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

Black and white photograph of a ship

Over 500 Logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Now Available in the National Archives Catalog

Today’s post was written by Gina Kim Perry, Archivist in Digitization Archival Services at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland. USC&GSS Hassler (1893), named after Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, who was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as the first head of the Survey of Coast in 1807 (NOAA Photo Library) Introduction Newly available in the National Archives … Continue reading Over 500 Logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships Now Available in the National Archives Catalog

BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury, Part II

Tintype Images of Wounded Civil War Union Soldiers from Pension Application Files in the U.S. National Archives This is the second of two posts about personal tintype images of wounded soldiers in the Civil War Pension Application Files from the Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (Record Group 15).  **Please note that the following … Continue reading BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury, Part II

photo of man w/short hair and mustache, bare torso, right side turned toward camera to show amputated right arm at the shoulder, w/exposed bone

BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Tintype Images of Wounded Civil War Union Soldiers from Pension Application Files in the U.S. National Archives **Please note that the following post contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some readers.** This is the first of two posts about personal tintype images of wounded soldiers in the Civil War Pension Application Files from … Continue reading BENEATH HIS SHIRT SLEEVES: Evidence of Injury

Ten Years of NARA-NOAA Partnership

Today’s post was written by Gina Kim Perry, archivist in Digitization Archival Services at the National Archives at College Park, MD. 2022 marks ten years since the National Archives (NARA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) began their partnership to image select records from NARA and upload them to the NARA Catalog. The … Continue reading Ten Years of NARA-NOAA Partnership

New Web Page for Digitized U.S. Navy Logs Through 1940

Images of the USS Bear, USS Jeannette, and the USS Monitor from NOAA and US Naval History and Heritage Command Imagine the ability to time travel virtually from the comfort of your home as you read on your computer or cell phone about: an Arctic rescue mission as it unfolded on the deck of the U.S.S. … Continue reading New Web Page for Digitized U.S. Navy Logs Through 1940

people sitting in stalls using microfilm readers

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

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