Independent Researchers for Hire - Media Types
Researchers Specializing in Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Recordings*
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Ryan M. Curtis
Archive Research & Consulting Group, LLC
133 Main Street, Suite 203
Epping, NH 03042
Telephone: (603) 433-9000
Fax:
E-mail: rcurtis@ArchiveResearch.org
Research Specialty: Asbestos Litigation - Navy & Maritime Records
About: More than 15 years of research experience with an understanding of the ways asbestos was used on Navy/Maritime ships. We have researchers at the Archives every day to meet your needs.
Susan Strange
Strange Research
PO Box 7165
McLean, VA 22106-7165
Telephone: (202) 320-2672
E-mail: strangeresearch@mac.com
Research Specialty: Motion pictures, still photographs and textual records - all subjects.
About: Full time on site research.
John Taylor
Taylor Research Group LLC - A Litigation and Environmental Research Firm
3333 Connecticut Ave NW Ste 3
Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: (703) 822-4658
Fax:
E-mail: johntaylor@taylorresearchgroup.com
Research Specialty: Environmental and Legal Research; Asbestos; Captured German Records; Cold War; Congressional Records; Court Records; Diplomatic Records; Immigration, Emigration & Naturalization; Labor & Business History; Military Records; Native American Relations Records; Navy Records; President Nixon Records; Science, Technology, Natural Resources and the Environment Records; Audio/Sound Recordings; Cartographic/Architectural/Ships Plans Records; Film & Video Recordings; Photographs and Pictures
About:
Vina Hutchinson
3517 Terrace Dr. Apt. B
Suitland, MD 20746
Telephone: (703) 568-9836
Fax:
E-mail: vinahutchinson@gmail.com
Research Specialty: General research; genealogy and family history; house/building/post use propertry history; research for movie, television, and streaming productions
About:
Martha King
American Research Associates
147 Payson Rd
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Telephone: (617) 680-2356
E-mail: martha_king@post.harvard.edu
Research Specialty: Federal Court records, New England; Maritime, Lighthouses, Shipwreck reports, New England; Coast Guard records, New England; Congressional Records, New England; Science, Technology, Natural Resources, Environmental Records, New England; John F. Kennedy Library records, including the Ernest Hemingway Collection; some Harvard University libraries, including the HBS Baker Library. Special Media: Audio/Sound Recordings; Film + Video Recordings; Photographs + Pictures.
Margaret Johnson
MMJ Research
3200 Garfield St NW
Washington, DC 20008-3513
Telephone: (202) 669-7479
E-mail: mmj@erols.com
Research Specialty: Still picture research including photographs, cartographic records, microfilm, manuscripts, civilian and military textual records, and Presidential records.
About: 25+ years experience.
Susan Hormuth
3356 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20020
Telephone: (202) 584-3994
Fax:
E-mail: susanhormuth@verizon.net
Research Specialty: On-site research in Motion Picture, Video, Recorded Sound and Still Pictures. Particular research experience in American History, African American History, Women’s History, Popular Culture.
About: Over thirty years of research experience in the Washington, DC area.
Scott Russell
20 Covina Ave
Long Beach, CA 90803
Telephone: (562) 433-2312
Fax:
E-mail: askrussell@aol.com
Research Specialty: The Nixon presidency and administration, including staff, cabinet departments, domestic policies, foreign relations, politics, campaigns, publicity. Experienced with all media collections (documents, tapes, photos, film/video). The Reagan presidency and administration.
About: Experienced with multiple textual collections at the Reagan Library. Archival researcher for the Nixon Museum’s $15 million renovation: found and selected scores of documents, photos, and audiovisual materials for permanent display in the new galleries.
Sim Smiley
Archival Historical Research
Washington, DC 20016
Telephone: (202) 812-8466
Fax:
E-mail: sim.smiley@gmail.com
Research Specialty: World War II Intelligence and Diplomatic Records: the Office of Strategic Services (RG 226), the Department of State (RG 59 and 84), USIA (RG 306), The Office of War Information (RG 208) Military Records in general. Textual, Photographs and Maps.
About: I have over 30 years’ experience as a former NARA volunteer (compiled some of the OSS finding aids) and researcher for OSS agents and clients worldwide. A diplomatic simultaneous interpreter by training, I can read, speak and write in French, Italian and can easily read Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish and Norwegian.
