Today's Document

Headed to the Naval Academy’s Graduation Ball this...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:05:33 -0400

Headed to the Naval Academy’s Graduation Ball this evening? How to Succeed with Brunettes (1967) may provide a few last-minute tips on military etiquette at the ball and around town.

Following our series of GIF versions, here it is presented in full, courtesy of our colleagues in the National Archives’ Motion Picture Preservation Lab this Navy training film demonstrates proper dating etiquette for officers. Part of a recent accession of military instructional films from the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC), the somewhat dated film features wonderful music, evocative of its era, and a fair bit of comedy, both intentional and unintentional.

via Media Matters: Don’t Shut Your Date in the Door: Military Dating Dos and Don’ts

This evening Midshipmen Wrong and Right could be headed to the...

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:04:40 -0400

"Here's a beautiful way to succeed with brunettes at a dance, at a party wherever you may go. leave her to shift for herself occasionally. She'll appreciate you all the more when you do return…"

"Mmm…dancing"

"How to succeed with brunettes? Be a gentleman."

This evening Midshipmen Wrong and Right could be headed to the Naval Academy’s Graduation Ball in this next installment of the U.S. Navy’s vintage Dating Dos and Don’ts training film: How to Succeed with Brunettes.

In case you missed it, some background from the previous posts:

Courtesy of our colleagues in the National Archives’ Motion Picture Preservation Lab we present How to Succeed with Brunettes (1967), a film produced by the Navy that demonstrates proper dating etiquette for officers. Part of a recentaccession of military instructional films from the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC), the somewhat dated film features wonderful music, evocative of its era, and a fair bit of comedy, both intentional and unintentional.

via Media Matters: Don’t Shut Your Date in the Door: Military Dating Dos and Don’ts

usnatarchives: From May 22 to 31, the digital collection of the...

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:15:30 -0400

usnatarchives:

From May 22 to 31, the digital collection of the USCT Service Records will be free on www.Fold3.com.

On May 22, 1863, the War Department issued General Orders 143, establishing a Bureau of Colored Troops in the Adjutant General’s Office to recruit and organize African American soldiers to fight for the Union Army. With this order, all African American regiments were designated as United States Colored Troops (USCT).

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the USCT, and the National Archives is pleased to announce the completion of the USCT Service Records Digitization Project. In partnership with Fold3, the project provides online access to all service records—more than 3.8 million images—of Union volunteers in USCT units.

Remember: All National Archives collections on Fold3.com can always be viewed for free at a computer at any National Archives facility nationwide.

The photo and paperwork above come from the compiled military service records of former slave Edmund Delaney. Read his story on the Prologue blog.

War Department General Order 143: Ordering the Creation of the...

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

Photograph of United States Colored Troops at Port Hudson, Louisiana, 1864 ARC Identifier 594179

War Department General Order 143 Ordering the Creation of the U.S. Colored Troops, 05/22/1863 ARC Identifier 4662603

Page 2 - War Department General Order 143 Ordering the Creation of the U.S. Colored Troops, 05/22/1863 ARC Identifier 4662603

Photograph of Private Hubbard Pryor before enlistment in 44th U.S. Colored Troops: 10/10/1864 ARC Identifier 849127

Photograph of Private Hubbard Pryor After Enlistment in 44th U.S. Colored Troops: 10/10/1864 ARC Identifier 849136

War Department General Order 143: Ordering the Creation of the U.S. Colored Troops, May 22, 1863

The outbreak of the Civil War set off a rush by free black men to enlist in U.S. military units. They were turned away, however, because a Federal law dating from 1792 barred Negroes from bearing arms for the U.S. Army. The Lincoln administration wrestled with the idea of authorizing the recruitment of black troops, concerned that such a move would prompt the border states to secede.

