Human Studies Film Archives

Guide to the Walter Goetz films, 1949-1986

Summary

Collection ID:
HSFA.2019.02
Creators:
Goetz, Walter, 1930-2018
Dates:
1949-1986
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
116 Film reels
color silent reversal; 44,350 feet
8mm and Super 8mm
Repository:
Walter Goetz was an amateur photographer who shot films on his many vacations. This collection contains film footage from 41 trips that he took between 1949 and 1986.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection contains film footage from 41 trips that Walter Goetz took to North America, the Caribbean, Europe, the South Pacific, Central and South America, and Asia. Goetz's travels spanned the years 1949 to 1986, with a trip almost every year. The collection does not contain the notes and photographs that he took or the artifacts that he collected while travelling.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The films are arranged chronologically.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Walter George Goetz was born November 21, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the only child of Mary and Walter Goetz Sr., who lived in Glendale, Queens. Goetz worked for many years for AT&T. From an early age, he accumulated photographs and films of his travels, becoming an accomplished photographer. He loved to share his films at family gatherings, presenting the films with help from his copious notes, using artifacts brought home from his travels to enhance his talks.
Walter and his family moved to New Jersey and then to Florida, where they lived for 23 years. Hawaii became Walter's favorite place to visit, and he and his family often travelled there for 4 to 6 weeks at a time.
At his death, Goetz asked that his films be shared. He died March 13, 2018, in Spring Hill, Florida at the age of 86.
Sources Consulted
Descriptions given to the HSFA by the Goetz family.

Administration

Author
Katherine Christensen
Processing Information
Titles are supplied by the archivist.
Processed by HSFA Staff
Encoded by Katherine Christensen, November 2020
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Walter Goetz films were donated by the Goetz family.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
The Walter Goetz films, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Tourism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oceania Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Europe Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Caribbean Area Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
North America Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Panama Canal (Panama) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Venezuela Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Asia Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hawaii Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Century 21 Exposition (1962 : Seattle, Wash.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Human Studies Film Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland 20746
hsfa@si.edu