Mike Constandy
Westmoreland Research
PO Box 320488
Alexandria, VA 22320-9804
Telephone: (202) 421-5151
Fax: (703) 317-1709
E-mail: mjc@westmorelandresearch.org; mconstandy@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Naval and maritime research for law firms in defense of toxic tort claims, asbestos, admiralty, ships logs and plans, and sea lane and terrestrial UXO. Environmental investigation and remediation. Legal, Congressional, diplomatics, and commercial research. US Army, Navy, Coast Guard, OSS, allied and captured German records to include textual, still imagery, cartographic, and aerial research.
About: More than 30 years experience at NARA. Extensive field research on behalf of the US and foreign governments and an admitted professional researcher at more than 30 institutions worldwide.
Steve Greene
4623 Quimby Ave
Beltsville, MD 20705
Telephone: (301) 842-8923
E-mail: sgreene820@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Stills, recorded sound, moving images. The Modern Presidency
About: Retired NARA archivist
Donna Inserra
4117 Woodbine St
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: inserra.donna@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Newsreels, Motion Picture and Sound Recordings, Still Pictures, Video
About: A national Emmy award-winning news producer.
Joan Yoshiwara
Washington, DC 20009-1908
Telephone: (202) 332-1000
Fax:
E-mail: joanyoshi@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Archival film and photos; public domain images, Indy Videos
About:
Doc Kane
Roscommon
17224 S Figueroa St
Gardena, CA 90248-3023
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: doc@roscommon.com
Research Specialty: Vietnam and Vietnam War, Southeast Asia, Film and Sound Archives, Presidential Media, Film Footage, Rights and Clearances, International Archives, CBS, NBC, ABC, ITN, Reuters, Radio and TV Archives.
About:
Clare LaVergne
PhotoAssist, Inc.
1300 Mercantile Lane, Suite 139C
Largo, MD 20774
Telephone: (301) 652-2566
Fax:
E-mail: info@photoassist.com
Research Specialty: Media: photographs, film, negatives, audio, video; Subject and topics: African American, Native American, Asian American, U.S. military history and records, census records, presidential history, genealogy and family history, CIA and other intelligence records, IP
About:
Elisabeth M. Hartjens
Imagefinders, Inc.
6101 Utah Ave NW
Washington, DC 20015-2461
Telephone: (202) 244-4456
Fax: (202) 244-3237
E-mail: hartjens@erols.com
Research Specialty: Motion picture, sound, and video; still images; textual records, including Congressional, Coast Guard and lighthouse, diplomatic, military, Navy, immigration and naturalization, and Nixon related records
Minda Novek
Meaning in Forms
20 Townsend Street
Newton, NJ 07860
Telephone: (718) 781-4190
Fax:
E-mail: mindanovek@gmail.com; minda@meaninginforms.com
Research Specialty: American history, world history, people, cultural events, scientific discovery, environment; audio and sound, film and video, photographs and graphic works
About:
Joseph P. Harris
Absolutely Archives
PO Box 922
Greenbelt, MD 20768-0922
Telephone: (703) 967-3070
Fax: (301) 474-8290
E-mail: info@absolutelyarchives.com
Research Specialty: Motion Pictures, Still Pictures, Sound Recordings, Video Recordings, Textual, Cartographic
About: Full-time, onsite researcher; former NARA staff; 25+ years of experience.
Jeremy Bigwood
Archival Research
3200 16th Street NW #806
Washington, DC 20010-3348
Telephone: (202) 361-5000
Fax:
E-mail: JeremyBigwood@pm.me
Research Specialty: All records, but especially those dealing with US foreign policy. Happy to participate in large research projects. I especially enjoy those projects involving the copying of large State Department and Military volumes from the 1800s, but can also work with very recent records. I have over 20 years doing research at NARA, and over 30 years using FOIA and MDR to obtain information.
About: Polyglot (English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, some French and German) with a background in historical research, journalism, photojournalism and science. Google for publications.
Christopher P. Herfel, CEO; Clancy B. Cornwall, COO
McCaffery & Associates, Inc
7240 Parkway Drive, Suite 360
Hanover, MD 21076
Telephone: (703) 548-6144
E-mail: info@mccafferyassoc.com
Research Specialty: We conduct Naval, maritime and aviation research for the defence in toxic tort claims. We research asbestos, Coast Guard, military, labor, business, science, technology, regulatory and transportation records; photographs; and ship, architectural and cartographic plans.
