13.04 cu. ft. (11 record storage boxes) (1 document box) (2 tall document boxes) (1 film box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Documentary films
Motion pictures (visual works)
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1968-1970; 1978; 1982-1983; 1985-1987; 1994-1995
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of materials documenting 13 productions created by Smithsonian Productions. 1) "The Sawyer and His Mill" was a 1969 exhibition film shown in
the National Museum of American History's Agriculture Hall. The 4:50 minute film compared ancient and modern sawmills. It won the Bronze Medal at the International Film and
TV Festival of New York. 2) "Shells and the Animals Inside," 1978, was a 20-minute educational film that looked at imagination as a learning technique. 3) "Kaleidoscope of
Cowries" was a 4-minute exhibition film that displayed the beauty of cowry shells. It was designed for a mirrored projection area. It won the Silver Medal at the 1981 International
Film and TV Festival of New York. 4) "From Clay to Kiln," 1968, was a 4:30 minute exhibition film that demonstrated basic pottery making techniques. 5) "City of the Dead"
was a 3:30 minute exhibition film shown in the Hall of Western Civilization at the National Museum of Natural History. The 1978 film documented the Smithsonian dig at Bab
Edh-Dhra, a 5000-year-old burial site in Jordan. 6) "Beyond the Ocean, Beneath a Leaf" was a 28:05 minute exhibition video produced in 1982 that provided an intimate view
of insect and aquatic life including close-up footage of animal behavior seldom seen by the naked eye. 7) "Welcome to Whipple" was a video orientation guide to the Fred Lawrence
Whipple Observatory located near Amado, Arizona on Mount Hopkins. 8-9) "Inside Active Volcanoes: Kilauea and Mount St. Helens" was a 1989 exhibition at the National Museum
of Natural History that also traveled with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Two titles "Inside Hawaiian Volcanoes" and "Eruption of Kilauea" were
likely produced in conjunction with this exhibit. 10-11) "The Volcano Surtsey" and "Volcano - Original Footage" are two titles that are likely associated with an exhibit at
the National Museum of Natural History called "Volcanoes and Volcanism," 1970. 12) "Starfish" was a 7 minute exhibition film produced in 1970 concerning crown-of-thorns starfish
depredating the Great Barrier Reef. 13) "Magnificent Voyagers" was a 30-minute educational film about the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842, chronicling the voyage and
the United States' entry into the world's scientific community. The film won the 1989 CINE Golden Eagle award.
Restrictions:
Restrictions pertaining to the use of these materials may apply (based on contracts/copyright). Access restrictions may also apply if viewing copies are not currently available. Viewing copies can be made for a fee. Contact reference staff for details.
