Memorializing James Longstreet, 1941

In 1941, Helen Dortch Longstreet, widow of Confederate general James Longstreet, and the the Longstreet Memorial Association were planning for the placement of a memorial to the general on the Gettysburg battlefield.  That organization had been “organized on the Gettysburg field by the Veterans of Longstreet’s command during the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration of the battle” … Continue reading Memorializing James Longstreet, 1941

poster w/Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean shown standing in 3 columns with GIANT written below imposed over a sunset

Cutting “Giant” Down to Size

The 1956 motion picture Giant was exactly that.  Three hours and 17 minutes long.  Directed by George Stevens.  Filled with stars: Elizabeth Taylor. Rock Hudson. James Dean (in his last film). Sal Mineo. Dennis Hopper. Carroll Baker. Jane Withers. Chill Wills. Mercedes McCambridge. Rod Taylor.  Music by Dimitri Tiomkin.  “Giant” received 10 Academy Award nominations, … Continue reading Cutting “Giant” Down to Size

“Arias Bernal’s Trip to Washington”: a Mexican Cartoonist Joins the War Effort

Today’s post is written by Daniel Dancis, an Archivist in the Textual Processing Branch at the National Archives, College Park, MD. Antonio Arias Bernal, an accomplished Mexican political cartoonist, came to Washington, D.C. in 1942 at the invitation of the U.S. government to create editorial cartoons to promote the Allied war effort. Prior to being … Continue reading “Arias Bernal’s Trip to Washington”: a Mexican Cartoonist Joins the War Effort

Little Poland en la Hacienda

By Robin Waldman This post was originally published on 4/22/2011. Text Message Blog Editors updated this post on 04/27/2023. Polish refugees perform an Easter pageant in the Mexican sunshine. From 1943 to 1946, Colonia Santa Rosa in Guanajuato, Mexico was the site of a US-government sponsored home for Polish refugees. About 240 miles northwest of Mexico … Continue reading Little Poland en la Hacienda