However, following the Emancipation Proclamation and faced with dwindling white volunteers, black recruitment was pursued in earnest. Volunteers from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Massachusetts filled the first authorized black regiments. Recruitment was slow until black leaders such as Frederick Douglass encouraged black men to become soldiers to ensure eventual full citizenship. (Two of Douglass’s own sons contributed to the war effort.) Volunteers began to respond, and in May 1863 the Government established the Bureau of Colored Troops to manage the burgeoning numbers of black soldiers. By the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10 percent of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army, and another 19,000 served in the Navy.

via Our Documents

Midshipmen Wrong and Right are back for another...

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:15:27 -0400

"Doors afford a continued supply of chances to make an impression on your companion. Don't pass one up, it's always good for a laugh and an opportunity to show off your leadership qualities…"

"No, you don't grab her arm. You offer assistance…Yes, doors do offer an excellent chance to make a good impression. It's a way to show your respect for ladies…it's the way to succeed with brunettes"

How to succeed in business, or with brunettes, or with blondes. They're all important missions wouldn't you agree? Well, here's one way to tackle the brunette problem. See what you think…

"When you get to your table sit down immediately; shows you're relaxed. Help with her coat? Well, you helped her on with it. Besides it's her coat, she should have checked it…"

"Ladies first…She'll expect you to help her off with her coat and arrange it over the back of her chair…No, she shouldn't have checked it…There, she has an excellent view of the room. Good thinking."

Midshipmen Wrong and Right are back for another vintage installment of the U.S. Navy’s Dating Dos and Don’ts training film: How to Succeed with Brunettes.

(See if you can guess which one is Midshipman “Wrong.”)

In case you missed it, some background from the previous post:

Courtesy of our colleagues in the National Archives’ Motion Picture Preservation Lab we present How to Succeed with Brunettes (1967), a film produced by the Navy that demonstrates proper dating etiquette for officers. Part of a recentaccession of military instructional films from the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC), the somewhat dated film features wonderful music, evocative of its era, and a fair bit of comedy, both intentional and unintentional.

via Media Matters: Don’t Shut Your Date in the Door: Military Dating Dos and Don’ts

American Red Cross in Great Britain. One unit of the famous...

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:55:43 -0400

American Red Cross in Great Britain. One unit of the famous “Flying Squadron” priding themselves on being able to get under way within three minutes of the time a call is received. American Red Cross., ca. 1918

Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross on May 21, 1881, after her experience with the International Red Cross in Europe, focused on providing disaster relief and support for military veterans, still core parts of their mission today.

A vintage 1970s Levi’s display, courtesy of #Documerica,...

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:04:08 -0400

A vintage 1970s Levi’s display, courtesy of #Documerica, on the anniversary of their patent for an “improvement in fastening pocket openings.”

usnatarchivesexhibits:

LEVI JEANS DISPLAY CASE

From the Records of the Environmental Protection Agency (12/02/1970-)

Today is the 140th anniversary of the Levi’s jeans patent! Keeping their enduring popularity as a blue jeans company from their establishment through today.

As the U.S. Naval Academy gears up for Commissioning Week and...

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:35:00 -0400

How to succeed in business, or with brunettes, or with blondes. They're all important missions wouldn't you agree? Well, here's one way to tackle the brunette problem. See what you think…

First of all, be late. That will show show her you're a busy important person, that you're not too interested in her.

How about starting by being on time arrive on time…and let's face it, a good looking girl isn't going to wait around too long for anybody…

[rings repeatedly] Play hard to get. after all you're worth waiting for. This will make a great first impression.

[rings once]

As the U.S. Naval Academy gears up for Commissioning Week and the Graduation Ball, what better time to post some vintage dating dos and don’ts from Midshipmen Wrong and Right?

Courtesy of our colleagues in the National Archives’ Motion Picture Preservation Lab we present How to Succeed with Brunettes (1967), a film produced by the Navy that demonstrates proper dating etiquette for officers. Part of a recent accession of military instructional films from the Defense Visual Information Center (DVIC), the somewhat dated film features wonderful music, evocative of its era, and a fair bit of comedy, both intentional and unintentional.

via Media Matters: Don’t Shut Your Date in the Door: Military Dating Dos and Don’ts

Be sure to check back - we’ll be posting more vintage Dating Dos and Don’ts over the next few days!

