anitrab, Author at Out of the Box

August 31, 2018September 14, 2021 by anitrab

The Bountiful Imperial and Coachella Valleys

Another interesting find from the 1939 annual project history of the All-american Canal! Below is a collage showing the Imperial and Coachella Valley’s flourishing agriculture. The All-American Canal was built to help provide farms with the water necessary to help irrigate crops. What better way to demonstrate the success of the Canal other than showing how bountiful the local farms are? Along with the collage is the key which describes each individual photo. The combination of the photos and the descriptions of them provide not only a visual key of the various points along the Canal, but also a clear description of them. Note the emphasis on land which has been reclaimed and made fertile due to the Canal Project.

Series: All-American Canal Project Histories, 1948-1954. Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, 1826-2009. National Archives Identifier: 2292770

August 24, 2018September 14, 2021 by anitrab

Human Rulers and Silver Sheen

Using the human body as a form of measurement is a powerful
way to demonstrate size. Throughout work on the American Canal Project, men
were used to stand in, near, and around completed sections of the Canal to help
communicate its sheer size. The image begins the sixth annual history
of the All-American Canal Project, created in 1939. In the table of contents the
image is described as the “Frontispiece” of the document, and given the title, “All-American
Canal, Looking Upstream from Point of Left Bank near Station 1005+00.”

While it cannot be seen in the photo, there is a silver
sheen to the original document. This is because it is a silver gelatin
photographic image on double weight, developing-out paper. Glossy photographs
are commonly used in this, and all, of the annual histories. Thus making this particular
image stand out as a decorative touch.

Series: All-American Canal Project Histories, 1948-1954.
Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior,
1826-2009. National Archives Identifier: 2292770

August 17, 2018September 14, 2021 by anitrab

Excitement at NARA for New SAA President

This past week at the National Archives brought with
it much excitement over the appointment of the new President of the Society of
American Archivists (SAA). For the first time since the 1990-1991 Presidency of
Trudy Huskamp Peterson, a NARA
employee has once again been selected to serve as the SAA President. Dr. Meredith
Evans started her tenure with NARA in 2015 as the Director of the Jimmy Carter
Presidential Library and Museum, a position she still holds today. Instillation
of the new President occurred this week at the end of the SAA/CoSA/NAGARA Joint
Annual Meeting held in Washington, DC. To mark the special occasion of her SAA
appointment, Dr. Evans gave a webcasted teleconference to all of NARA staff. Her talk focused on her own career path, the importance of the archival profession and
professional engagement, and her vision for her upcoming SAA presidential year.
At the end of her talk, Dr. Evans opened up a forum for questions from the
staff. NARA staff are all looking forward to witnessing Dr. Evans flourish as
President of the SAA.

August 10, 2018September 14, 2021 by anitrab

Coachella Valley Dates

Have you even eaten a date? If so, odds are the tasty
fruit grew in Southern California! Each yearly report on the All-American Canal
project includes a section recording the agricultural production of the farms
within both the Coachella and Imperial Valleys. Crops grown in the area include
different strains of grains, as well as a wide variety of produce. Dates are
highlighted as a particularly valuable Coachella Valley crop. The statistic below,
regarding Coachella Valley dates, can be found in the 1937 report:

Today, dates continue to be a valuable California
crop. In 2015, California produced
43,600 tons, or 87,200,000 pounds, of dates from 10,000 acres. Yield per acre was 4.36
tons, priced at $1,560 per ton. The total value of the crop was $68 million (“Noncitrus
Fruits” NASS, 2016).[1]

Series: All-American Canal Project Histories,
1948-1954. Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the
Interior, 1826-2009. National Archives Identifier: 2292770

[1] For
more information about California Dates, see https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/fruits/dates

August 3, 2018September 14, 2021 by anitrab

#CLIRwater Digitization Begins at NARA

Digitization of documents to be included in the CLIR water collection
began last week at the Riverside branch of the National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA). The first series digitized includes the project
histories of the All-American Canal. Construction on the canal commenced in
1934 and concluded in 1944. The All-American Canal flows along the California
and Mexico border where it provides water to several desert communities in
Southern California.

The maps below show the progress made on the canal during
the years 1936 and 1937. Note the thick, hand drawn, red line which represents
the completed sections of canal.

Series: All-American Canal Project Histories, 1948-1954.
Record Group 48: Records of the Office of the Secretary of the Interior,
1826-2009. National Archives Identifier: 2292770