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Q: I'd like to get a copy of the audio, video or transcript of an event held at the National Press Club.
A: There are two types of events held at the National Press Club - those that the club coordinates and may retain records of (this includes luncheons, newsmakers, book events and professional development events) and those that are coordinated by outside organizations and of which we do not retain records. You can determine the type of event by looking at the NPC calendar listing for the event.
If the event is coordinated by an outside organization, contact that organization for information about the event. If the event is coordinated by NPC you can view event video (if the event was recorded) on the NPC website. C-SPAN also records many NPC events and some outside events. C-SPAN video can be viewed through the C-SPAN Video Library (select the "National Press Club" category).
Information about purchasing a copy of the video, audio or transcript can be found here.
All NPC audio recorded prior to 1990 is housed at the Library of Congress. You can search their SONIC database to find out if they have a copy of the recording. A description of the NPC collection at the Library of Congress can be found here. To access the recordings, contact the Recorded Sound Section at the Library of Congress.
Q: Who can use the archives?
A: The archives is open to the public, ages 18 and over.
Q: What are your hours?
A: Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. To make an appointment, contact us at 202-662-7598 or archives@press.org
Q: Where are you located?
A: We are located in the National Press Building at 529 14th Street, NW, Suite 480 (4th Floor) Washington, DC. Enter on the 14th Street side of the building and take the main elevators to the fourth floor. The archives is located in Suite 480.
Q: What do you have in your collections?
A: The National Press Club Archives contains records of the Club such as oral histories, audio, video, and transcripts of club sponsored events, NPC President's records, and National Press Building records. The Archives is also home to the Women's National Press Club/Washington Press Club Archives, Society of Professional Journalists' Archives, Society of American Travel Writers' Archives, Overseas Writers Archives, and the papers of prominent journalists. The archives contains over 10,000 photographs, 150 books, 500 sq. feet of paper records, over 5,000 audio tapes and 2,500 video tapes, 100 reel to reel tapes, and over 1,000 artifacts.
Q: Can I get a copy of photographs for the book I am publishing?
A: We can provide you with photographs without copyright restrictions. For photographs restricted by copyright, researchers must contact the copyright holder to obtain publication rights.
Q: Can I access your collections online?
A: Only a portion of our collections are available online at this time. We plan to implement an online catalog in the near future.
Q: Do you have transcripts of National Press Club events?
A: We have transcripts for National Press Club luncheons after 1997. We do not have transcripts of Newsmakers or any other events held at the National Press Club.
Q: Can I obtain a copy of the famous Truman-Bacall photograph?
A: No. The National Press Club does not own the copyright for this photograph. Anyone wishing to purchase a copy must contact the Associated Press at 212-621-1903.
Q: What is the history behind the Truman-Bacall photograph?
A: The picture of Lauren Bacall perched onto of a piano played by then Vice President Harry Truman was taken February 10, 1945 during a canteen held at the National Press Club, one of many canteens held at the Club during World War II. Max Desfor of the Associated Press and a Life Magazine photographer photographed the two at the National Press Club. At the time of the photograph, Lauren Bacall was only 20 years old and was engaged to marry Humphry Bogart on May 21, 1945. Harry Truman was a member of the club and Lauren Bacall was at the Club to entertain the servicemen. The National Press Club still owns the piano which is located in the Truman Lounge.