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Archivists are hard at work trying to save Ukraine’s digital history

John Fea   |  April 14, 2022

Here is Ally Markovich at “Berkeleyside”: When Russia launched its war on Ukraine six weeks ago, a frenzied attempt to save the country’s cultural heritage from destruction began: Religious artifacts were moved underground to secret bunkers in Ukrainian cities.  But...

The American Historical Association condemns Trump’s violation of the Presidential Records Act

John Fea   |  February 15, 2022

From the AHA website: The American Historical Association condemns in the strongest terms former President Donald J. Trump’s reported extensive and repeated violations of the Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978. The PRA requires that: Through the implementation of records...

The Georgia Historical Society reopens with major upgrades

John Fea   |  January 28, 2022

The Georgia Historical Society research center just reopened after a $5 million upgrade. This looks like great news for researchers and historians of Georgia. Here is a taste of Benjamin Payne’s piece at The Current: The Georgia Historical Society’s research...

Archiving COVID-19

John Fea   |  March 9, 2021

Queens College (CUNY) has begun a COVID-19 Collection. Katie McBridge Moench of JSTOR Daily talks with Annie Tummino, the Head of Special Collections and Archives at the college. Here is a taste of their interview: Katie McBride Moench: How did...

History and Trump’s White House records

John Fea   |  January 16, 2021

Historians are concerned that the Trump administration record-keeping habits are going to leave a “hole” in history. Here is Deb Riechmann at the Associated Press: The public won’t see President Donald Trump’s White House records for years, but there’s growing...

Yale acquires new Frederick Douglass documents

John Fea   |  July 20, 2020

According to this piece at NPR, Yale University has acquired the seldom seen Frederick Douglass papers used by David Blight in his book Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. Here is a taste: For years, researchers interested in the life of...

The Boston Public Library needs your help transcribing anti-slavery documents

John Fea   |  June 24, 2020

The Boston Public Library has an impressive collection of anti-slavery documents and they are looking for volunteers to help them bring the collection online in a digital format. Here is a taste of the project: The Boston Public Library’s Anti-Slavery...

Alabama Department of Archives & History apologizes for promoting a Confederate view of history

John Fea   |  June 24, 2020

Here is the statement from the Department of Archives & History: As our state and nation struggle to navigate through a place of contention, fear, and uncertainty, the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) recommits itself to the mission...

The *Philadelphia Inquirer* Responds to the Financial Struggles of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania

John Fea   |  February 21, 2020

I spent a lot of time in the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP) in the 1990s when I was writing my doctoral dissertation.  I have also lectured there a few times.  So needless to say I was saddened to learn...

What’s New at the Billy Graham Center Archives?

John Fea   |  February 15, 2020

If you study American evangelicalism, you have probably made a visit to the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College.  Last year the archives lost the papers of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, but it also acquired some very interesting...

In Search of Impeachment Artifacts

John Fea   |  February 1, 2020

The National Museum of American History wants them.  Here is Peggy McGlone at The Washington Post: Years from now, when school groups visit the National Museum of American History, they might learn about the impeachment of a president through a fidget...

The National Archives is “out of the photoshop business”

John Fea   |  January 19, 2020

On Friday we called your attention to the doctored picture of the 2017 Women’s March on display at the National Archives.  Now the National Archives are apologizing for the picture.  Here is a taste of Steven Thompson’s and Joe Heim’s...

The National Archives Edited-Out Anti-Trump Signs in an Image of the 2017 Women’s March

John Fea   |  January 17, 2020

  Here is Joe Heim at The Washington Post: The large color photograph that greets visitors to a National Archives exhibit celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage shows a massive crowd filling Pennsylvania Avenue NW for the Women’s March on Jan....

Robert Caro’s Papers Go to the New-York Historical Society

John Fea   |  January 16, 2020

The last time I checked, author and historian Robert Caro was still writing the fifth volume in his massive history of Lyndon B. Johnson.  I’ve written a few posts on Caro over the years because I am always fascinated by...

Have You Visited the Billy Graham Center Archives?

John Fea   |  January 2, 2020

Last year evangelist Franklin Graham moved the papers of his father, Billy Graham, from the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.  We commented here and here and here. Despite the...

The Huntington Library Acquires New Collections on Slavery

John Fea   |  November 15, 2019

Here is Pasadena Now: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens announced today that it has acquired two collections related to abolition and slavery in 19th-century America, including an exceptionally rare account book from the Underground Railroad. The first group...

Five New Digitized Manuscript Collections at the William L. Clements Library

John Fea   |  October 9, 2019

They are: African American History Collection, 1729-1966 (bulk 1781-1865) at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/a/africanamer/ Lydia Maria Child Papers, 1831-1894 at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/child/ Fort Wayne Indian Agency Collection, 1801-1815 at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/fortwayne/ Henry James Family Correspondence, 1855-1865 (bulk 1859-1865) at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jameshenry/ Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society Papers, 1848-1868 at: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rochester/...

An Introduction to the Winthrop Family Papers

John Fea   |  October 2, 2019

Peter Olsen-Harbich, a Ph.D Candidate at William & Mary, reflects on his experience working with the Winthrop Family Papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society.  Here is a taste: Among the austere manuscripts of the Massachusetts Historical Society’s collection resides an...

“The Excavation of Rachel H. Flowers”

John Fea   |  September 10, 2019

Check out my Messiah College history colleague Bernardo Michael and Messiah history alum Christina Thomas in this short documentary on Christina’s work on Rachel Flowers, the first African American student to graduate from Messiah.  Christina is currently a doctoral candidate...

Some Good News on the Billy Graham Papers Front

John Fea   |  July 1, 2019

As many of you know, we have been covering the move of the Billy Graham Papers from Wheaton College to the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. Much of our coverage has been negative.  I have expressed concern that...

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