Inside the Vault Series Will Debut With a Look at National Treasure
By Angela Tudico | National Archives News
WASHINGTON, October 3, 2024 — The National Archives kicks off its new monthly virtual program, Inside the Vault, with National Treasure—Fact or Fiction, featuring a discussion moderated by Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan, between podcasters and authors Aubrey Paris and Emily Black, on Tuesday, October 8 at 6 p.m. ET.
“Inside the Vault aims to crack open the vault doors to reveal the records and stories contained within the vast holdings of the National Archives to find the place where history and popular culture meet,” Director of Public Programs and Special Events Grace McCaffrey said. “This new series could only have commenced with the ultimate portrayal of the National Archives in popular culture—in the 2004 movie National Treasure—and by looking deeper into one of our most important documents, the Declaration of Independence.”
The first program in the series will examine the original signed Declaration of Independence through the lens of the popular film National Treasure. Paris and Black are the hosts of the biweekly National Treasure Hunt podcast, which debuted in 2020. They have spent more than 120 episodes exploring the popular films and the history behind the documents and places depicted in them. They are also authors of National Treasure Hunt: One Step Short of Crazy.
“Because of National Treasure, visitors to the National Archives will forever ask questions about how the Declaration of Independence is protected from film figures like Ben Gates and Ian Howe,” Paris said. “National Treasure provides a perfect starting point for in-person and virtual visitors to learn about the importance of record-keeping and the science behind preservation efforts. We’re excited to explore some of these topics—alongside details about National Treasure’s production—during our event.”
Registration for Inside the Vault: National Treasure—Fact or Fiction is now open. The program will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook.
“We love collaborating with the National Archives because of the prominent role of the agency in both U.S. history and National Treasure lore, and we’re honored to join Dr. Shogan to launch this new virtual series,” Black said.
Inside the Vault is fully virtual, accessible anywhere, and open to everyone. The program can be found on the National Archives YouTube channel after each month’s live stream.
Next month’s program in this series, Inside the Vault: Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War, will take place on Monday, November 18, 2024, at 6 p.m. ET. Donald L. Miller, author of Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, and Kirk Saduski, co-producer of the related Apple TV miniseries, will discuss the book and series, as well as the history of the American Eighth Air Force in World War II that provided the inspiration for both.
Learn more about Inside the Vault and upcoming programs by visiting the series’ web page. This and other future programming can also be found on the National Archives Calendar of Events.