United States. U.S. Customs Service. Master Files of Photographs Relating to Agency Officials, Facilities and Equipment, and Enforcement Pursuits, 6/18/1970 - 7/1997
Title:
Records of the U.S. Customs Service. 1745 - 1997. Master Files of Photographs Relating to Agency Officials, Facilities and Equipment, and Enforcement Pursuits, 6/18/1970 - 7/1997
This series consists of photographs that document the law enforcement and customs administration responsibilities and activities of the U.S. Customs Service from the 1970s through 1990s. Topics covered include facilities and personnel, training of personnel, interdiction, operations at airports and other points of entry, search and seizure operations, canine narcotics enforcement and other drug smuggling detection operations, intellectual property and trademark protection activities, ceremonies, and notable individuals, including U.S. presidents and other government officials.
The canine narcotics enforcement photography includes some coverage of activities at the Canine Enforcement Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia. Assignments 753 and 998 show images of dogs being trained to detect illegal drugs and bombs in various settings, including in vehicles and on people.
Among the ceremonial occasions photographed are appointments to key agency offices and award ceremonies. Some of the photographs record the dedications of the Customs House in New Orleans, Louisiana (assignment 423), the World Trade Center Customs House in New York City, New York (assignment 605), and the Customs House Boston, Massachusetts (assignment 631). Also pictured are visiting foreign dignitaries, including photographs of the attendees at a Group of 7 (G7) Finance Ministers Summit Meeting in Washington, DC (assignment 3203).
Other items of interest include portraits of Customs officials and photographs of important government officials and other notables. A picture of author Herman Melville, who worked briefly for Customs, is included in assignment 1321. There are photographs of Presidents Gerald Ford (assignment 787), Jimmy Carter (assignment 1269), George H. W. Bush (assignment 2337), and Bill Clinton (assignment 3379). Assignment 1942 contains images of Vice-President Albert Gore, Jr. In addition, there are photographs of Secretaries of the Treasury John B. Connally (assignment 319), W. Michael Blumenthal (assignment 1270), G. William Miller (assignment 1578), Donald Regan (assignments 1821, 1903, 1922, and 1939), James Baker (assignment 2258), Nicholas Brady (assignment 2567), Lloyd M. Bentsen (assignment 3064), and Robert Rubin (assignments 3248, 3164, 3203 and 3318). Other government officials pictured include Attorney Generals Janet Reno (assignment 3165) and Edward Meese (assignments 1906 and 2187), Maritime Commissioner Christopher Koch (assignment 2523), and Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger (assignments 1922 and 2053). The series also includes photographs of Customs commissioners and Treasury Secretaries testifying before Congress. Among entertainers included in the series are actor Jack Webb (assignment 112), boxers Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard (assignments 2320 and 2333), television personality Willard Scott (assignment 2361), and the country and western band "Alabama" (assignment 2575).
Coverage also includes many pictures of historic sites and other places of interest. Among these are images of the New York City skyline, including views of the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center (assignment 941 and 2639), the old Customs House in New York City (assignment 605), the Liberty Bell (assignment 1022), the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges in California (assignment 1526), and historical landmarks around Galveston, Texas (assignment 2245). Other subjects pictured in this series are agency badges and uniforms.
The majority of the photographs were taken by Bill Mason and Harold Wise; however, Mike Flemming, Karen Durkalski, Mark Vyrros, and Barry Carmick also photographed some of the assignments.
ArchivalResource:
22 linear feet, 6 linear inches
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