Each era spawns its acronyms. (POTUS, FLOTUS, and SCOTUS, anyone?) Some World War II acronyms remain familiar, like WAC, for Women’s Army Corps, and its earlier incarnation, WAAC, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. Maybe you know of the WAVES—Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service–a branch of the U.S. Navy in which women could enlist. But chances are you’ve never heard of…

December 7th is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, honoring those killed when Japanese forces launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This led to the United States’ entry into World War II. These images from our World War II Photograph Collection (PR76),  taken by U.S. Navy photographers, capture the aftermath of the bombing.  (All captions taken…

This post was written by Jill Reichenbach, Reference Librarian, Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections  One of the highlights of the World War II Photograph Collection, which includes press photos and promotional material created by the U.S. War Department, are the shots of women working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, ca. 1942-44. The war-time shortage…

This post was written by Jenny LeRoy, a CUNY graduate fellow at the New-York Historical Society who helped to process the James G. Harbord Papers. For General James Harbord, president of the Radio Corporation of America from 1922-1947 and lieutenant to General Pershing during the Philippine-American War, discussing the drama surrounding his servants was a…

This post was written by Larry Weimer, Project Archivist for the N-YHS Institutional Archives. Lectures and other presentations have been a staple of New-York Historical Society’s programs for virtually all of its history. Although the historical past has been the focus of many of these programs, N-YHS has long recognized that the present is history in…

This post was written by Tammy Kiter, Manuscript Reference Librarian. Like it or loathe it, Valentine’s Day is upon us. With all the advertisements for expensive jewelry, bountiful bouquets and fine dining, one might overlook the significance of a good old fashioned Valentine. Yep, a card can hold just as much meaning as a giant…

This blog post was written by Megan Dolan, Archives Intern at N-YHS As is the case with most areas in New York City, Brooklyn has undergone many transformations. Today Brooklyn has become the ‘new Manhattan’, home to a range of wealthy young professionals, trendy cafes on blocks lined with street art, flea markets, and of…

This post was written by Tammy Kiter, Manuscript Reference Librarian June 6, 2014 marked the 70th anniversary of D-Day. The Allied Invasion of Normandy was the largest seaborne invasion in military history. Allied troops consisted of approximately 150,000 service members representing the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Norway and numerous other countries. This strategically…

This post was written by Tammy Kiter, Manuscript Reference Librarian Who among us doesn’t enjoy a cold, creamy treat on a hot summer day? In honor of July being National Ice Cream month, I thought we’d take a little trip down creamery lane to celebrate ice cream in all its delicious glory. It is estimated…