Okay, here's one for you history buffs. The Digital Vaults. This site has all kinds of cool documents, everything from the U.S. Constitution to UFO siting investigations.Personally, I like the photos. It's extremely addicting, a quality I believe should be in every good web site. Not only can you browse topics you enjoy, you can also try your hand at the Pathways Challenge. The game tests your visual and historical knowledge by asking you to search through the archives for certain materials. I'm not really a history "know it all," so I started out on the beginner level. I think the game breaks down all the site has to offer. All the different materials can feel overwhelming sometimes, and this game simplifies things. If it's your first visit to the site, I definately recommend starting there. Here are a few photos I enjoyed:
Here's a photo of Eleanor Roosevelt, before she became a First-Lady, 
Survivors of the Titanic and a 70's Bridal Party.
Now, here's what really caught my attention about this site: the create tab. You can take all your favorite images, themes or time periods and create videos and posters. I created a simple video for you to check out about World War II here.
Talk about a great tool for history projects. I could have totally used this in my high school AP History class.
Posts
And now I may be mistaken, but I also believe the photographs in the National Archives are copyright free? Or at least some of them before a certain time period? Because my friend Matt Padgett used photographs from the National Archives in his BFA Photo Thesis last year (http://www.matthewpadgett.com). This is just another little tidbit I think is fascinating and such an underused resource for the artistically inclined. :)
ReplyDelete