Top of page
Posted by: Kerry Ward
On the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, land, sea and air power ceased and the Great War finally concluded. Whether you know it by the original name of Armistice Day, or as Remembrance Day, Poppy Day, or Veterans Day, as it is known in the United States, November …
Posted in: Exhibits, Film, Narratives, Poetry, Storytelling, Veterans Day, Veterans History Project, World War I
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
It might have been her eyes. Perhaps it was that hint of a knowing smile. Or maybe it was the culmination of it all—torso leaning in, chin on fist, legs crossed, nails polished and hat tilted. Whatever it was, it grabbed my attention when I first saw the sepia-toned image several years ago. Its subject …
Posted in: African American History, African Americans, Civil Rights, Exhibits, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project, World War II
Posted by: Stephen Winick
If you follow our blog, you may know that the American Folklife Center has joined other Library of Congress divisions in creating LOC Halloween: Chambers of Mystery, an exhibition of our scariest collection items. Today we had the congressional and press preview of the exhibit, and Library staff member Joon Yi shot a few photos of …
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
The following is a guest blog post by Rachel Telford, Archivist for the Veterans History Project. A few days ago, the Veterans History Project launched “A World Overturned,” the third and final installment of our companion site to the Library of Congress exhibit, “Echoes of the Great War.” While part one explored the United States’ …
Posted in: Exhibits, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project, World War I
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
The following is a guest post by Rachel Telford, archivist for the Veterans History Project. Today, the Veterans History Project launches “Over There,” part two of our companion site to the Library of Congress exhibit, “Echoes of the Great War.” While part one explores the United States’ entry into World War I, part two delves …
Posted in: Exhibits, Home, Narratives, Oral History, Photographs, Storytelling, Veterans History Project, World War I
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
Every year, on the third Monday of January, America pauses to celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His widow, Coretta Scott King, along with many civil rights leaders, public figures and everyday people campaigned against the odds—and many resistant politicians—to make Dr. King’s birthday a federal holiday. I …
Posted in: Civil Rights, Civil Rights History Project, Cultural Heritage, Exhibits, Holidays, Martin Luther King, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Megan Harris
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” “The eyes are the window to the soul.” Trite as these sayings may be, they offer possible explanations for why we find portraits—whether they are painted, drawn, or photographed—so compelling. Anyone who has visited the National Portrait Gallery (my personal favorite of the Smithsonian museums), or browsed through …
Posted in: Exhibits, Photographs, Veterans History Project, World War I, World War II
Posted by: Stephen Winick
This is the fifth in a series of six posts presenting AFC’s new traveling exhibit Treasures of the American Folklife Center Archive. The exhibit takes the form of lightweight, colorful vinyl banners containing information about AFC, the Library of Congress, and (as the title suggests) some of the treasures found in our archive. Originally conceived …
Posted in: AFC History, ethnomusicologists, Exhibits
Posted by: Stephen Winick
This is the fourth in a series of six posts presenting AFC’s new traveling exhibit Treasures of the American Folklife Center Archive. The exhibit takes the form of lightweight, colorful vinyl banners containing information about AFC, the Library of Congress, and (as the title suggests) some of the treasures found in our archive. Originally conceived …
Posted in: AFC History, Alan Lomax, Exhibits, Folk Music, Folklorists, Folksong, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie