Myrna Loy, Her World Beyond Hollywood, Part I 1905-1949

Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park Myrna Loy was an American actress whose 129 movie career made her a household name for decades.  A New York Times reporter wrote in November 1987, that “During the many years Myrna Loy reigned as one of America’s … Continue reading Myrna Loy, Her World Beyond Hollywood, Part I 1905-1949

What Women Use: Cosmetics, Hygiene Products, and Medicines

Today’s post was written by Laney Stevenson, Archives Technician at the National Archives at College Park. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve gathered together some registered patent labels of beauty products created for and used by women, including cosmetics, hygiene products, and medicines, dating from 1878 to 1937. All of the labels are from … Continue reading What Women Use: Cosmetics, Hygiene Products, and Medicines

How Women Look: Standards of Beauty and Female Stereotypes in Product Advertising

Today’s post was written by Laney Stevenson, Archives Technician at the National Archives at College Park. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve gathered together some registered patent labels representing standards of beauty for women in the first half of the 20th century as well as depictions of women reinforcing stereotypes commonly held at the … Continue reading How Women Look: Standards of Beauty and Female Stereotypes in Product Advertising

What Women Want: Patent Labels of Products Marketed to Women

Today's post was written by Laney Stevenson, Archives Technician at the National Archives at College Park. In honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve gathered together some registered patent labels for products created for and marketed to women. All of the labels are from Record Group 241, Records of the Patent and Trademark Office, Case Files … Continue reading What Women Want: Patent Labels of Products Marketed to Women

Women in Police Work, 1922

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. In May 1922, the British embassy in Washington contacted the Department of State at the direction of authorities in London. The British ("His Britannic Majesty's Government") wanted to know about the work of women … Continue reading Women in Police Work, 1922

“We’re not as bad as we look”: Girls’ Education at the Albuquerque Indian School

Today's post is written by Jennifer Eltringham, an intern at the National Archives at Denver. The Albuquerque Indian School was founded in in 1881 during a push to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American culture through education at off-reservation boarding schools. By removing children from their families and culture, educators hoped to “Kill the Indian, save … Continue reading “We’re not as bad as we look”: Girls’ Education at the Albuquerque Indian School

US Civil Service Commission response regarding the employment of married women

Married Women in the U.S. Government, c. 1945

By David Langbart One never knows what will be found in the files.  While undertaking holdings maintenance on some records, the document described here appeared. In September 1945, just after the formal end of World War II, the British embassy in Washington sent a diplomatic note to the Department of State requesting some information.  In … Continue reading Married Women in the U.S. Government, c. 1945

Before She Became The Ardelia Hall of the Department of State, Part II: Miss Hall as Consultant with the Department of State

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, MD. On October 6, 1945, the day Ardelia Hall was terminated from the Strategic Services Unit, she met with Charles B. Sawyer regarding the translation of Japanese laws regarding arts and monuments and concerning the formation of a working … Continue reading Before She Became The Ardelia Hall of the Department of State, Part II: Miss Hall as Consultant with the Department of State

Before She Became The Ardelia Hall of the Department of State, Part I: Miss Hall and the Office of Strategic Services

Today's post was written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives in College Park, MD. Anyone studying World War II and postwar issues regarding cultural property knows the name Ardelia Hall, either because they know of her work as Monuments and Fine Arts adviser at the Department of State from 1946 to 1962 and/or … Continue reading Before She Became The Ardelia Hall of the Department of State, Part I: Miss Hall and the Office of Strategic Services

Julianna Bumbar: A Monuments Woman

Today's post, written by  Dr. Sylvia Naylor, is the next installment to an ongoing series of posts on real-life Monuments Men. See related posts on Sir Charles Leonard Woolley, Walter J. Huchthausen, Seymour J. Pomrenze, Mason Hammond, Edith Standen, Karol Estreicher, S. Lane Faison, Sir Hilary Jenkinson, Walter Horn, Douglas Cooper, Ronald Balfour and Walker Hancock. The newly released movie, The Monuments Men, has focused great attention on … Continue reading Julianna Bumbar: A Monuments Woman