Prologue: Pieces of History

When Washington Post reporter Christian Davenport uncovered the headstones of American veterans lying in a murky stream bed at Arlington National Cemetery this month, NARA’s National Personnel Records Center was solicited to help identify one of the partially legible grave markers. Officials at Arlington National Cemetery were unsure how the stones got into the creek, to [...]

The New York Times called it “engrossing and eminently fascinating.” The Richmond Times Dispatch said “Discovering the Civil War” “isn’t your typical Civil War retrospective.” And the Neue Zurcher Zeitung called the National Archives’ newest exhibit, “einer grandiosen Ausstellung in Washington.” Wait . . . was that German? Yes, DCTW isn’t just making a splash [...]

It’s Friday, and it’s time for facial hair! But it’s not entirely clear if Col. Howe qualifies, as his “beard” seems to extend upwards from his neck, skipping his chin entirely. What do you think?

Ladies and Gentlemen, what a contest! After long deliberation, the Archivist of the United States has settled on a winning caption from last week’s photo caption contest. Its author will win eternal fame, fortune, and a 30% discount from the Archives eStore. Congratulations to Marilyn R, who won with the following caption: Project Runway: The [...]

Oil is washing up onto the shores of Louisiana and Florida. But these are not the only American shores to suffer environmental catastrophe from oil spills. In 1972, Hurricane Agnes took an unusual turn over the East Coast. After passing over Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, the storm swung back over the Atlantic and [...]