Undated photo of War Department records in the White House garage. Prior to the establishment of the National Archives in 1934, “federal records were kept in various basements, attics, abandoned buildings, and other storage places with little security or concern for storage conditions” (source).  I think it’s likely that the photo was taken in 1935 as Archives staff surveyed the existing storage of federal records in preparation for transferring them to the new National Archives building in Washington, DC. The original is here.