From the Collection

In 2021, as our collection was in the early stages of being established, we featured a story on VA Thanksgiving meal menus from 1930 and 1970. That menu collection has since grown, with items dating back to 1903 now on hand. Check out the latest 'From the Collection' story on Thanksgiving menus though the years.

Curator Corner blog - A unique item in the National VA History Center collection, a USB flash drive that looks like a card. In an effort to get assistance to as many Veterans in Alaska, these cards were sent out with preloaded documents to help apply for benefits.

Curator Corner blog - There’s a 3D tumor out there and the VA History Center wants it. The quest for contemporary artifacts is a constant challenge. It’s not simply a question of what to collect, but when, where, and how to collect items of potential value to our collection. In this case, the hunt is on for an item used in an innovative collaboration at the Seattle VA Medical Center to safely remove a tumor from a Veteran’s kidney.

Curator Corner blog - A VA employee found a historic blanket at a flea market. She then learned about the National VA History Center and made a call. Soon it was a donation item to the collection. Check out this courtesy story from the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System.

Curator Corner blog - Happy Halloween! As a tribute to all the dolls that make our hearts race, this edition of the Curator Corner features procedure dolls from the recently acquired group of early 20th century artifacts from Mountain Home VA Medical Center in eastern Tennessee. Some of these dolls are super creepy.

As the reality of a global pandemic set in, historians, archivists, and museum professionals recognized the need to collect artifacts telling the story of VA's efforts to care for Veterans against COVID-19. Part of that collection fell to the newly established VA History Office which led to its first agency-wide historical preservation effort.