Theatrical Release Poster, Paths of Glory, 1957 The 1957 motion picture Paths of Glory, directed by Stanley Kubrick, is one of the more famous anti-war movies of all time. It is set during World War I. A French colonel, played by Kirk Douglas, defends three of his soldiers who have been falsely accused of cowardice … Continue reading International Problems With “Paths of Glory,” 1958
Today's post was written by Catherine Brandsen, Innovation Hub Coordinator at the National Archives in Washington, DC. In the spring of 1864, a white Private named Stephen Twombley of the 1st Maine Cavalry was taken prisoner by Confederates. While being transported on train cars to Andersonville Prison, Twombley jumped from the train and escaped into … Continue reading From the Pension Files: the Story of Stephen Twombley
In honor of the spookiest time of year, this blog post spotlights the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) case files on the late American actor Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. (100-HQ-410935, 100-LA-34677, and 100-WFO-38897). Price is best known for being one of Hollywood’s original four Kings of Horror. From 1938 to 1993, he terrified audiences and … Continue reading Vincent Price and The “Secret Letter” to the FBI
The White House receives many inquiries and comments from Congress and the public. In today’s world, the President’s White House public engagement and communications staffs handle much of the work of responding to those missives. In the past, however, most of that work was farmed out to the various agencies in the Executive Branch. Inquiries … Continue reading White House Approbation, 1953
On July 12, 1973, a massive fire broke out on the sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC.) After 5 days, and 381 men, the 10-7 for out-of-service was called over the emergency dispatcher’s radios. With the fire declared “out” emergency vehicles, first responders, and others who had supported their efforts, like the … Continue reading Still Triaging After All These Years: Preservation and Access of the Burned Files
And so, we enter the now-annual ritual of waiting and seeing if the National Archives (and most of the rest of the Federal Government) opens on October 1, or shuts down. The agency has been weathering financial storms since well before our modern shutdown era began in the mid-1990s. Anxiety over the paucity of funding … Continue reading What Budget Cuts Look Like, 1981
In mid-February 1967, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune published articles revealing that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been supporting various international youth groups and student organizations with financial assistance. As a Cold War measure, the U.S. Government, through the CIA, had been funding those private organizations to help … Continue reading Foreign Policy Fallout From CIA Funding Disclosures, 1967
In the aftermath of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, the Department of State received a cascade of condolences and expressions of grief from around the world. Those messages came from government officials, major institutions, newspapers, and private citizens. Subsequently, the Department published those communications as an appendix to the then-new … Continue reading The World Reacts to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Again.
Today's post was compiled by the Special Access and FOIA Program staff at the National Archives at College Park, MD "Warning from the FBI" ca. 1941-1945 (NAID 516039; Local Identifier 44-PA-2313) In the Special Access and FOIA Program at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, we conduct a review of records for information protected … Continue reading Happy Birthday FBI!
A May 1965, letter that Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration William J. Crockett sent to American ambassadors overseas provides unique insight into President Lyndon Johnson’s attitudes towards the work of the Foreign Service and its domestic U.S. context. As the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration, Crockett was the senior official in the … Continue reading President Johnson’s View of Diplomats and Diplomatic Work, 1965