Elizabeth Harris
Telephone: (917) 652-1872;(917) 570-7350 (cell)
E-mail: eharrisresearch@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Motion Pictures
Katie Rasdorf
4393 Kevin Walker Dr 228
Montclair, VA 22025
Telephone: (202) 498-4447
Fax: (703) 656-4851
E-mail: krasdorf@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Modern military records; Genealogy; WWII; Korea; Vietnam; Cold War, Prisoners of War (POW); Missing in Action (MIA); Aerial imagery, cartography, still photos
Satu Haase-Webb
Satu Haase-Webb, Independent Historian and Researcher
1334 A St SE
Washington, DC 20003
Telephone: (202) 257-6915
E-mail: satuhw@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: All media types-textual records, still images/photographs, video and audio recordings. World War II, captured German records, Holocaust, Diplomatic, military, intelligence records, African American History, Women, Immigration, Art, Social History (Labor, etc.), Cold War. Civil Rights.
About: On-site, 25 years of experience, former government historian. German speaker (native)
Elizabeth Hansen
Museum, Media, and History Services
608 Harris Ave
Austin, TX 78705
Telephone: (512) 983-7679
Fax:
E-mail: elizabeth@elizabeth-hansen.com
Research Specialty: 20th century history, audiovisual records, presidential archives.
About: A historian, curator, public programmer, and certified archivist, Elizabeth Hansen provides program planning, curation, and digital strategy services to museums and archives as well as proxy research services to filmmakers, television producers, authors, curators, and scholars.
Edward Engel
313 Highland Ter
Prince Frederick, MD 20678-4425
Telephone: (410) 610-2685
E-mail: edwardengel@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Film, video, still photograph and audio research
Richard Kroll
Richard Kroll Research
39 Main Street
Nyack, NY 10960
Telephone: 917-697-0371
Fax:
E-mail: krollresearch@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Video, photo, film, illustrations, cartographic, architectural, archival info.
About:
Jenée Arthur/Gina Boucher
Peripheral View Media
755 E. Oltorf St. Unit #201
Austin, TX 78704
Telephone: (512) 576-0602
Fax:
E-mail: jenart@pviewmedia.com
Research Specialty: Family history documentaries and mini-docu-style presentations, video production, audio production and indepth research into the hard-to-find backstories of families.
About:
Jeannette Remak; Joseph Ventolo
Phoenix Aviation Research
41-41 41st Street #1-M
Sunnyside, NY 11104-3243
Telephone: (718) 937-7436
Fax: (718) 784-4682
E-mail: valkyr1097@nyc.rr.com
Research Specialty: Military, historical, government; record groups media, series, subjects
About:
Bonnie G. Rowan
Bonnie G. Rowan Film Research
1849 California Street NW
Washington, DC 20009-1808
Telephone: (202) 265-1081; (202) 580-9933
E-mail: browan@his.com
Research Specialty: Motion pictures, video, recorded sound, still pictures, textual records; 20th century world history, World War II, black history, POWs, sports, humor, air and space, children, arts, presidents, technology, and family history.
About: Full-time, on-site research. Thirty years research experience. Credits on over 500 documentaries, exhibits, publications.
Sarah Katz
Katz Tale Media
309 Otterville Road, #631
New London, NH 03257
Telephone: (207) 653-8163
Fax:
E-mail: sarah@katztale.com
Research Specialty: All topics and themes within the motion picture, sound, and video recording collections including but not limited to Vietnam War, WWI, WWII and Cold War; Presidential libraries; photographic collections; regional archives. Specialties in navigating complex copyright.
About: Twenty years of experience managing research and rights for thousands of archival media assets. Extensive experience with premium broadcasters, film distributors, independent documentaries, museum exhibits and more. Fluent in legal deliverables.
Heather Steele
The World War II History Project
2240 Encinitas Blvd., Suite D14
Encinitas, CA 92024
Telephone: (760) 452-7240
Fax:
E-mail: heather@ww2historyproject.org
Research Specialty: WWII Army, Army Air Force, Navy; POW records; captured German records (in US & Germany); Resistance & escape line files; OSS; counterintelligence, war crimes; state department; photos; videos; unit journals; after action reports; mission records.
About: Fluent in German and French. Research of original SS, Gestapo and NSDAP files on a regular basis in Berlin-Lichterfelde.
