Searching for Houdini

Today’s post is written by Daniel Dancis, an Archivist in the Textual Records Branch at the National Archives in College Park, MD.  The name itself conjures up visions of handcuffs, underwater submersions, and impossible escapes. For just a moment imagine yourself in a large theater in the early 1900s. From the upper balcony, surrounded by … Continue reading Searching for Houdini

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

Baseball Patents

Today's post is written by archivist David Pfeiffer Yes, spring is here.  Major League Baseball’s opening day is Monday, April 6.  Finally.  It has been a long cold winter.  As Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby once said “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball.  I’ll tell you what I do.  … Continue reading Baseball Patents

Take me out to the ball game

By Robin Waldman I see great things in baseball. It's our game -- the American game. --Walt Whitman Although Benjamin Franklin Shibe died in 1922, his accomplishments had a direct effect on your evening plans for tonight. Never heard of him? You should thank Shibe, if you're among the millions of Americans who are looking … Continue reading Take me out to the ball game