Research Our Records

Independent Researchers for Hire - Media Types

Researchers Specializing in Cartographic and Architectural Records*

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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.

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:

Warren Hower
American Historical Research
1927 Hillside Dr
Falls Church, VA 22043
Telephone: (703) 517-3977
E-mail: warren.hower@howerresearch.com
Research Specialty: Includes: 1) Environmental cleanup litigation (included but not limited to - identifying "potentially responsible parties-PRP’s", and 3rd party liabilities, historical operations and processes; 2) Academic Historical Research, specializing in US diplomatic relations 1800-1900’s, WWII military history; 3) Corporate Histories specializing in contract research, product development histories, change in ownership, etc.; 4) Cartographic Research.
About: Former military/government contractor and experienced researcher. In addition, I have access to wide pool of researchers and historians who specialize in a variety of topics. If you need specific topic researched and you don’t see it listed, please ask.

Dr. Jason Gart, Vice President
History Associates Incorporated
300 N Stonestreet Ave
Rockville, MD 20850-1655
Telephone: (301) 279-9697
Fax: (301) 279-9224
E-mail: jgart@historyassociates.com
Research Specialty: African American history; Asbestos; Census; Congressional records; Court records; Coast Guard/Lighthouse/Custom records; Diplomatic records; Intelligence records; Labor and Business History; Legislative histories; Litigation-related researcher; Transportation records; Military records; Native American relations records
About: Litigation-related research into a wide range of textual and non-textual records. Environmental site history, legislative histories, and Holocaust related records research are only a few of the areas where we have focused.

Shannon Bridget Murphy

Herndon, VA 20171
Telephone: (703) 864-3099
Fax:
E-mail: shannoninpapertrails@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Captured German Records; Art Provenance: Cold War; Congressional Records; State Department Records; General Government Records, Family History; Immigration and Naturalization; Military Records - Military record searches, including lineage applications; Natural Resources and Environmental Records; Motion Pictures and Audio-Silent films; Photo Stills and Video Recordings; Photographs and Pictures
About: Acknowledged for research in ’From Arromanches to the Elbe’, by Charles More, published by Pen and Sword Publishing for 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:

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.

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:

Bruce D. Frail; Benjamin J. Frail D.B.A
American Civil War Ancestor
19 Briar Point Ave
Coventry, RI 02816
Telephone: (401) 464-2119
Fax:
E-mail: poppahazmat@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Military Service Records, Pension Records, Deck Logs, Veterans Burial Locations, and any other area of general research of the American Civil War
About: We have 50+ years of professional and volunteer research experience, 20+ years at NARA and 16+ years in Graves Registration.

Elizabeth K. Gray
Elizabeth Katheryn Gray

,
Telephone: (301) 767-2167
Fax:
E-mail: cavepearl@hotmail.com
Research Specialty: Civilian Textual Records (ALL), Cartographic (ALL), Railroads & ICC (RG 134), Ship Plans (RG 19, 26, 71), State Department including Central Decimal & Subject Numeric File (RG 59), State Dept. Geneology, Alien Enemy Files (Internment Records), DOJ and FBI (RG 60 & 65), Provost Marshall (RG 389), Lighthouses (RG 26), Aerial Records (RG 114, 145, 373), General Land Office Records RG 49, 77, 75, &92, Foreign Claims Commission (RG 299).
About:

Vicki Killian
Vicki Killian, Nicklason Research Associates
5 Cleveland Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912-4123
Telephone: (301) 588-0456
Fax:
E-mail: vkillian@nicklason.com
Research Specialty: Native American history, Natural Resources use (Land, Water, Agriculture, Mining, Forestry), Military (Army, Navy, USAF, Marine Corps, National Guard, Coast Guard), Environmental clean-up (Superfund, FUDS, MNRP, PRP), Japanese Internment, New Deal (CCC, CWA, FERA, NYA, PWA, WPA), Courts (Supreme Court, Court of Claims), Congressional, Labor, Business, Lighthouse, Transportation, and State Department records. Textual, Maps, Photographs, Aerial Photos, Newspapers.
About: 35 years research experience. Also does research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other repositories.

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.

Mike Constandy
Deck Logs
PO Box 320488
Alexandria, VA 22320-980
Telephone: (202) 421-5151
Fax: (703) 768-6609
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.

John Cloud
Cloud Research
1915 Kalorama Rd NW 603
Washington, DC 20009
Telephone: 202-277-4931
Fax:
E-mail: john.cloud666@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Records and especially cartography for all federal scientific agencies, and especially for records of the Coast & Geodetic Survey (RG 23) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (RG 310); records concerning American Indians (RG 29, 75, 77, 287); Railroad records (RG 21, 134); Navy Deck Logs, maps, and related records of the Hydrographic Office (RG 37); and records related to historic and current environmental science.
About: PhD. in Geography, UC Santa Barbara, with dissertation on the declassified CORONA reconnaissance satellite program; NOAA historian for 12 years; Contributor to the History of Cartography Project, Vol. 5 (19th C.) and Vol. 6 (20th C.); currently Research Associate, Arctic Studies Center, Anthropology Dept., Smithsonian Institution. Available for research in other archives, especially the Library of Congress and the collections and archives of the Smithsonian Institution.

