Browse Exhibits (24 total)

10 episodes, 1960, WHYY (Philadelphia)

From WNET:

"Each program presents the life of a famous author as it was reflected in his own writing. A series of drawings, etchings, lithographs, and photographs of the times and places mentioned recreates the times and physical appearance of each writer. A narrator describes these times and places, often from the authors’ works. In addition, actors on camera read well-known passages. The programs were prepared in cooperation with the Free Library of Philadelphia."

13 episodes, 1961, KQED (San Francisco) 

From WNET:

"Thirteen half-hour programs from KQED in San Francisco describe the history of Communism, from Marx to Khrushchev, and explore some of the major fallacies in this system of thought. Each program contains commentary by noted historians and scholars, film clips of some of the historical events described, and re-enactments of other important episodes in the rise of Communism. Based on documents in the Hoover Institution of War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University, the dramatic scenes are all adapted from the speeches and writings of the significant figures of the period – Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and many others. The settings, costumes and makeup for the actors were carefully designed to reproduce with the utmost fidelity the figures and locations of the scenes they recreate, and were based on contemporary photographs and portraits in the archives of the Hoover Institution."

5 episodes, 1960, KQED (San Francisco)

From WNET:

"From station KQED in San Francisco comes a series of programs designed to increase the viewer’s appreciation of the art of photography.  Featuring one of America’s greatest photographers, Ansel Adams, the series is an exploration of the techniques and philosophy which can transform photography from a mechanical record to a delicate and sensitive art.  Because television is a medium which appeals to the eye as well as to the ear of the audience, it is a particularly appropriate means of explaining photographic theory, of illustrating techniques as they are being used, and of showing the results of these techniques at the same time."

12 episodes, 1960-1963, WGTV (Atlanta)

From WNET:

"The series introduces the basic liberal arts studies and the basic issues with which they deal. The basic issues with which man deals are real, and the humanistic studies impinge on modern man’s own actions and attitudes. Each film will point out the historical humanistic literature which deals with the modern problem. This series identifies and illuminates certain basic issues which face all men – persistent problems which each man in every age must try to solve. Each program first poses a basic question and then presents some of the enduring … on that question. Although the series draws no conclusions, the programs deal with each of the following six areas: the nature of man, man and society, the political life of man, creativity and the arts, the scientific life of man, and the philosophical life of man. Several of the programs make extensive use of very imaginative and symbolic settings; several are half-hour plays."

8 episodes, 1963, Swedish Institute for Cultural Relations and the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation for NET

From WNET:

"The face of Sweden illuminates the life and culture of Sweden.  Each visual essay stands independently as a full consideration of a significant part of Swedish life, and each provides a key to the understanding of this small country and her people.  The format for the series consists of voice over film, with occasional brief interviews.  The content revolves about the central theme -- Sweden, a country where change is evolutionary and where moderation is characteristic.  The series covers Swedish social politics, foreign policy, law, history, industry, culture and art.  Among the distinguished persons who appear in the series are actress Ingrid Thulin and motion picture producer-director Ingmar Bergman (both in program6).

The series is admittedly a self-portrait.  Its thesis as expressed by those involved in its production is summarized in the following four paragraphs.

Like the United States, Sweden has achieved a high standard of living while maintaining her concern for the preservation of democratic freedom and the dignity of the individual.  In addition to material benefits, the population enjoys a remarkable degree of individual security.  Poverty, unemployment and illiteracy are virtually non-existent.

Yet there are aspects of Swedish life and government that, on the surface, appear contradictory and have given rise to widely held misconceptions.  It is commonly believed, for instance, that the high standard of living and the alleviation of social problems have been achieved through socialism and are therefore illusory benefits outweighed by a loss of individual freedom.  Critics have attempted to prove that the country seethes with hidden social ills - a high suicide rate, mental illness, alcoholism, and illegitimacy.

The true picture is quite a different one.  Sweden is ruled by a king, but her government is a constitutional monarchy.  The Social Democrats have been the majority party of four decades, but they cannot operate without the support of coalitions in the minority parties.  Furthermore, the country is a capitalistic democracy in which only three percent of the national industry is government controlled.  That three percent is made up of primarily railroads, hydroelectric power facilities, and other public utilities that, in such a small country, do not offer reasonable returns to the private investor.

This series then explains from the Swedish point of view, the structure of the country’s society."