May 2009
Washington, DC, Area Events

Program Highlights

• BIG!
  Programs in connection with our new exhibit, “BIG! Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the National Archives.” (May 7, 13, 14, 23, 27)
• Freedom of Expression
  A panel discussion on law, history, and politics of individual rights in the United States. (May 14)
• Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
  A movies and book lecture relating to Lincoln and the Civil War.  (May 16, 19)
• Jewish American Heritage
  A panel discussion on the creation of the National Museum of American Jewish History. (May 21)
• Know Your Records Programs
  A variety of programs explore records held by the National Archives. (May 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 16, 19, 26, 28, 30)

 

Thursday, May 7, at 7 p.m.
The BIG Picture: The Evolution of the Wide Screen Film –
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
William G. McGowan Theater
The Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), in partnership with The Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film and the Foundation for the National Archives, presents an illustrated lecture by Rob "Dr. Format" Hummel, tracing the history of motion picture formats from the silent era to the 21st century. Hummel is a member of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council. Following the lecture, we will present the 1988 feature film, Tucker: The Man and His Dream (110 minutes.) Featuring outstanding wide screen cinematography by Vittorio Storaro, this stylish film tells the true story of Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges), who in the late 1940s challenged the Big Three automakers with his innovative designs and safety features. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. We will be screening a 35mm print courtesy of AMPAS.

Wednesday, May 13, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
BIG Songs from a BIG Collapse: The Music of the Great Depression
Michael Lasser presents “Let’s Go Slumming, Nose-Thumbing, at Park Avenue,” a lecture on the popular songs of the Great Depression and their contrast with the music of the hedonistic Roaring Twenties. Lasser will discuss the history of this rich generation of songs and songwriters with an emphasis on the themes of class consciousness, unemployment, and social unrest. He is the host of “Fascinatin’ Rhythm,” a nationally syndicated radio show, as well as co-author (with Phillip Furia) of the recent book America’s Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley. A book signing will follow the program.

Thursday, May 14, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
When Television Became BIG
By the mid-1950s, television had arrived. In 1954, when 80 percent of all American living rooms had a television set, a Senate investigation into juvenile delinquency examined television’s role in that growing problem. A chart used in those hearings is part of the exhibit "BIG!" Independent scholar David Weinstein (The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television) will discuss the early days of television and how it evolved and grew during the 1950s. Joining Weinstein will be Arthur Forrest, who in the late 1940s (as a teenager) began a distinguished television career at WABD in New York. He later worked as a cameraman and director on such shows as Captain Video, Wonderama, and The Jerry Lewis Telethon. Also joining in the discussion will be Jim Silman, who began at WTOP-TV in Washington, DC in 1951, and went on produce and direct such local kid shows as Pick Temple’s Ranch and Ranger Hal, eventually becoming WTOP’s Program Director. The program will feature clips from classic television shows of the 1950s.

Saturday, May 23, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
BIG! Film Series
The Best Years of Our Lives
Three World War II veterans (Dana Andrews, Frederic March, Harold Russell) return home to small-town America to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed. Adapted from MacKinley Kantor’s novella, The Best Years of Our Lives won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Directed by William Wyler. (1946; 176 minutes)

Wednesday, May 27, at noon
Jefferson Room
BIG Economic Impact
Join us as Amity Shlaes discusses her book The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression, which draws parallels between the Great Depression and the current economic situation. Shlaes rejects the conventional interpretation that the Depression represented capitalism’s failure and that FDR’s New Deal helped Americans weather hard times. She argues that it was Government intervention that made the Depression great and that seeking to act like FDR today will create large-scale budgetary obligations. A book signing will follow the program.

Freedom of Expression

Thursday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater
Free Expression and Democracy in America
From our nation’s beginnings to the present, numerous Federal and local officials have endorsed the silencing of free expression. But is our level of freedom determined not only by the Supreme Court but also by cultural, social, and economic forces? Join Ronald K.L. Collins, scholar at the First Amendment Center, as he moderates a distinguished panel discussing law, history, and politics of individual rights in the United States. The panel includes Stephen M. Feldman, professor of political science at the University of Wyoming and author of Free Expression and Democracy in America; Judge Thomas L. Ambro, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; and David M. O’Brien, professor of judicial politics and public law at the University of Virginia. This program is presented in partnership with the Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center. A book signing will follow the program.

Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial

Saturday, May 16, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Adapted from Robert E. Sherwood’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play, the movie Abe Lincoln in Illinois covers the first chapter in Abraham Lincoln’s life, starting with his early years as a Kentucky woodsman and ending with his election to the Presidency in 1860. One of the most loved and revered Presidents, Lincoln (Raymond Massey) is portrayed with a dark side that includes doubts, fears, and indecision during his early career. (1940; 110 minutes)

Tuesday, May 19, at noon
William G. McGowan Theater
1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History
Join us as Charles Bracelen Flood discusses his book 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History. In his narrative, Flood brings to life the drama of Lincoln’s final year, in which he oversaw the final campaigns of the Civil War, was reelected President, and laid out his vision for the nation’s future in a reunified South and in the expanding of the West. A book signing will follow the program.