Derek Lawrence
TechLaw Consultants, Inc.
1726 Cole Boulevard, Building 22, Suite 115
Lakewood, CO 80401
Telephone: (303) 586-4912; (720) 207-3135
Fax:
E-mail: Derek.Lawrence@techlawinc.com
Research Specialty: General Research, Military Records, Federal Agency Records, Aerial Photos, Still Photographs
About:

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:

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.

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.

Elisa E. McConnell
Direct Archives Solutions, LLC
5333 Connecticut Ave., NW Apt. 820
Washington, DC 20015
Telephone: (202) 507-1309
Fax:
E-mail: directarchivessolutions@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Specialize in aerial images scans from NARA Cartographic collection; Cartographic research, aerial negatives and GX prints; Rail Road Valuation Maps; Military Records; Textual Records; Stills Pictures: RG-185-Panama Canal Zone.
About: On-site; 17+ years experience, fluent in Spanish.

Susan E. Stone
9210 Bessie Clemson Rd.
Union Bridge, MD 21791
Telephone: (240) 274-6661
Fax:
E-mail: susan.stone2712@att.net
Research Specialty: RG134: Railroad Valuation Maps, RG 49: Railroad Right-of-Way Maps; RG 21: Railroad Property Transfer; Textual Land Schedules (DV-107); Aerial Imagery, Maps, and Still Pictures.
About: 19+ years at NARA. Specialized in research & reproduction of Val Maps, Aerial Negatives Scanning and Still Pictures.

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.

Mark Leutbecker
Associates at Nicklason Research
2217 N Harrison St
Arlington, VA 22205
Telephone: (703) 536-5180; (703) 946-7146
Fax: (703)536-5180
E-mail: mleutbecker@nicklason.com
Research Specialty: African-American History; Congressional Records; Court Records (Supreme Court, Court of Claims); Coast Guard/Lighthouse/Custom Records; Labor & Business History/Transportation/Regulatory Agencies; Military-Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, Veterans (Civil, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam); Native American History; Science, Technology, Natural Resources and Environmental clean-up (CERCLA, FUDS, PRP, MMRP); State Department. Land Use, Water Rights, Mining, Forests. Textual, Cartographic, Photographs, Newspapers.
About: 40 years experience researching. Also does research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian, and other repositories.

Kevin Morrow
Ab Initio Archives Research, LLC
1201 N. Kensington Street, Apt. 4
Arlington, VA 22205
Telephone: (703) 439-8789
Fax:
E-mail: morrow.kevin@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Specializing in textual military and federal contractor records related to environmental remediation cases involving hazardous chemicals, asbestos, etc.; academic research concentrating on all branches of the military (World War I through Vietnam); diplomacy and intelligence (OSS, State Department, Army and Navy Intelligence); Native American claims; captured German records; veterans’ concerns (medals, action reports, deck logs, muster rolls); photos (all military and civilian); aerial photos; maps (all military and civilian).
About: Independent historian/researcher. Former National Archives employee. Conversant in German and French; some Arabic, Italian, Spanish

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

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

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.

Dana L. Alexander
Evidence of Title
758 Ohio Street
Alliance, OH 44601
Telephone: (330) 428-2267
Fax: (330) 829-0534
E-mail: evidenceoftitle@outlook.com
Research Specialty: ICC Railroad valuation maps and property records
About:

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.

Asher Groeschler
904 Lamberton Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20902
Telephone: (305) 746-1586
Fax:
E-mail: ashergroeschler@gmail.com
Research Specialty: US History, science, and technology. Any general records in textual, cartographic, photographs and newspapers.
About: I also do research at any facility located in Washington D.C. such as the Library of Congress.

Michell Pointon or Michael Mattes
National Air Survey Center Corporation, T/A Visual Image Presentations
10010 Renfrew Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Telephone: (800) 226-0177
Fax: (301) 927-7177 (call first)
E-mail: nasccinfo@aol.com
Research Specialty: NASCC-VIP is a small family owned, full service photo finishing business, established in 1973 to provide aerial, cartographic, still picture, and textual research and photo finishing services, both traditional film and digital.
About: All our employees have over 35 or more years of working with archival records for both local and international governments, museums, publishers, and commercial clients. We also provide large volume archiving, museum quality framing, custom phtographic printin, graphic design and exhibits.


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*Note:   Researchers for hire are not NARA employees. Any individual or company that does research in our holdings on behalf of others is free
to join the listing. For information on how to get on the Independent Researchers for Hire lists,
see the Opportunity for Independent Researchers page.

Inclusion on the independent researcher lists should not be viewed as an endorsement of the
quality of the researchers' work, and NARA will not be responsible for any arrangement made
with independent researchers. Such arrangements, including the character, extent, and cost
of the work, are purely private, contractual matters between the independent researcher
and you. It also is up to you to determine whether or not the researcher's experience
and qualifications meet your needs. Comments or complaints received by NARA regarding
any individual independent researcher on the listing will be forwarded to that researcher
for resolution.

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