What a Wonderful Room!

[progressland]

Today for the first time I saw and made use of the Central Research Room at the downtown building of the National Archives. Just a few days ago I saw, in a Prologue article, a picture of what I took to be a long-gone research room, back when the building was new in the 1930s. (Prologue is the quarterly of the National Archives.) It looked reeeaally

Comments

[natazavrik]

I had no idea that there are so many documents waiting to be researched! What sort of information are you looking for?

[progressland]

Because this is for an exhibit, we're looking for stories that can be told using the records. Generally, this is easier through personal letters than affidavits saying (summarized), "I am this person, I've known this person for this long, they've been married this long, he was never the same after getting shot in the knee." But it's impossible to know what's in the pension files without actually looking through them. I'm just waiting for it to all be microfilmed and digitized! But then I'd lose out on use of the nice room. :(

[cafeorleans]

haha and why do you HAVE to find interesting pension files?

[progressland]

It's (going to be) the Civil War Sesquicentennial! I haven't asked why I'm researching what I have been (patent drawings, DC emancipation...); I've just been trying to find interesting stuff! I imagine the exhibit seeks to draw on as wide a variety of National Archives holdings as possible, and since there are SO many pension files, there have to be some good stories there! I suggested we might post on a genealogy message board looking for people who had found interesting letters and things of that nature in their ancestors' files.

[trinity3kim]

Can't wait for the picture(s)! I'll refrain on commenting on the many reasons why you'll be handling papers in this room. Hehe ;-)