United States Pirates Tender

The Bureau of Consular Affairs has launched the From Pirates to Passports A Timeless Commitment to Service exhibit at the United States Diplomacy Center at the Department of State. This exhibit celebrates the 40-year anniversary of the founding of the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the long history of consular service to the American people. The exhibition which will run through mid-July includes exclusive photos stories and historical artifacts showcasing the evolution of consular affairs from its pre-Constitutional inception to its global presence . Later this year a digital version of the exhibit with expanded interactive content will be available to the public.On display are the stories of consuls from the earliest days of the republic to the present and of the citizens they helped including in crisis. U.S. passports trace the transformation of the iconic document from a written memo requesting safe passage to the state-of-the-art secure passport book produced . Similarly the exhibit follows the evolution of visa regulations over centuries to adapt to an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Specific artifacts within the exhibit include passports of famous persons a logbook from U.S. Consulate General Marseille documenting the consulates passport services to hundreds of U.S. citizens including Gertrude Stein and Varian Fry fleeing Nazi-controlled Europe during World War II and historic tools of the trade used to produce visas including a visa machine visa plates and wax seals.The exhibit will be open to credentialed members of the press from 1100 a.m. 1200 p.m. on Friday May 31. Subject matter experts from the Bureau of Consular Affairs will be available to discuss the history and evolution of consular service in response to a changing world and to provide a guided tour of the exhibit.