headshot of Price looking back over his shoulder

Vincent Price and The “Secret Letter” to the FBI

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

cartoon w/Hoover in center surronded by vignettes of FBI agents duties

Happy Birthday FBI!

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!

Leslie Feinberg: The FBI and Gender Pronouns

Today's post is by Dr. Amanda Weimer, Supervisory Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In 2022, the National Archives’ Special Access and FOIA Program completed a review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigative case file 100-HQ-480756 on Leslie Dianne Feinberg (September 1, 1949 – November 15, 2014). Feinberg used the … Continue reading Leslie Feinberg: The FBI and Gender Pronouns

Insight into the Unabomber Case from the Files of its Lead Prosecutor

Today's post was written by Megan Dwyre, Supervisory Archivist, Special Access and FOIA Program at the National Archives in College Park, MD This blog post highlights records related to the Unabomber case from the series Electronic Records of Robert J. Cleary, 1999-2002, which was made available through the joint efforts of the Special Access and … Continue reading Insight into the Unabomber Case from the Files of its Lead Prosecutor

Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley in the White House

“Don’t Be Cruel”: Elvis Presley’s Visit to FBI Headquarters

Today’s post is by Megan Dwyre, Special Access and FOIA Program Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Many of us are familiar with this photo of Elvis Presley’s famous meeting with President Richard Nixon, which took place on December 21, 1970. It is the most requested image in NARA’s holdings and the … Continue reading “Don’t Be Cruel”: Elvis Presley’s Visit to FBI Headquarters

The Surreal Suspect: The FBI’s Brief Investigation of Salvador Dalí

Today’s post is by Megan Dwyre, Special Access and FOIA Program Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Salvador Dalí was born 117 years ago today on May 11, 1904 in Figueras, Spain. This post highlights Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Headquarters case file 100-142631 on the famous Surrealist painter (NAID 16591992). In … Continue reading The Surreal Suspect: The FBI’s Brief Investigation of Salvador Dalí

When the FBI Used a Stamp Collecting Club as a Counterintelligence Tool

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In doing research in declassified Federal Bureau of Investigation records at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., I ran across a file [105 -174254] describing a counterintelligence operation about a Chinese Communist stamp collecting club. Even though the … Continue reading When the FBI Used a Stamp Collecting Club as a Counterintelligence Tool

Appraising FBI Records in New York City and Los Angeles, 1981: A Personal Diary

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In going through my papers I found that early in 1982 I had written a paper regarding the 1981 appraisal of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records by a team of National Archives and Records Service (NARS)[1] … Continue reading Appraising FBI Records in New York City and Los Angeles, 1981: A Personal Diary

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Records Relating to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: The Challenge of Abbreviations and Euphemisms

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. With the recent releases of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy it might be useful for readers of Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) records that form part of the released records, to better understand actually … Continue reading The Federal Bureau of Investigation Records Relating to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: The Challenge of Abbreviations and Euphemisms

Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and is the last post in a four-part series.  The National Archives and Records Administration will display Adolf Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate (National Archives Identifier 6883511) in the exhibit “Making Their Mark” beginning March 21, 2014. This series of blogs traces the aforementioned … Continue reading Hitler’s Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate: From the Bunker in Berlin to National Archives in Washington, D.C. {Part IV: The Documents Travel Through Various Agencies and President Truman Before Arriving at the National Archives}