American Studies

This fascinating and entertaining documentary celebrates the work of Reynold Brown, one of the most acclaimed movie poster artists of the Fifties and early Sixties, whose work colorfully encapsulated the nation's postwar social climate.

Profiles lithograph artist Robert Blackburn, one of the few black printmakers to emerge from WPA-sponsored arts projects, including the Harlem Art Center, during the Thirties. His prints have been exhibited widely and he has also had a long teaching career, but the now 77-year-old Blackburn is best known as the founder and director of the Printmaking Workshop, which recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.

Documents the life and work of Harry Devlin, whose long and varied career as a commercial and fine arts artist has spanned more than half a century, with work in virtually every medium in the fields of syndicated cartooning, publishing and advertising.

The Gibson Girl, the first popular image of the American woman, was created by Charles Dana Gibson, one of the nation's greatest illustrators, during the "Golden Age" of illustration, when America's national magazines, such as Life and Collier's, influenced every aspect of American culture.

Portrays a summer bagpipe school in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where piping enthusiasts from all over North America gather to learn the craft and music of the traditional instrument of the Scottish highlands.

Captures the spirit and charm of the legacy of Elvis Presley by accompanying a fan through Elvis country, from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. The video visits his birthplace and other shrines of Presleydom, meets people who were associated with Elvis, plus his adoring fans and impersonators.

Profiles Roy Smeck, a former vaudeville star known as "The Wizard of the Strings" because of his virtuoso talents on the guitar, banjo, ukelele and Hawaiian guitar, and who is shown to be still active, in his mid-80s, teaching students and giving occasional public performances.

A documentary portrait of Andrew F. Boarman, a 78-year-old West Virginia instrument maker and musician, featuring a number of lively musical performances and an illustration of Boarman's skills as a master craftsman of banjos, guitars, fiddles, and dulcimers.

This cinema-verite documentary explores the realities of life as a classical musician through the story of Hexagon, a newly-formed chamber ensemble. The documentary chronicles their challenging first year and a half, from the group's seemingly casual first rehearsal to its high-pressure launching into the mainstream of the classical music scene.

Hosted and narrated by singer Linda Ronstadt, this entertaining and informative look at ethnic music in America offers a rich sampling of the nation's culturally diverse musical styles, featuring performances of Irish, Greek, African-American, Jewish, Central Asian, Chinese and Puerto Rican music.

This behind-the-scenes documentary chronicles the collaborative efforts of young composer Peter Lieberson, pianist Peter Serkin, and conductor Seiji Ozawa as they shape Lieberson's first orchestral piece for debut by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

This video portrays the big-band era in American entertainment, profiling the Lee Williams Band which, from 1938 to 1952, barnstormed throughout the Midwest, bringing Swing music to rural America.