The National Archives has all kinds of treasures in its stacks, and one way we share them with the public is through our social media account “Today’s Document.” Available to follow on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, Today’s Document highlights all sorts of records from the curious to the mundane every single day
Some of our documents capture landmark moments in U.S. history, such as this 1783 map showing the borders of the newly independent United States.
Others show tantalizing glimpses of everyday life in a vanished world. One series of photographs we find particularly interesting show the people displaced by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1938. Here is a family picture we recently shared, showing the Glandon family in their home:
"The Glandon family around the fireplace in their home at Bridges Chapel near Loydston[sic], Tennessee. Glandon's wife plays both the guitar and the organ." National Archives Identifier 532689
Recently, we shared this deposition of George Rheims, from an Admiralty case for limiting the liability of the White Star Line for the sinking of the Titanic. Rheims describes seeing the iceberg through a window in the corridor and jumping off the ship before it went down. You can read his whole account here.
Other records are a bit fun. Here is the death certificate of Merian C. Cooper, a soldier in World War I. He added a handwritten note informing the Army that he was not, in fact, dead. Cooper went on to direct the movie King Kong about 15 years later.
We also shared this photograph of First Lady Nancy Reagan on the set of the 1980’s sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (called “Different Strokes” in the photo’s official title).
Nancy Reagan Holds a T-Shirt During Rehearsal and Taping of Television Show "Different Strokes" with Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges, Dana Plato, and Mary Jo Cattlett at Universal Studios in Los Angeles California, National Archives Identifier 75852697
Interested in seeing more? You can follow the Today’s Document account on X (Twitter), Tumblr, and Facebook.
It’s been one year since we launched the next generation National Archives Catalog and the legacy Catalog will be retired on November 30, 2023.
Earlier this month, the next generation National Archives Catalog refined date searching in the Advanced Search. You can access the Advanced Search to the right of every search box or at the top of every Catalog page. See the screenshots below for tips on using this feature.
Once in the Advanced Search, enter your keywords, then scroll down to the date fields.
When you click on one of the date fields, you’ll get a search box and a dropdown list. Select the appropriate dates for your search.
Once you’ve entered your date parameters, scroll further down the page and click “Search.”
Has “Today’s Document” inspired you to do some research of your own? Not sure where to start? Bring your questions to History Hub! See past questions such as:
Make History Hub your first stop! You can ask—or answer—questions on History Hub, or see if your question has already been answered! Check out our recent newsletter for more details, information, and instructions about using History Hub for your research.
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