National Archives at Kansas City

Happy Halloween! If you waited until the last minute to come up with a costume, take some inspiration from these first-graders and their circus-themed costumes at the Red Lake Agency. Halloween might be different this year, but it's still a chance to get creative!... Image: "First Graders Dressed Up as Circus Performers, 1939." Red Lake Agency. Photographs, 1910-1965. Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. National Archives Identifier: 76048151. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/76048151.

Hidden Treasures from the Stacks: The Smith Act and the Prosecution of Trotskyism in the United States In connection with the 80th anniversary of Leon Trotsky’s death on August 21, 1940, we briefly look back at the life and influence of the Russian revolutionary. Rising to prominence as a leader in the October Revolution, Trotsky held leadership posts in foreign and military affairs from 1917 to 1927. Regarded as second in command of the Soviet government under Vladimir Lenin...Continue reading

Are you or your students planning to participate in National History Day? If so, get a jump on your preparations by visiting DocsTeach, the National Archives' online portal for educators and students! Through this online tool, the National Archives has launched a variety of resources for the 2021 National History Day theme: "Communication in History: The Key to Understanding." Students and educators can find a wide array of materials related to communication topics, including... propaganda, child labor photographs, women’s suffrage petitions, President Roosevelt’s infamy speech, communication through art, war photography, letters about civil rights, war order, and a secret decoded telegram. Learn more here: https://www.docsteach.org/topics/nhd.

This week's #MakerMonday patent is a spooky one. When John F. Blake patented his "Apparatus for Exhibiting Illusions" in 1883, using mirrors to create optical illusions was nothing new. What was different about his design was that instead of placing two mirrors together at a ninety-degree angle, Blake envisioned leaving a gap between the mirrors, allowing for "an opening large enough to admit the head of a person and to exhibit a portion of the body." In the example he used, ..."if a female person, for instance, stands close to the corner formed by the two mirrors and she passes her head through the opening made for this purpose, a three-headed woman is exhibited to the spectators in front, each mirror showing a reflection of the natural head, while that portion of the body which projects through the opening in the inner edges of the two mirrors is also reflected by both mirrors, so as to show a full body to the spectators." Who wants to give this a try in their haunted house? Discover this and other Patent Case Files from our holdings in the National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/167820561.

Citizen Archivists! We need your help in transcribing and tagging records related to the Chinese Exclusion Era. The information in these records is valuable to researchers, and you can help provide greater access by transcribing and tagging certain details. Find the instructions for this mission here: https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivi//chinese-heritage. If you haven't registered yet as a Citizen Archivist, get started here: https://www.archives.gov/citizen-arch/regi...sterandgetstarted. Image: Chinese Exclusion Case File for Jeu Lim. Chinese Exclusion Case Files, 11/14/1900 - 5/1/1925. U.S. District Court for the Eastern (St. Louis) Division of the Eastern District of Missouri. Record Group 21: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685 - 2009. National Archives Identifier: 12006907. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12006907

Genealogists! Don't miss this upcoming webinar on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CDT. In his presentation, "The Sum of the People: How the Census has Shaped Nations, from the Ancient World to the Modern Age," data scientist Andrew Whitby will trace the remarkable history of the census. Learn more: https://www.archives.gov//the-sum-of-the-people-how-the-ce.

#MakerMonday In 1933, Richard Diener patented this variety of rose. Not only was his rose thornless and largely free from disease, but an important claim for the plant was that it could produce "extraordinary amounts of wood in a single season," thus aiding in the growth of more roses in the future. Due to "its superior rooting and grafting qualities," his variety could produce a rose bush around four feet high in just one season of growth. The Plant Patent Case File for this... variety even contains a testimonial touting the hardiness and adaptability of Diener's rose. Discover this and other patent files from our holdings in the National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/167823135.

October is National Field Trip Month, so what better excuse to get out and explore! And you don't have to go to the Badlands to discover the wonders of nature, but feel free to let it inspire you to plan your own adventure. Image: "North Dakota Badlands, 1952." Fort Berthold Agency. Photographs, 1900-1960. Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. National Archives Identifier: 45642052.... https://catalog.archives.gov/id/45642052 See more