Author: NationalArchivesBlog

3 children w/bread in their hands behind a box stamped "CARE United States of America"

Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 2: Decentralized Files

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Finding Aids, State and Foreign Affairs, World War II

This is the second of three parts describing World War II-era records of the Department of State relating to refugees, displaced persons, relief, and war crimes.  It describes the decentralized files of the Department.  Part 1 described relevant central files.  As noted in that post, there is significant overlap among the central and decentralized files … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 2: Decentralized Files

mother standing behind 2 children

Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 1: Central Files

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Finding Aids, State and Foreign Affairs, World War II

Perennial subjects of interest in the records of the Department of State for the World War II era are refugees, displaced persons, relief, and war crimes.  Among the headquarters records of the Department of State are many records relating to those topics.  This is the first of three posts to discuss those materials. The records … Continue reading Department of State Records Relating to Refugees, Displaced Persons, Relief, and War Crimes During the World War II Era, Part 1: Central Files

form for Indian reservation schedule for census data

The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in American Indian History, Genealogy

Special thanks to Claire Kluskens, Archivist and Subject Matter Expert for Census Records, and Rose Buchanan, Archivist at the National Archives in Washington, DC. “Now Mrs. Begay, I want to ask you about the names of the people in your family. Is your husband known by any other name than Richard Begay? Sometimes he is … Continue reading The Story of the 1950 Census P8 Indian Reservation Schedule

people sitting in stalls using microfilm readers

Beyond the Microfilm Reader: Digital Availability of NARA’s Microfilm Publications

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Digitization Projects, Records Reference and Research

It has been a long-time objective to systematically digitize the microfilm publications located in National Archives and Records Administration (NARA’s) Microfilm Reading Rooms. Less than a quarter of the publications are currently digitized and available online. Most of those were digitized by NARA’s digitization partners and are available on their websites as well as in … Continue reading Beyond the Microfilm Reader: Digital Availability of NARA’s Microfilm Publications

bird's eye view of vertical lift railroad bridge spanning a river

Getting from Point A to Point B – Bridges in the National Register of Historic Places

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Electronic Records, Interior/Environment

England's London Bridge, "at home" in Lake Havasu City since 1971 (NAID 548816) Bridges are structures that, in most cases, allow an individual to get somewhere that they may have been unable to get to because of an obstacle, be it a body of water, a ravine, or some other natural barrier.  There are more … Continue reading Getting from Point A to Point B – Bridges in the National Register of Historic Places

movie poster showing clouds w/silhouetted figures in foreground

International Reaction to the Motion Picture “On the Beach”

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Hollywood and Film, State and Foreign Affairs

An earlier post discussed the 1959, United Artists release of the major motion picture On the Beach.  The movie was based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Nevil Shute.  To recapitulate - Both the book and the movie take place in a post-apocalyptic world.  The nuclear fallout resulting from World War III … Continue reading International Reaction to the Motion Picture “On the Beach”

Dr. Robert James Kapsch Collection – New Records from the National Park Service

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in Electronic Records, Interior/Environment, Processing Projects, Records Reference and Research

Today's post was written by James Porter, Archives Specialist, in the Processing Branch, Electronic Records Division at the National Archives at College Park The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) serves the nation as the repository for permanent federal records, the vast majority of which come directly from federal agencies. But not all records come … Continue reading Dr. Robert James Kapsch Collection – New Records from the National Park Service

Text Message Top 5 of 2021

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in American Indian History, Digitization Projects, Hispanic/Latinx History, Hollywood and Film, Military Records, Presidents, Transportation, Vietnam, World War II

Please enjoy this countdown of our most popular blog posts of 2021. Thank you for continuing to read the Text Message and we hope you join us for more stories, insights, and highlights from the textual records of the National Archives in 2022! #5 "Lucy, I'm Home!"... from the Army Armed Forces Newsmap, vol 1, … Continue reading Text Message Top 5 of 2021

Tutu and Gore smiling and shaking hands

Desmond Tutu, October 1931-December 2021

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in African American History, Civil Rights, State and Foreign Affairs

Archbishop Desmond Tutu greets Vice President Al Gore, May 10, 1994 (NAID 24717040) Bishop Desmond Tutu died on December 26, 2021.  He was best known for his human rights and nonviolence activities while the Anglican bishop of Johannesburg and then the archbishop of Cape Town, the first Black person to hold either position.  Tutu was a hero of … Continue reading Desmond Tutu, October 1931-December 2021

Attempted Assassination of a U.S. Ambassador, 1921

by NationalArchivesBlog, posted in State and Foreign Affairs, World War I

The murder of U.S. diplomats overseas is usually considered a modern phenomenon – a result of increased terrorist activities beginning in the 1960s.  While some American diplomats were murdered overseas earlier, John Mein, then U.S. ambassador to Guatemala, was the first sitting American Ambassador to be killed overseas.  He died on August 28, 1968, during … Continue reading Attempted Assassination of a U.S. Ambassador, 1921