Research Our Records

Independent Researchers for Hire - Media Types

Researchers Specializing in Photographs and Pictures*

Note: To ensure fairness, this list displays in random order each time it is viewed.
Be sure to view the entire list.

Michelle Pointon
National Air Survey Center dba as Time Frames
5 Xebec Road
Palmyra, VA 22963
Telephone: (301) 935-6012; (434) 326-3277
Fax:
E-mail: nasccinfo@aol.com
Research Specialty: NASC dba Time Frames is a small woman 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 photographic printing, graphic design and exhibits.

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, all formats, all gov’t agencies. Research projects big and small. Latest copying equipment. Client downloads high-quality images or text-recognized PDFs from Dropbox. Lives close by. Over 25 years of research at NARA and over 30 years of using FOIA/MDR to obtain records.
About: Award-winning investigator in historical research, journalism, and science who works with academics, authors, and journalists worldwide to research their projects. Languages: English, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian - some French and German. Google for publications.

Mary C. Cook
4705 Keirnan Rd
College Park, MD 20740
Telephone: 202-213-5579
E-mail: marycookcp@gmail.com
Research Specialty: General research, all topics, text, photographs, microfilm, manuscripts. Middle East, natural resources, environment, Arabic and French.

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:

Edward Engel
313 Highland Terrace
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Telephone: (410) 610-2685
Fax:
E-mail: edwardengel@yahoo.com
Research Specialty: Textual records; still photographs; film and video
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.

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.

Darren Neely
Fox Company Research
316 Pytchley Run
Annapolis, MD 21403
Telephone: (443) 254-1634
Fax:
E-mail: darrenRneely@gmail.com
Research Specialty: World War I and II and Korean War after action and unit reports, World War 2 photographs. Author of Forgotten Archives WW2 photo book series, Operation Nordwind, 3rd Armored Division Pictorial History and Weapons of the Battle of the Bulge pictorial.
About:

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)

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:

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.

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.

Renee Meade
Adventure Research
PO Box 270933
Louisville, CO 80027
Telephone: (303) 641-8412
E-mail: renee@adventureresearch.com
Research Specialty: Historical records for the Rocky Mtn West, Census Records, Genealogy and Family History, Immigration, Emigration and Naturalization Records; Photographs and Pictures.

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.

Robb Hill
8805 Bradford Rd.
Silver Spring, MD 20901
Telephone: (773) 209-2628
E-mail: robb@robbhill.com
Research Specialty: Photo collecions Civil War through Civil Rights. All film and video. Civil War pension and enlistment records. Military tactics documents 1800-1900. Real Estate records 1900-1950.

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.

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), Holocaust, 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, Newspapers.
About: 35 years research experience. Also does research at the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and other repositories.

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:

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: acwresearchgroup@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Military Service, Pensions, Deck Logs, Veteran Burial Locations, African-American, Navy, and general research of the American Civil War
About: We have 50+ years of professional and volunteer research experience, 20+ years at NARA and 18+ years in Graves Registration.

Dr. John Arnold
NICOM, Inc
1316 Queen St Ste 2000
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: (703) 684-4636
Fax: (703) 684-7335
E-mail: seek@nicom.com
Research Specialty: Experienced specialists in all areas of military and civil records; archival research.
About: NICOM, Inc., The National Information Co., has over 25 years experience in all areas of military and civilian archival research. Our website clearly outlines our services and rates. Our experienced researchers have helped veterans, individuals, authors, agencies, consulting firms, non-profits, large and small law firms, small businesses and Fortune 500 companies in the following research categories: military records, including Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force, Deck Logs, Intelligence, Captured German Records, Cold War, Coast Guard, Lighthouse and Customs Records, Diplomatic Records, Court Records, Genealogy, Census, Immigration, Emigration and Naturalization Records in all media formats.

Sarah Katz
Katz Tale Media
670 North Commercial Street, #45
Manchester, NH 03101
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.
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. Archival Producer for EMMY nominated documentary series UNKNOWN on Netflix.

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:

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

Elizabeth Harris
Elizabeth McNeil Harris

,
Telephone: (301) 529-9319
Fax:
E-mail: eharrisresearch@gmail.com
Research Specialty: Motion Pictures; Photographs and graphic works
About:

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
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.

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

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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 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.

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

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.

Clare LaVergne
PhotoAssist, Inc.
1300 Mercantile Lane
Largo, MD 20774
Telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: info@photoassist.com
Research Specialty: Media: photographs, film negatives, maps, documents; Subjects 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:

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.

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.

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:


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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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