Mathew Brady A Pioneering Photographer Past Exhibit … Renowned photographer of the notable Credited by many as the father of photojournalism, Mathew Brady is synonymous with the Civil War even though he did not make many of the photographs that bear his name. His ambitious effort to comprehensively document the conflict required Brady to employ a staff of field photographers and make purchases from private individuals. Although Brady was rarely the photographer behind the camera in the field, the historic …

Remembering the Hollywood 10 Screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr Past Exhibit … Early in the Cold War, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated allegations of Communist activity in the film industry. The committee’s mandate was to “protect the form of government guaranteed by the Constitution.” However, the investigations contributed to a repressive and fearful atmosphere.  On October 30, 1947, HUAC called Ring Lardner, Jr., Academy Award winning screenwriter, to testify before the …

70th Anniversary of Brown v Board of Education of Topeka Past Exhibit … Equity in Education: 70 Years Later On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court delivered a unanimous ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional in public schools. Overturning the 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson that allowed for school segregation , this landmark decision made it clear that racial discrimination in public schools was a violation of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court …

The War Beneath the Waves Mary Sears and the Navys Oceanographic Unit Current Exhibit … After World War II, Mary Sears was promoted to lieutenant commander and served as officer in charge of the Navy’s new Division of Oceanography. She retired as a commander in the Navy Reserve in 1963.  Mary Sears posing behind stacks of work, January 1, 1960. Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives After World War II, Mary Sears was promoted to lieutenant commander and served as officer in charge …

Freedmens Bureau Marriage Records Ongoing Exhibit … The Freedmen’s Bureau helped newly freed people legalize their marriages. After the Civil War, the federal government established a War Department agency to help Americans transition from slavery to freedom. The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–72) issued rations, operated hospitals and helped establish schools and unite families. It worked to resolve labor disputes and negotiate labor contracts. It also presided over and documented marriages between freed …

Betty Ford Raising Breast Cancer Awareness Past Exhibit … Cancer wherever it strikes the body, also strikes the spirit, and the best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit, only love and understanding can.  — Betty Ford, November 7, 1975 View Gallery Betty Ford's remarks to the American Cancer Society Just weeks after she became First Lady, Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer. On September 26, 1974, doctors discovered a lump in her breast during a routine medical examination. She underwent a …

The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth Ongoing Exhibit … Milestones in the long struggle for American freedom Emancipation Proclamation President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln's proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free,” was “a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing rebellion.” The Proclamation also …

80 Years Since the End of World War II Current Exhibit … World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history, ended six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. On September 2, 1945, just four months after Nazi Germany’s surrender, Japanese officials issued an imperial order and signed a formal surrender ending hostilities in the Pacific Theater. Instrument of Surrender, September 2, 1945. Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff View in the National Archives Catalog Instrument of …