Susan Grandis Goldstein
10037 Colebrook Avenue
Potomac, MD 20854
Telephone: (202) 549-4439
Fax:
E-mail: susangrandisgoldstein@gmail.com
Research Specialty: National Archives and Records Administration Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Unit and Still Picture Branch
About:
Kevin Bradley
KDB_Media
30 Triple Crown Ct
Windsor Mill, MD 21244
Telephone: (410) 265-6214
E-mail: kdb_media@yahoo.com; kdbmedia1@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Motion pictures, sound, and video; genealogy
About: I have retired from the National Archives after 30 years in reference. I had the pleasure of working in textual for thirteen, Motion Picture, Sound and Video branch for fifteen the Education Branch for two years.
I received my undergraduate degree from Mid-American University in Oklahoma and I’m currently working on my Masters at the University of Southern California.
I’ve had the honor to work with some of the top companies in media: ESPN, HBO, BET, Ken Burns and Florentine Films’ "Jazz". I also worked on films for exhibits for the Muhammad Ali Center, as well as documentary with Dr. Mina Chow of the University of Southern California’s School of Architecture. I have also work with Genealogy records while working at Archives 1.
I have compiled several finding aids in Motion Pictures. My field of expertise are African American History, Jazz, Sports and World War II. I have contributed to the National Archives Rediscovering African American History blogs
I live in Columbia, Maryland with is not far from the National Archives in College Park.
Yoko Nagasaka Myers
Nichimy Corporation
9658 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 300
College Park, MD 20740
Telephone: (301) 531-4677 / (301) 512-1840
Fax:
E-mail: nichimyusa@nichimy.co.jp
Research Specialty: WWII Pacific Theater military and navy records (text, photographs, motion picture, cartographic) and Allied Occupation of Japan, Japanese Koreans in Japan, Okinawa - related issues, U.S.-Japan Relations, migration, and others.
About:
Kevin Leonard
9364 Spring Water Path
Jessup, MD 20794
Telephone: (301) 776-9260
Fax:
E-mail: theleonardgroup7@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Militaty history, 20th century American history, film and video, audio and sound, still photos, NASA, DOJ, FBI
About:
Paul D. Watson
Watson Research Services
PO Box 004
Glen Dale, MD 20769
Telephone: (301) 966-7780
E-mail: watsonresearchservices@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Photographs, film, textual, and special media; military, civilian, and diplomatic agency records; labor, business, and regulatory history. Particular experience with records of the U.S. Information Agency, Adjutant General’s Office, Panama Canal, Civilian Conservation Corps, and Universal Newsreel; African-American history.
About: Expertise in conducting research at government and private archives in the Washington, DC area; former NARA employee; former Naval History Heritage Command (NHHC) staff; MLS-Archives Specialization; Certificate in Federal Records Management.
Orrin Konheim
2771 N Quincy St
Arlington, VA 22207
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: okonh0wp@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Microfilm, moving images and textual with particularly robust experience in state, World War I, World War II, Department of the Interior, and Central America.
About: I provide a full-tiered service as well as budget jobs to work with students or authors without grants. I also do work at both archive branches, the Library of Congress and the GWU special collections. I also have over a dozen years of professional journalistic experience with which I bring in terms of investigative skills.
Dirk Burgdorf
AAA Research
21515 Manor View Cir
Germantown, MD 20876
Telephone: (301) 922-9610
E-mail: contact@naraexpert.com
Research Specialty: Specialist in Aerial Imagery and Maps (both U.S. and foreign), American Military Records, Captured German Records (SS, Wehrmacht, NSDAP, War Diaries), and German technical Manuals.
About: 30+ years of historical research experience, complete fluency in German, partnered with specialists in both Russian and Germany. First hand experience from personal visits to battlefields on both the Eastern and Western Fronts.
Peter Ferraro
Easy Street Productions, Public Domain Footage
118 Redhaven Ct.
Thurmont, MD 21788-0302
Telephone: (301) 471-8058
E-mail: info@publicdomainfootage.com
Research Specialty: Universal newsreels, motion pictures and video recordings, public domain footage, donated footage, military films and other material for documentary production
Joan M. Mathys
MJM Picture and Film Research
2801 Quebec St NW 222
Washington, DC 20008-1242
Telephone: (202) 537-3256
Fax: (202) 966-5816
E-mail: joanmathys@msn.com
Research Specialty: Motion Picture (moving images) and sound (audio recordings); Still Picture and Graphics; Textual materials; Cartographic materials
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