This post was created in collaboration with Sarah Bseirani, Archivist, and Hilda Gitchell, Archives Technician, in the Still Picture Branch. Former President Jimmy Carter passed away on December 29, 2024 at his home in Plains, Georgia at the age of 100. At the time of his passing, President Carter was the longest-lived president in U.S ..read more

In 1945, the U.S. Government faced low morale and growing frustration over undelivered mail amongst those serving in Europe. It was decided the large backlog of undistributed mail would be dealt with by the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. The battalion, nicknamed the “Six-Triple Eight,” was a multi-ethnic unit of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) comprised ..read more

Going to war is never easy. Going to war in dangerous circumstances is even harder. But sentimental trinkets can soften the burden. “Short Snorters” were sentimental enough for this task. Before World War II a “short snort” was used as slang for a small shot of liquor. Similarly, during this time pilots had discovered that ..read more

Being the week of Thanksgiving, this time of year is usually all about pie. But National Cake Day sneaks in on November 26! To honor the delicious treat during a time when it may be overshadowed by its flaky-crust cousins, please enjoy this collection of images from the Still Picture Branch holdings of tasty cakes ..read more

For over a century, school traditions, pride, and rivalries have fostered a sense of community within college football, contributing to its popularity and making it one of America’s favorite sports. As the popularity of college football grew in America during the interwar period, newsreels started covering the sport as part of their regular news releases ..read more

From Rocket Belts to Air Cars, the National Archives and Records Administration holds many records related to the tests and demonstrations of the US Military's various experimental vehicles throughout the decades. Here in the Still Picture Branch, we have photographs showing the early adoption of new technologies like the Jet Pack and the Aerocycle, which were driven by the unique needs of military transportation at the time they were developed ..read more

The World Series gets underway this week as the New York Yankees face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Regardless which home team you root for during the regular season, anyone who enjoys history should enjoy the series between these two iconic baseball teams. They’ve played each other twelve times for the baseball world championship, beginning in 1941 ..read more

This October 26, 2024 marks the 82nd anniversary of the sinking of the SS President Coolidge. On October 26, 1942, the ship attempted to enter the harbor of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. However, as the ship entered the largest channel, it struck an American mine. The mine was unfortunately omitted from the ship’s sailing orders for ..read more

“Thirty women pilots have groomed their ships for a wholesale assault today and tomorrow on man’s supremacy in the air.” This quote is taken from a newspaper clipping from the production file for Universal Newsreel volume 7, release 406. Since the early years of aviation, airshows and air derbies have allowed pilots to test their ..read more

Over the course of 78 years, more than 500 million people have seen the Blue Angels perform at air shows around the world and have witnessed the power and grace of some of the US Navy’s aircraft. The vision to establish a Naval flight exhibition team came in 1946 from the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz, with hopes of boosting Navy morale and demonstrating Naval air superiority. Within a year, the team began flying its famous diamond formation that is still used to this day ..read more