U.S. History

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    Podium Seal from U.S Interests Section Havana

    After U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations were severed in 1961, the U.S. maintained a presence in Havana through an Interests Section from 1977 to 2015. The U.S. and Cuba resumed diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, when both countries elevated their respective Interests Sections to Embassy status. This metal seal emblem, measuring about 12”…

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    Kerosene Slide & Film Projector

    This kerosene-powered projector from the U.S. Embassy in Singapore is an unusual device dating to the 1950s. It was used by diplomats, particularly those focused on public diplomacy efforts, to show slides or film strips to groups of people in areas with limited or no electricity.

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    U.S. Navy Baseball Caps

    Foreign Service Officer Emil Skodon served at a number of posts that supported port visits by U.S. Navy ships. In appreciation for his help, he received caps with the ships’ names from the captains of these visiting ships. This simple token illustrates an important aspect of how our nation's military and diplomats…

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    Japanese Coronation Postcards

    George W. Guthrie served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan (1913-1917). As ambassador, he kept the U.S-Japan bilateral relationship on an even keel as war spread into Asia and the Pacific in 1914 and as President Woodrow Wilson attempted to maintain neutrality. Guthrie and his wife Florence successfully managed this complex relationship, gaining…

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    Beijing Banquet Menu

    In April 1971, nine players from the U.S. Table Tennis team took a historic trip to China. Their trip was the start of what became known as “ping pong diplomacy” and helped lay the groundwork for establishing official diplomatic relations between the United States and China. Connie Sweeris, one of the nine…

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    Michael Metrinko's Medal of Valor

    Before the Iran hostage crisis began on November 9, 1979, American diplomats in Iran faced the ongoing challenges of serving during the Iranian revolution, which had been unfolding since early 1978. Michael Metrinko, who was the U.S. Consul in Tabriz, Iran faced a chaotic and violent situation in early 1979. Metrinko opted…

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    Engraving of Secretary of State Van Buren

    Martin Van Buren is depicted in this stone engraving created during his tenure as Secretary of State, from 1829-1831. Van Buren would go on to serve as President of the United States from 1837 until 1841.

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    CORDS Team 18 Plaque

    Plaque honoring the service of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Officer David Lazar, from his colleagues of the Civil Operations and Revolutionary Development Support (CORDS) Advisory Team 18, South Vietnam, 1971.

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    Philip Habib's Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Born to parents who immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, Philip C. Habib grew up in New York and joined the Foreign Service in 1949. Habib became a renowned diplomat over his 30+ year career, first for his service and expertise in Southeast Asia — including a prominent role in the…

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    Embassy Saigon Sidewalk Segment

    Section of sidewalk from outside U.S. Embassy Saigon, South Vietnam. In 1968, when the Embassy was attacked, State Department security officers and U.S. troops skirmished with attackers on the sidewalk which surrounded the Embassy compound’s outer wall. This small section was saved from the site in 2003 as the sidewalk was being…