Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of videotapes created during the production of "Smithsonian World," an educational television series that explored people, ideas, and events that shape world culture, blending art, science, history, and the humanities to create an exciting harmony among disciplines. The production was narrated by historian David G. McCullough and co-produced by WETA-TV for broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service.

The series consisted of 6 seasons, each with 5-7 episodes. Each episode ran approximately 1 hour. Season 1 (1984-1985) episodes include "Time and Light;" "Crossing the Distance;" "Speaking Without Words;" "Designs for Living;" "Filling in the Blanks;" "The Last Flower;" and "Desk in the Jungle." Season 2 (1985-1986) episodes include "Heroes and the Test of Time;" "A Usable Past;" "Where None Has Gone Before;" "On the Shoulders of Giants;" and "American Pie." Season 3 (1986-1987) episodes include "The Wyeths: A Father and His Family;" "Voices of Latin America;" "The Elephant on the Hill;" "The Promise of the Land;" and "Islam." Season 4 (1988-1989) episodes include "The Living Smithsonian;" "American Dream at Groton;" "The Way We Wear;" "Web of Life;" and "The Vever Affair." Season 5 (1990) episodes include "Zoo;" "A Moveable Feast;" "Tales of the Human Dawn;" Nigerian Art - Kindred Spirits;" and "The Quantum Universe." Season 6 (1991) episodes include "Gender: The Enduring Paradox;" "Selling the Dream;" "From Information to Wisdom;" "A Certain Age;" and "Doors of Perception."

Materials include camera footage, film transfers, dubs, PAL dubs, credits, final productions, and promotions. There are a wide variety of videotape formats including 3/4" U-matic, VHS, Betacam SP, and Betacam. Also included in this accession is an interview with Arthur M. Sackler done by Smithsonian World staff on 3/4" U-matic videotape. Reference copies for some episodes are available.