Jewish American Heritage

Thursday, May 21, at 7 pm
William G. McGowan Theater
Exhibiting the American Jewish Experience
To commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month, we present a panel of distinguished speakers who will discuss the creation and importance of the National Museum of American Jewish History, to open in Philadelphia in fall 2010. Gwen Goodman, executive director of the National Museum of American Jewish History, will moderate a panel including Patrick Gallagher, president of Gallagher and Associates, responsible for the exhibition design; Robert Young of Polshek Partnership Architects, responsible for the building design; and Jonathan Sarna, Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University.

Know Your Records Programs: May

Tuesday, May 5, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Native American Records at Footnote.com
A growing collection of National Archives records relating to Native Americans is available at Footnote.com. These include Dawes Commission records, treaties, and census rolls. We will review the available records, how to search the site for best results, and how this online resource can make Native American research easier and more effective. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, May 7, at 11 a.m.)

Wednesday, May 6, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy
Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records. This lecture occurs on the first Wednesday of the month. The next lecture will take place on Wednesday, June 3.

Tuesday, May 12, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
“Discovering the Civil War” Exhibit
Senior Curator Bruce Bustard will discuss the National Archives’ upcoming “Discovering the Civil War” exhibit (opening in April 2010) and share some of his favorite discoveries from the exhibit team's research. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, May 14, at 11 a.m.).

Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
Introduction to Genealogy
Archives staff will present a lecture on basic genealogical research in Federal records on select Saturdays. The next weekend lecture will take place on Saturday, June 13.

Saturday, May 16, noon–4 p.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue
“Help! I'm Stuck”
Not sure where to begin your research? Is there a genealogical or historical problem that has stumped you? Would you like to explore new directions in your research? On select Saturdays, an archivist will be available from noon to 4 p.m. to answer questions. Look for the sign at the Research Center desk reading, “Help! I'm Stuck.” The next weekend opportunity will be on Saturday, June 13.

Tuesday, May 19, at 11 a.m. and noon
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
From the Records Book Group and Lecture
Following a related presentation at 11 a.m., the From the Records Book Group will discuss Railroads in the Civil War: The Impact of Management on Victory and Defeat by John Elwood Clark. Please check the Archives Shop (202-357-5271) for book availability and a special discount for book group participants. The September book selection will be The General and the Jaguar: Pershing’s Hunt for Pancho Villa: A True Story of Revolution and Revenge by Eileen Welsome.

Tuesday, May 26, at 11 a.m.
Room G-24, Research Center (Enter on Pennsylvania Avenue)
History of Filipinos in the DC Area Before 1965
Rita Cacas, archives specialist, will discuss her research for a forthcoming book on Filipinos in the Washington, DC, area. Upon annexation of the Philippines to the United States in 1898, Filipinos arrived in the U.S. as foreign nationals. While a large number of Filipinos settled in the west coast, many settled in the Washington, DC, area in the first half of the 20th century. The talk will include records and images from the National Archives. (This lecture will be repeated at the National Archives at College Park, MD, in Lecture Room B, on Thursday, May 28 at 11 A.M.).

Saturday, May 30, 10:15 a.m.–2 p.m.
William G. McGowan Theater (Enter on Constitution Avenue at the Special Events entrance)
An Introduction to Genealogy: An African American Perspective
Deborah Daniels, American Legacy magazine, and Reginald Washington, staff archivist, will present a workshop on basic genealogical research and techniques. They will discuss the use of oral history, pedigree charts, family group sheets, and other resources including Federal, state, and local records available for African American family research. Reservations are required, and a fee of $20 is payable by cash or check at the door. Call 202-357-5333.

Exhibits

Permanent Exhibits

Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom:The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights are on permanent display in the Rotunda. "A New World Is at Hand" surrounds the Rotunda's centerpiece cases. Presenting a selection of milestone documents, the exhibit chronicles the creation of the Charters of Freedom in the 18th century and their impact on the course of history in the United States and around the world.

The Public Vaults: This interactive exhibit invites visitors into the stacks and vaults of the National Archives to explore the raw material from which history is made. From Washington's letters, Lincoln's telegrams, and FDR's fireside chats to UFO reports and declassified secrets of World War II, these documents chronicle both great national events and the lives of individual Americans.

Magna Carta: This foundation document of English common law was confirmed by Edward I in 1297. Only four originals of the 1297 Magna Carta remain, and only one permanently resides in the United States. Purchased by David M. Rubenstein in 2007, it is on loan to the National Archives. West Rotunda Gallery.

Special Exhibit in Washington, DC

BIG!

To celebrate a big anniversary—our 75th—the National Archives presents an exhibit featuring big records, big events, and big ideas. See the nation’s original records in their full-scale glory, including the 13-foot scroll of the Articles of Confederation (never before displayed unrolled) and a 13-by-13-foot map of the Gettysburg Battlefield. Also featured are a gigantic footprint of a dinosaur and the size 22 sneakers of basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. Embodying America's biggest idea, the first printing of the Declaration of Independence produced on the night of July 4–5, 1776—one of the greatest treasures in our holdings—is a special highlight of the exhibit.
Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery through January 3, 2010

Special Exhibit in College Park, Maryland

Auditorium Lobby at the National Archives Research Center:

"The Long View" features digitally produced facsimiles of historic panoramic photographs from the Still Picture holdings.

The exhibit not only showcases the wide variety of panoramic techniques, but also includes National Archives records such as cartographic maps and patent drawings that relate to the photographs. Thirty-four panoramas and other records are on display and span the period from 1864 to 1997.
See more panoramas online.

Online Exhibits

Dozens of exhibits can be experienced online. Visit Now!

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