Pulled From the Flames: Paintings Rescued from the Great Chicago Fire

Today’s post was written by Addie Portela, an intern at the National Archives at Chicago. On Sunday October 8th, 1871, fire raged across the city of Chicago. Not quelled until Tuesday morning, fires devastated Chicago’s central business district. The Crosby Opera House, a theater with an art gallery attachment, was not spared from the damage. … Continue reading Pulled From the Flames: Paintings Rescued from the Great Chicago Fire

“Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day

Today’s post is by Rachael Salyer, Archivist in the Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD. End of First Phase Map of France, June 1944 (NAID 18558251) The Textual Reference Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD (Archives II) has custody of numerous records that document U.S. Army operations … Continue reading “Blood and Determination and Then Victory” – Digitized Operations Reports Related to D-Day

Escape and Evasion Reports, World War II

Today's post was written by Bob Nowatski, archivist in the Basic Processing and Textual Accessioning unit at the National Archives in College Park, MD. When we think of United States airmen in the European theater during World War II, we may picture rugged veterans who flew numerous missions, or soldiers who were killed in combat … Continue reading Escape and Evasion Reports, World War II

Mining the Archive for Prospective Research

Today’s post is in honor of National Miners Day, celebrated annually on December 6th. This blog is written by John C. Harris, Archives Technician at the National Archives at Philadelphia. Introduction Amidst the era of New Deal regulation and reform, Congress aimed to regulate the coal industry. The Bituminous Coal Conservation Act of 1935 established … Continue reading Mining the Archive for Prospective Research

From the Pension Files: the Story of Stephen Twombley

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

Department of State Central Files, 1789-1910 Available Online: An Omnibus

Over the past few years, the National Archives has digitized and made available online through the National Archives Catalog many important records of the Department of State.  The records consist largely of the various series of records that constitute the Department’s central files for the period from 1789 to 1910.  As those records went online, … Continue reading Department of State Central Files, 1789-1910 Available Online: An Omnibus

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