry Dunant’s birthday, which is also celebrated as World Red Cross Red Crescent Day. In honor of that holiday, I thought I would mention some Red Cross records of historical interest that can be found at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland (Archives II) in Collection ANRC, Records of the American National Red Cross.

image of three figures on a battlefield.
Henry Dunant administering aid on the Battlefield in Solferino, Italy by Eduard Armand Dumaresq (National Archives Identifier 6060466), part of the series “History Files, 1895-1998” (National Archives Identifier 5835043)

The series “Monographs, 1946-1986” (National Archives Identifier 5752176) contains copies of historical monographs and background papers to the monographs created by the American Red Cross Historical Division between 1946 and 1986, covering the period 1807 to 1948 from the origins of the Red Cross movement to the post-World War II activities of the American Red Cross.

The series “History Files, 1895-1998” (National Archives Identifier 5835043) contains records relating to the history of the American Red Cross and the Red Cross movement. Historical subjects covered include the 1984 disaster in Bhopal, India; aid to Jews during World War II; aid to refugees in the Ottoman Empire in 1922; children’s relief in Serbia in 1944; and medical service to Israel in 1949.

The series “General Records, 1919-1999” (National Archives Identifier 5730890) contains records from the League of Red Cross Societies, the predecessor to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

These are only three series of many found in Collection ANRC that researchers with a historical interest in the American Red Cross and the Red Cross movement in general should look to when conducting their research. Happy World Red Cross Red Crescent Day! Come to Archives II in College Park, Maryland to research these and other records relating to the history of the Red Cross movement.

3 thoughts on “Happy World Red Cross Red Crescent Day!

  1. where are the records of Red Cross clubs in India during WWII, specifically Club 690 in Ondal, India? What is the correct citation number for research? Many thanks.

  2. If we are going to “celebrate” World Red Cross-Red Crescent Day, I believe that everyone who does celebrate this day should know that the there is a Red Star of David Society: Magen David Adom. It performs the same functions as the Red Cross and Red Crescent societes. It, however, was prohibited from joining the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies because the Red Crescent Society members threatened to withdraw from the federation if Magen David Adom was allowed to join.

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