Prologue: Pieces of History

Who knew that legs emerging from a plane would inspired so many captions about lost earrings, carnivorous aircraft, and close quarter combat? We went straight to the top for this one, and asked Debra Steidel Wall, our newly named Deputy Archivist, to be our guest judge. Congratulations to Towner B! Check your email for a [...]

Feeling the urge to plant a vegetable garden?  During World War I and World War II, citizens were encouraged to plant victory gardens as part of the war effort so that more food could be sent overseas to the troops. Even the White House had a Victory Garden at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Because many [...]

On June 21 in New York City, the United Nations General Assembly reappointed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to a second consecutive five-year term. As he took the oath of office, his left hand was placed on the cover of the original United Nations Charter. At the request of the Secretary General, the National Archives made arrangements [...]

Did you know that the 13 Presidential libraries are part of the National Archives? The National Archives is a nonpartisan agency, and we care for all the paper and digital records—as well as Presidential gifts and other items—that are part of the President’s legacy. These documents are preserved and made accessible at the 13 Presidential [...]

Americans are used to waiting in line for things they really want: tickets to a rock concert, a World Series game or a controversial new movie, for example. At the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, this week some people  waited all night for a brief look at one of the nation’s most historic documents — the [...]