October is a special month at the National Archives - it’s American Archives Month. Each year the archives profession spends October highlighting what Archivists do and what Archives are, from the big to the small. For those of us who work at the National Archives it’s a great opportunity to share about our profession with others and with the public.
Photograph of the National Archives Building at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, December 25, 1935, National Archives Identifier7820510
While the National Archives has facilities and Presidential Libraries located all across the country, one of the most recognizable buildings is at 700 Pennsylvania Ave NW in Washington, DC. Located on the National Mall halfway between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and completed in 1935, it’s the work of master architect John Russell Pope.
[Left] Construction of the National Archives Building, September 5, 1933,National Archives Identifier7368460
[Right] National Archives Building’s National Historic Landmark Plaque. (National Archives photography by Jessie Kratz)
In December 2023, the National Archives Building was designated a National Historic Landmark.
The building has two entrances, each with their own significance. If you want to view the Charters of Freedom, (the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights) the National Archives Museum, enter from Constitution Ave. You’ll notice the imposing bronze doors on the portico. Each stands about 38 feet, 8 inches high and are 10 feet wide and 11 inches thick and weigh roughly 6.5 tons.
Photograph of the National Archives Building Constitution Avenue Entrance with Bronze Doors Open, June 13, 1936,National Archives Identifier 7820636
To research collections, you’ll pass by two statues, each over 10 feet tall, on Pennsylvania Ave. Named Future and Past, they were designed by Robert Aiken. From 1934-1935, sculptor Attilio Piccirilli carved each from a single piece of Indiana limestone. Future is a youthful woman holding an open book symbolizing what has yet to be written. “What is Past is Prologue,” from Shakespeare’s Tempest, is written on the base. In contrast, Past is an old man gazing down the corridors of time. He holds a closed book representing history. The inscription, a paraphrase of Confucius, reads: “Study the Past.”
Transcription in the National Archives Catalog improves discoverability of the records. You do not need to match the format, this is why we only have a very simple text box that does not include formatting tools. A transcription of the text is all we need. Here are a few examples of common questions we receive about formatting a transcription:
If a word is hyphenated at the end of a line, you can remove the hyphen. This helps the search engine identify the correct word. In this example per-son would be transcribed as person.
We ask you to type what you see, but you do not have to mimic the exact formatting. In this case you do not need to indent each paragraph or follow the line breaks.
Still have questions about transcription? Check out the following resources:
Do you have a tricky research question? Make sure you stop by History Hub’s communities where you’ll find discussions and information relating to a wide range of historical topics and interests.
Make History Hub your first stop! You can ask—or answer—questions on History Hub, or see if your question has already been answered!Check out our featured edition for more details, information, and instructions aboutusing History Hub for your research.
