The National Archives Museum’s “Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures” exhibition is getting a refresh this month with new records from the Archives’ holdings and an online quiz to engage audiences across the country with the myriad documents and artifacts featured in the exhibit.
On September 30, a number of new original records will be added to the exhibit, replacing documents and artifacts that could only be displayed for a limited amount of time for conservation purposes. The new records to go on display include President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s signature fedora; two petitions regarding the executive pardon of Robert Stroud, also known as the “Birdman of Alcatraz”; a petition signed in 1894 by every family of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona; and job application to the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor to the CIA) from a woman who would later be known as a famous home chef: Julia Child, herself.
To celebrate the new additions, the Foundation for the National Archives is launching a “Making Their Mark” quiz in partnership with AT&T to introduce new audiences to a selection of the varied and exciting records in the exhibition. With two levels of difficulty, online visitors are invited to test their American history knowledge and learn more about each of the featured records. After completing the quiz, users can challenge their friends to test their knowledge as well through Facebook and Twitter.
“Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures” is on display at the National Archives Museum’s Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery in Washington, DC, through January 5, 2015. The exhibition is made possible in part by the Foundation for the National Archives with the generous support of Lead Sponsor AT&T. Major additional support provided by the Lawrence F. O’Brien Family and members of the Board of the Foundation for the National Archives.
The “Making Their Mark: Stories Through Signatures” quiz is made possible by the support of AT&T.