Learn how we're using the past to inform the present and prepare for the future.
By Janet Holsinger, Senior Historian Libraries and archives, like other institutions and businesses, are trying to figure out how to adapt to the challenges of reopening arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Because most serve on-site researchers and patrons, staff need …
By Scott Vierick, Historian Disease and pandemics have always been a part of human history, but for every illness, there have been countless people who have worked to study and create treatments and cures. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, HAI historians …
By Mimi Eisen, Historian For the past few years, there have been rumblings of a third Reconstruction – the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s is now widely considered the second. And yet, the namesake of these eras …
Over the years, HAI has seen an increase in the interest of high-profile companies to create and/or develop corporate collections. The Levi Strauss Visitor Center, built to commemorate the company’s 150th anniversary, displays a pair of jeans from 1890 and …
By Janet Holsinger, Senior Historian The conversation about racism that is now occurring in the United States—and around the globe—is belatedly turning attention to the historical links between financial institutions and the slavery of people of African descent. HAI has …
By Emily Sullivan, Historian June is Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and the freedom of LGBTQ+ individuals to be themselves. While the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of most Pride events, we can still take time …
By Scott Vierick, Historian This is Part 2 of our USCT blog—read Part 1, which explores the origins of the USCT, here. USCT regiments fought in battles throughout the Eastern and Western Theatres of the war. Around 40,000 Black soldiers …
By Scott Vierick, Historian In April 1865, African American and white United States soldiers marched through the streets of the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. After four years of brutal fighting, the city had finally fallen, forcing the Confederate …
By Scott Vierick, Historian This Father’s Day, we’re honoring Frederick Douglass. Although he became a prominent national figure, the threat of slavery, racism, and white supremacy loomed large for Douglass and his family. Together, he and his wife, Anna Murray …
Originally published September 2017 By Michelle Johnson, Former HAI Historian, PhD Candidate at Yale University Museums and archives preserve and tell significant stories. They also serve their visitors, connecting people to their histories and providing an opportunity to hear otherwise …
By the end of 2022, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will manage and retain permanent and temporary federal agency records only in digital form. No more paper record transfers to your local Records Center! Is your agency ready? …
By Jen Giambrone, Historian To see a vivid example of how white privilege and white supremacy are embedded in American culture, look no further than our cultural institutions. From the stories and artifacts we enshrine in our museums to the …
