The wars on land and sea during the late eighteenth century were an important part of Atlantic history, and unite the naval and maritime histories of many countries around the world. Consequently, a British warship named the DeBraak was escorting and protecting a convoy of British and American merchant ships en route to the United States when it was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. With its discovery in the 1980s, the DeBraak and its nearly 20,000 artifacts have provided us an unparalleled opportunity to examine and understand what it meant to be a sailor in the Royal Navy during this critical period. On Saturday, May 3, 1:30 p.m. Charles Fithian, Curator of Archaeology with the State of Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs Division, will present this special program at the Delaware Public Archives focusing on the DeBraak’s role in the wider historical context of the times, the archaeological analysis of the artifacts found, and what life was like aboard a ship in the Royal Navy.

Mr. Fithian, a resident of Dover, is an historical archaeologist who has directed the research and conservation of the DeBraak and its large associated collection. With a concentration in colonial, military and naval history, Fithian is a graduate of Wesley College and Salisbury University, and has worked for the State of Delaware for more than 27 years. He has also conducted extensive research on 17th century Delaware, the Delaware Regiment during the American Revolution, and the War of 1812.

The program is free to the public. No reservations are required. For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@delaware.gov.

The Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North in Dover. The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. On the second Saturday of every month the research room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

With November being the special time of the year to remember our veterans, the State of Delaware will be holding a memorial service at the Gettysburg National Military Park for the Delaware troops who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. One of the most important battles in world history, Gettysburg was a turning point in the American Civil War as the Union victory repulsed the Confederate forces final attempt to invade the north.

Delaware will commemorate its troops on Monday, November 4, with a ceremony at 2:00 p.m. at the site of the 1st Delaware Infantry Monument on Cemetery Ridge. This is the location where the First Delaware Infantry Regiment was stationed during the second and third days of the battle.

To promote participation and attendance for the event, the Delaware Heritage Commission and the Delaware Public Archives are sponsoring a coach bus trip to the Gettysburg National Battlefield. There is no fee for the bus and a free tour of the battlefield will be provided.

The bus will leave the Delaware Public Archives on Monday, November 4, at 8:00 a.m. and will arrive at the Gettysburg National Battlefield Visitor Center approximately 11:15 a.m. There will be some time to get lunch and explore the Visitor Center before re-boarding at 12:45 p.m. to receive a tour of the battlefield. At 1:45 p.m., the bus will bring everyone to the site of the 1st Delaware Infantry Monument where the ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m.

One of the features of the ceremony will be the laying of a wreath by the State of Delaware to honor the Delaware soldiers who fought and died at the battle. Other groups will have the opportunity to lay a wreath at the site. Please contact Suzan Voshell, (302) 744-5050, if your group wishes to lay a wreath at the ceremony.

Following the conclusion of the ceremony, the bus will return immediately to Delaware, arriving at the Delaware Public Archives at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Space is limited. All reservations must be made by Friday, November 1. Reserve your seats today! (302) 744-5050.

For more information about the Delaware Public Archives, please visit the website at archives.delaware.gov. You can also become a follower of the Archives Facebook page and read the Archives blog to learn more about events and other items of interest at the Archives.

The Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard North in Dover. The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. On the second Saturday of every month the research room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

The Delaware Public Archives (DPA), an agency of the State of Delaware, is one of the oldest public archives programs in the United States. DPA serves the citizens of Delaware by identifying, collecting, and preserving public records of enduring historical and evidential value; ensuring access to public records for present and future generations; and advising and educating interested parties in the creation, management, use, and preservation of public records.

Contact:
Tom Summers
(302) 744-5047 (office)
thomas.summers@delaware.gov

At the time of her disappearance in 1937, Amelia Earhart was arguably the most famous woman of her generation and is, even today, certainly the most well-known woman aviator of all time. Earhart set out to be the first person to circle the globe by air in the area close to the equator, but she and her navigator failed to arrive as planned on Howland Island in the Central Pacific. Since that time, their disappearance has become one of the most baffling mysteries of the 20th century. 

Join aircraft recovery expert Richard E. Gillespie as he presents his program “What Really Happened to Amelia Earhart?” on Saturday, March 3rd at the Delaware Public Archives in Dover.  A former accident investigator and risk manager for the aviation insurance industry, Gillespie is the author of the book, Finding Amelia – The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance. He is also the founder and executive director of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) .

WHEN:    March 3, 2012 at 10:30 a.m.

WHERE:  Delaware Public Archives, 121 Duke of York Street, Dover

This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

For more information, contact Tom Summers at (302) 744-5047 or thomas.summers@delaware.gov.

The Delaware Public Archives is hosting a program entitled “The Tuskegee Airmen”  this Saturday, February 4 at 10:30 a.m. as part of its celebration of Black History Month.  During the Second World War, a question was raised and answered conclusively in a noble experiment that later became known as the “Tuskegee Experience.” Our nation’s first African-American military aviators, the Tuskegee Airmen, are remembered in this presentation designed to tell their story and reveal the significance of their achievements. Presented by Brigadier General Ernest George Talbert (Retired, USAF), this program will also include information about the achievements of other African-American warriors and civilian aviators who preceded the “Tuskegee Experience.”

Brigadier General Ernest George Talbert (Retired, USAF) is the first African-American general in the long history of the Delaware National Guard.  He is the immediate past president of the John H. Porter, First State Chapter Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. General Talbert is a Command Pilot with over 6,500 flying hours including combat hours in Operation Desert Storm and the Balkans conflict. Upon his retirement in January 2009 he accepted a state promotion to the rank of Major General.  A product of the Delaware public school system, he received a B.A. in Economics from New York University in 1972 and an MBA from the University of Delaware in 1983.

The program is free to the public.  No reservations are required.  For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@delaware.gov. 

For more information about the Delaware Public Archives, please visit the website at  http://archives.delaware.gov. You can also become a follower of the Archives Facebook page and read the Archives blog  to learn more about events and other items of interest at the Archives.

The Delaware Public Archives is located at 121 Duke of York Street in Dover. The Mabel Lloyd Ridgely Research Room is open to the public Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. On the second Saturday of every month the research room is open from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.  

Over 2,000 images of Delaware life in the 1920s and 1930s are now only a couple of clicks away, thanks to an initiative by the Delaware Public Archives (DPA) to digitize its entire Board of Agriculture glass negative collection. This collection includes much more than just agricultural photos, however. By visiting de.gov/deagphotos, you can also view photos of people, schools, factories, automobiles, popular attractions and historic sites throughout the First State. The Board of Agriculture collection is critical because there is little photographic documentation of Delaware during this particular era.

The online home for this collection of photos is the Delaware Heritage Collection, which was established under the auspices of the Delaware Division of Libraries in late 2010 for the purpose of making digital images of interest to the public more readily available. To date, the vast majority of the 10,000 images accessible through the Delaware Heritage Collection have been provided by the Delaware Public Archives.

The addition of these materials compliments other DPA contributions on the Delaware Heritage Collection site, such as the Jackson and Sharp Railroad and Ship Collection of photographs, American Civil War materials, and the Archives’ collection of World War II photographs. The site also features scanned images of the complete Laws of Delaware, beginning with the first volume published in 1797.

The Delaware Public Archives (http://archives.delaware.gov) is one of the oldest public archives programs in the United States. It serves the citizens of Delaware by identifying, collecting, and preserving public records of enduring historical and evidential value; ensuring access to public records for present and future generations; and advising and educating interested parties in the creation, management, use, and preservation of public records.