Now Available Online: Department of State Records, 1789-1906

Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Textual Reference at the National Archives in College Park, MD. The National Archives is pleased to announce that many important records of the Department of State are being digitized and made available online through the National Archives Catalog.  The records consist largely of the various series … Continue reading Now Available Online: Department of State Records, 1789-1906

Some assessors adorned their otherwise drab government forms.

Tax Assessment Lists of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Today’s post is written by Elise Fariello, Archives Technician at the National Archives at Chicago  A passionate distaste for taxes is built into the very foundation of the United States. Taxation without consent was one of the grievances to King George III outlined in the Declaration of Independence and played no small part in the … Continue reading Tax Assessment Lists of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Window into the Soviet Union, 1951/Introduction to CREST

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. Recently, I located the following 1951 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report analyzing Soviet nylon stockings: When I first saw this, I was amused that the CIA would spend time on what appears to be … Continue reading Window into the Soviet Union, 1951/Introduction to CREST

New Webpage for World War I Records on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

Today’s post is written by Scott Ludwig, Archivist at the National Archives at College Park. The 26th of September marks the 98th Anniversary of the start of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which was the largest operation of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in World War I.  Commanded by General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing … Continue reading New Webpage for World War I Records on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive

National Archives Hosts International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property

Today’s post is written by Chris Naylor, Director of Textual Records for Research Services, Washington DC. The Nazis and their collaborators engaged in widespread and systematic confiscation of art and cultural property between 1933 and 1945 through various means including theft, coercion, and forced sales. These activities resulted in the displacement of millions of items … Continue reading National Archives Hosts International Research Portal for Records Related to Nazi-Era Cultural Property

Monuments Men Records at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland

Today's blog is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher and Dr. Sylvia Naylor, Archivists at the National Archives in College Park. The recent movie, The Monuments Men, and the continuing interest in art provenance research, prompted us to share some information about the primary records for research documenting the work of the Monuments Men (actually Monuments, Fine … Continue reading Monuments Men Records at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland

Researching Forts at Archives I

By T. Juliette Arai A common research topic concerns information on military installations, i.e., forts, camps, depots, barracks, etc.  Generally, the bulk of the records we have relate to permanent installations, but we do have a few records pertaining to some temporary posts. Records relating to military installations can be found in a number of … Continue reading Researching Forts at Archives I

Navy / Maritime Records at Archives I

By T. Juliette Arai "What records do you have here?" is a common question we are asked everyday at Archives I.  This post -- Part 2 of a 3-part series -- provides a brief description of the Navy/maritime records one can find at our facility in Washington, DC.  Part 1, Army [records at AI], was posted … Continue reading Navy / Maritime Records at Archives I

Army Records at Archives I

Today's post is written by T. Juliette Arai, a reference archivist who works at Archives I.  Along with M. Marie Maxwell, she will be joining us as a regular blogger.  "What records do you have here?" is a common question we are asked everyday at Archives I.  This post -- Part 1 of a 3-part series … Continue reading Army Records at Archives I

U.S. Information Agency (USIA) Research Report Document Files Consolidated

Today’s post is written by Tom McAnear, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. The Research Report document files from the Office of Research and Media Reaction in Record Group 306 (Records of the U.S. Information Agency) are important for researching both foreign and domestic opinion about key events, important issues, and the actions … Continue reading U.S. Information Agency (USIA) Research Report Document Files Consolidated