Records of Our National Life: American History at the National Archives

• Paperback: 320 pages
• By Michael Beschloss (contributor), Tom Brokaw (contributor), Ken Burns (contributor), Cokie Roberts (contributor), David McCullough (contributor)
• This item is a clearance item and not returnable, and not eligible for further discounts unless explicitly mentioned in promotional offers

• This highly illustrated volume takes the reader on a journey through American history, offering a close-up examination of some of the billions of documents, photographs, maps, and films in the holdings of the National Archives.

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In 1930, New York Architect John Russell Pope was selected to design the National Archives Building. Pope's neoclassical design included both practical and symbolic aspects of housing the nation's records. He proposed a monumental structure with highly decorative architectural features, giant Corinthian columns, 40-foot bronze doors, and inscriptions representing the building's historical importance.

Construction began in 1931 with a groundbreaking ceremony on Pennsylvania Avenue. On February 20, 1933, President Herbert Hoover laid the cornerstone of the building, dedicating it to the people of the United States.

In December 2023, the National Archives Building was designated as a National Historic Landmark.