On May 20, 1873, Jacob W. Davis of Levi Strauss &...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:53:47 -0400

On May 20, 1873, Jacob W. Davis of Levi Strauss & Co. received patent #139,121 for an “improvement in fastening pocket openings.” Davis’s improvement consisted of “the employment of a metal rivet or eyelet at each edge of the pocket opening to prevent the ripping of the seam at those points.”

In a deposition given during a patent infringement lawsuit in 1874, Davis recounts the story of how he came to first use rivets on work pants. He explains how, in January 1871, a woman asked him to make a pair of pants for her husband and to make them strong. Before working on the pants, he had been using rivets to attach straps to horse blankets, and when he noticed the rivets lying on the table, he thought to use them to attach the pockets.

Patent Drawing for J. W. Davis’ Fastening Pocket Openings, 05/20/1873

via Prologue: Forever in blue jeans…and in court

Douglas Bly’s Improved Artificial Leg,...

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:00:34 -0400

Douglas Bly’s Improved Artificial Leg, Patented 05/19/1863

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the ambitious but...

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:00:49 -0400

President Franklin Roosevelt signed the ambitious but controversial Tennessee Valley Authority Act 80 years ago on May 18, 1933, to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected by the Great Depression.

Excerpts from:

THE TVA AT WORK, 1935 (watch on YouTube)
TENNESSEE VALLEY, 1936 (watch on YouTube)

ourpresidents: Bill to Break the Sound Barrier If you were the...

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:30:24 -0400

ourpresidents:

Bill to Break the Sound Barrier

If you were the first woman to break the sound barrier, who would you pick to fly the chase plane behind you?

Jacqueline Cochran tapped her friend, Colonel Chuck Yeager for the task for her May 18, 1953 flight. A logical decision, since he was the first pilot to break the barrier in 1947.

Here is his final bill for his expenses, including the replacement of dead chickens that stampeded when her low-flying Sabre jet flew over a ranch.

More — Jacqueline Cochran, World Famous Aviatrix

-from the Eisenhower Library

The siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi by Union forces under Major...

Sat, 18 May 2013 09:00:39 -0400

The siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi by Union forces under Major General Ulysses S. Grant began 150 years ago on May 18, 1863. Confederates forces would surrender the fortress city after 40 days, effectively yielding control of the Mississippi River to the Union.

Map of the Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., By the U. S. Forces Under the Command of Maj. Genl. U. S. Grant, U. S. Vls., Maj. F. E. Prime, Chief Engr. Surveyed and constructed under direction of Capt. C. B. Comstock, U.S. Engrs., and Lt. Col. J. H. Wilson, A. I. Genl. 1st Lt., Engrs….Drawn by Chs. Spangenberg, Asst. Engr., 08/20/1863

usnatarchives: It’s Bike to Work Day! For today’s Flashback...

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:49 -0400

usnatarchives:

It’s Bike to Work Day! For today’s Flashback Friday post in honor of our exhibit “Searching for the Seventies” we found this DOCUMERICA photo of a bike in El Paso, Texas, in 1972.

“El Paso’s Second Ward, a Chicano Neighborhood, 06/1972”
Danny Lyon, Photographer.

Did you have a bike in the 1970s? Did it have a banana seat? Streamers flowing from the handlebars?

“My chrome is shining just like an icicle
I ride around town on my lowrider bicycle…”

(possibly gratuitous but almost certainly requisite Beastie Boys quote)

congressarchives: Congress in the Archives will feature monthly...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:53:24 -0400

congressarchives:

Congress in the Archives will feature monthly staff posts on our blog. Today’s post comes from Center archivist Kristen Wilhelm.

