Posts about searching and using the records at NARA.
Today's post is written by archivist David Langbart who works primarily with diplomatic records. Researchers who use Department of State records may be interested to know a bit more about the types of documents used by Foreign Service Posts to communicate with the Department of State. This is the first in a series of postings … Continue reading Foreign Service Friday! The Despatch
We're pleased to announce that our colleagues from the Textual Archives Services Division at Archives I will be joining us as regular bloggers. Today’s post is written by M. Marie Maxwell, an archives specialist who works at Archives I. Due to the unique relationship between the Federal government and the District of Columbia the National Archives … Continue reading A Look at the Residential City of Washington
Today’s post is written by archives technician Ingi House. Going through records, sometimes it’s a surprise what you can find right off the bat: a cool name, a weird event, or even an interesting story. But what lies underneath the obvious is sometimes even better. All you need is a spark to start your mind turning … Continue reading Consumption Comes Back
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
Today’s post is written by Alan Walker, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. It’s NARA’s 75th Anniversary season, a perfect time to reflect on the impact which the National Archives has made on archival theory and practice in the United States. Spanning the continuum of archival administration, records appraisal, scheduling, accessioning, disposal, holdings … Continue reading NARA’s 75th Anniversary – Discovering Our Own Records
Today’s post is written by Robert Fahs, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. This is the second post in an occasional series. For the first post, go here. W. Averell Harriman, Jr. (1891-1986) played a leading role in President Truman’s Point Four agencies, first as the United States Special Representative (1948-1950) responsible … Continue reading NAMES AND KEYWORDS in Record Group 469: Records of U.S. Foreign Assistance Agencies, part II
Today’s post is written by Dawn Sherman-Fells, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. Are you one of the many who believe that FOIA is truly a “four letter word”? Understanding the Freedom of Information Act can be daunting, frustrating -- intimidating, even. Here I will share a few tips that will hopefully facilitate a better understanding … Continue reading FOIA: The Other “F” Word (Accessing FBI Records)
Today’s post is written by Alfie Paul, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. On an August day in 1991, the body of free-lance reporter Danny Casolaro was found dead in a Martinsburg, West Virginia motel bathtub by two maids. Ruled a suicide, Casolaro’s death was just a small piece of a larger … Continue reading The Octopus
Today’s post and other posts in this series are written by Robert Fahs, a processing archivist who works with civilian textual records. This blog entry begins an occasional series of descriptions intended to introduce names and keywords useful for searching ARC entries from Record Group 469: Records of U.S. Foreign Assistance Agencies, 1942 - 1961. … Continue reading NAMES AND KEYWORDS in Record Group 469: Records of U.S. Foreign Assistance Agencies, part I
By Denise Henderson Yesterday, I posted about Department of Justice press releases. Today, I’d like to share a few of my favorites! One early press release, dated November 6, 1933, details the establishment of a federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, which according to the release, “is a necessary part of the Government’s campaign against predatory … Continue reading The gangster, the bank robber, the baby face, and a G-Man
