NARA Cartographic Records staff member Amanda Pritchard brings you up to speed in “Census Enumeration District Maps for 1940 and 1950 Available Digitally in Our Catalog.”
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How to Research Satellite Photography
Corbin Apkin, Archivist and NARA’s designated Aerial Film Subject Matter Expert, outlines the process of searching satellite photography for images of interest to you in his newest blog post, “Researching Satellite Photography” on the History Hub.
Over 100 Confederate Maps Now Online
NARA’s Cartographic Records Branch has digitized over 100 maps from RG 109, War Department Collection of Confederate Records. Read about it here: RG 109 Confederate Maps Series Now Digitized and Available Online!
World War I Records Online
April 6, 2017, marked the 100th anniversary of America’s entrance into the Great War. After remaining neutral for three years, the United States reluctantly entered what was supposed to be “The War to End All Wars.” By declaring war, President Woodrow Wilson committed the nation to join the other Allied countries in their efforts to defeat the German-led Central Powers.
As the largest repository of American World War I records, the National Archives invites you to browse the wealth of records and information documenting the U.S. experience in this conflict, including photographs, documents, audiovisual recordings, educational resources, articles, blog posts, lectures, and events from its new World War I Centennial portal. This portal links to selected digitized records.
1950 Census Enumeration District Maps Are Going Online
There’s still 5.7 years to go until the release of the 1950 Census on 1 April 2022, but the National Archives and Records Administration has been working for some time to get ready for that event.
Enumeration District maps involve no privacy restrictions so they can be made available to the public at any time. In “Snapshot USA: 1950 Census Enumeration District Maps,” staff member Ellen Mulligan describes the maps and the behind-the-scenes work needed to get them online.
NARA Catalog Updated!
The National Archives Catalog was updated over the Labor Day weekend for the first time since April. Updates had been suspended due to technical difficulties, but hopefully the Catalog will again be updated on a regular basis henceforth.
I am not conversant with the full extent of the update, but it’s certain that there are many additional series descriptions, file description, item descriptions, and digital images. Here are some examples.
Digital image updates include Maps and Correspondence Relating to Minor Civil Divisions, 1940-1950 from the Bureau of the Census.
Numerous series descriptions for records in Record Group 28, Records of the Post Office Department, have also been added. These are records that the National Archives received after the publication of Arthur E. Hecht, et al., Preliminary Inventory 168, Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Post Office Department, published in 1967. Watch for additional series and file descriptions to be added over the coming months.
File descriptions provide information about contents of specific files. For some examples, here’s a link to files described in the Records of the Post Office Department.
The Twelve Key 