Forty years ago today self proclaimed “ol’ country lawyer” Senator Sam Ervin stepped onto center stage as chairman of the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, better known as the Watergate Committee. Senator Ervin became a household name as an estimated 85% of U.S. households viewed at least some of the hearings broadcast that summer.

Attorney General John Mitchell, shown in the photo, was one of the high-level Nixon administration figures whose testimony was broadcast. For the committee, bringing the hearings directly to the people was vital. As stated in its Final Report: “The full import of the hearings could only be achieved observing the witnesses and hearing their testimony.”

Photograph of Attorney General John Mitchell, 1973, Records of the U.S. Senate

Major General Winfield Scott’s Order No. 25 Regarding the...

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:15:58 -0400

Major General Winfield Scott’s Order No. 25 Regarding the Removal of Cherokee Indians to the West, 05/17/1838

Following the Indian Removal Act and the controversial New Echota Treaty, the Cherokee Nation agreed to exchange their lands in the southeast for lands in Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) in a move to be completed within 2 years.

Many Cherokees ignored the treaty and refused to move or begin making preparations for removal. As a result, Major General Winfield Scott was ordered to ensure compliance with the treaty and given a large force of regulars and additional state militia and volunteers to force removal if necessary. Nine days after his arrival at the Cherokee Agency in Tennessee, Scott issued General Order 25 on May 17, 1838. In it, he named the members of his staff, established three military districts to expedite “collection” of the Indians, and urged his troops to treat the Indians in a humane fashion.

via DocsTeach

It’s bike to work day! ARIZONA, 05/1972 Terry Eiler,...

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:06:20 -0400

It’s bike to work day!

ARIZONA, 05/1972

Terry Eiler, photographer. From the EPA’s DOCUMERICA series.

(More items from DOCUMERICA are currently on exhibit at the National Archives: “Searching for the Seventies: The DOCUMERICA Photography Project”)

Unfortunately the caption doesn’t tell us much, but we know this smart cyclist remembered his helmet!

Did you bike to work? Tandem? Recumbent? Bikeshare?

The first aircraft to fly the Atlantic (with stops!) There were...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:00:30 -0400

The first aircraft to fly the Atlantic (with stops!)

There were three of these NC-4’s which started across the Atlantic in May 1919 for Europe but only the NC-4 piloted by LCDR. A. C. Read completed the crossing. The flight began at Trepassey, New Foundland on May 16, 1919 and after 17 hours the NC-4 arrived at Horta, Azores. Ten days later it completed the flight arriving at Plymouth, England on May 26, 1919.

usnatarchivesexhibits: VIRGINIA SHEA, LEFT, AND SHARON...

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:01:02 -0400

usnatarchivesexhibits:

VIRGINIA SHEA, LEFT, AND SHARON CARDILLO, ON DOORSTEP OF HOUSE ON NEPTUNE ROAD. THIS IS THE COMMUNITY CLOSEST TO LOGAN AIRPORT, AND RESIDENTS FACE A COMPLEX OF PROBLEMS, FROM AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION TO DWINDLING PROPERTY VALUES. MANY HOUSE EXTERIORS SHOW LACK OF MAINTENANCE. PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO PAY MONEY TO KEEP UP STRUCTURES THEY MAY SOON BE FORCED TO VACATE, 05/1973

From the Records of the Environmental Protection Agency (12/02/1970-)

These ladies exude Seventies style in their bell-bottom jeans.

Source: http://go.usa.gov/2wpH

usnatarchivesexhibits: AFTER A COLD MORNING OF PATROL DUTY...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:11:40 -0400

usnatarchivesexhibits:

AFTER A COLD MORNING OF PATROL DUTY POLICE OFFICER SHEARER AND CHIEF ALLEC ENJOY HOT COFFEE AT MAC’S CAFE, 01/1973

From the Records of the Environmental Protection Agency (12/02/1970-)

Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day, also known as Police Week. Take the opportunity to thank law enforcement officers today!

Source: http://go.usa.gov/2wGV