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Posted by: Megan Harris
May 8, 1945: The Allies accept Germany’s unconditional surrender, thus marking the end of the war in Europe. Despite the fact that the war is not yet over, the world celebrates; there is dancing in the streets of cities from London to Los Angeles. The date becomes known as V-E Day, or “Victory in Europe …
Posted in: Oral History, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
I confess. I always get a little giddy in May. Maybe it’s because the longer, warmer days of May mark the impending arrival of summer, my absolute favorite season. Yes, I am one of the rare lovers of brutally hot, humid DC summers. Or maybe May brings out the giddiness in me because I admire …
Posted in: Asian American History, Cultural Heritage, Jewish American History, Jewish Americans, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Megan Harris
The following is a guest post by Matt McCrady, VHP Digital Conversion Specialist. Of the thousands of veterans’ stories archived with the Veterans History Project, the story of a Marine PFC known simply as Lucky stands out as truly unique. Lucky didn’t tell his own story for the project. Lucky left no letters or diaries, …
Posted in: Animals, Oral History, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
April is National Volunteer Month, and this week marks National Volunteer Week. I haven’t come across too many people who know this. Until about a year ago, neither did I. What is interesting to me is that those who always seem willing to roll up their sleeves and give of their time, talent or treasure, …
Posted in: Narratives, Oral History, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Stephen Winick
Last week, the Library announced this year’s inductees to the National Recording Registry. There, along with classics by The Doors, Radiohead, Steve Martin, and Joan Baez, was a fascinating AFC collection: The Benjamin Ives Gilman Collection Recorded at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition at Chicago. This collection of 101 wax cylinder recordings was created by …
Posted in: AFC History, African Americans, Alan Jabbour, Alan Lomax, Cultural Heritage, ethnomusicologists, Folk Music, Folklorists, Folksong, Narratives, Native American History, Oral History, Preservation
Posted by: Nicole Saylor
Today we celebrate the official release of StoryCorps.me, a global platform where anyone in the world can record and upload an oral history interview. This effort is a wish come true for StoryCorps founder Dave Isay, the 2015 recipient of the TED Prize. The prize comes with $1 million to invest in a powerful idea. Dave’s was to create …
Posted in: Narratives, Oral History
Posted by: Lisa Taylor
The month of March is designated as Women’s History Month–a time set aside to pay tribute to the contributions women have made to society from years past to contemporary times. Each year, the Library of Congress and many other national agencies offer special programming and exhibits, as well as feature collections and resources that are …
Posted in: African Americans, Narratives, Oral History, Storytelling, Veterans History Project
Posted by: Stephanie Hall
One reason I became interested in the study of folklife was to learn through the voices of peoples who are often under-represented in history. As this is the end of February, African American History Month, and March is Women’s History Month, it seems a good time to take a look at what African American women …
Posted in: African Americans, Folk Music, Folksong, Herbert Halpert, John Henry Faulk, Oral History, Willis Laurence James, Zora Neale Hurston
Posted by: Megan Harris
This is the third in a series of blog posts related to correspondence in Veterans History Project collections. Not long after I started working at the Veterans History Project (VHP), I came across a collection that immediately mesmerized me. Pertaining to Army Corporal Jose Mares, who became a prisoner of war during the Korean War, …
Posted in: Oral History, Veterans History Project