GREAT MUSEUMS
Seasons 1, 2 and 3
(episodes noted as High Definition are also available in Standard Definition)
Great Museums # 101
New York City Fire Museum: Trial by Fire
Location: New York, NY
Program Introduction: Trial by Fire
Act One:
The Volunteer Days
Act Two:
Paid to Put Out Fires: 1865
Act Three:
Soaring to New Heights: The 20th Century City
Act Four:
Fire in the Sky: Beyond 9/11
Program Description: Housed in a 1904 firehouse — the former home of Engine 30 — this museum
chronicles the history of firefighting from colonial times to the present. The museum features horse and
hand-drawn fire carriages, fire buckets and parade hats and modern day equipment. Firefighters — many of
whom were involved in the World Trade Center tragedy — serve as the museum’s volunteers. General
Topics: History, Technology, Industry.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 102
National Museum of Women in the Arts: A Woman’s Touch
Location: Washington, D.C.
Program Introduction: Art, the Great Common Denominator
Act One:
Lost in History
Act Two:
Feminism and the French Revolution
Act Three:
Feminine Impressions: A Woman’s Touch (Late 19th C.)
Act Four:
Anonymous No More: Women Artists in the 20th Century
Program Description: The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., offers the single
most important collection of art by women in the world. The museum provides an astonishing survey of
women artists representing every major artistic period, from 16th-century Dutch and Flemish still lifes to 20thcentury abstract expressionism to postmodern art. General Topics: Art, History, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 103
Ellis Island Immigration Museum: Face of America
Location: New York, NY
Program Introduction: Gateway and Getaway
Act One:
Face of America
Act Two:
Becoming Americans
Act Three:
Saving Ellis Island: Making a Museum with Treasures from Home
Act Four:
Emotional Ties
Program Description: Between 1897 and 1938, immigration changed the face of America. More than 100
million citizens in the United States can trace their ancestry to an immigrant who landed at New York’s Ellis
Island. Ellis Island is more than a museum, it is hallowed ground; it is the place where many immigrants from
all over the world first touched American soil. Through the museum’s oral history project and through the
everyday objects on display — a pair of boots, a cooking pot, religious artifacts and traditional clothing — the
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museum strives to ‘give voice’ to people whose lives have not typically been seen as history. General
Topics: History, Genealogy, Preservation, Industry, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 104
Autry Museum of Western Heritage: Spirit of the West
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Program Segments: Introduction: Myth vs. Reality
Act One:
The 16th Century & The Spirits of the West
Act Two:
Seizing Opportunity: Discovery, Conquest, Community
Act Three:
Real Cowboys : The Romance of the Wild West
Act Four:
Vivid Imaginations: Hollywood, TV and Popular Culture
Program Description: Through Wild West shows, Hollywood and television, the fictional West became a
real part of childhood fun for generations of Americans. But, like any great saga, the true story of the West
spans many centuries, combining courage, conflict, conquest and romance. At this Los Angeles-based
museum, viewers witness the stories of mid-16th century Spanish conquistadors in search of gold and glory;
buckskin-clad mountain men; explorers Lewis and Clark; brave pioneers like the Mormon settlers; and the
displaced native Mexicans and Americans. General Topics: Art, History, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 105
American Folk Art Museum: American Anthem
Location: New York, NY
Program Introduction: American Anthem
Act One:
What is it?
Act Two:
The Makers (18-19th Century)
Act Three:
The Outdoor Greats
Act Four:
20th Century Folk
Program Description: For many, folk art challenges the traditional notions of ‘fine’ art. This New York-based
museum applies the same standards that any art museum would apply to a work of art: the works are
challenging, surprising and they inspire creativity. From paintings, weathervanes and decoys to furniture,
quilts and sculptures, this episode leaves little doubt that folk art is a viable art form. General Topics: Art,
History, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 106
Hollywood Entertainment Museum: American Dream Factory
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Program Introduction: American Dream Factory
Act One:
A Town Called Hollywood
Act Two:
A Business Called Hollywood
Act Three:
An Idea Called Hollywood
Act Four:
A Museum Called Hollywood
Program Description: Hollywood is known for its entertainment, art, technology, and imagination, but it is
also how Americans export their culture. In essence, Hollywood is still a ‘factory town’ and its product is
fantasy. Opened in 1996, the museum is the first of its kind, and exhibits go behind the scenes of makeup
and wardrobe and on the sets of Cheers and Star Trek. General Topics: Art, History,Technology, Industry,
Popular Culture, Diversity
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 107
California Surf Museum: Proudly We Wave
Location: Oceanside, CA
Program Introduction: Proudly We Wave
Act One:
Aloha! Captain Cook Spies Hawaiians Surfing
Act Two:
Giant on Board
Act Three:
Sun, Surf, Sand, Sex
Act Four:
Hang Ten Zen
Program Description: In many respects, surfing has not changed in a thousand years. The first Westerner
to see and document surfing was Captain James Cook during his voyage to Hawaii in 1778. Nearly two
centuries later, surfing belonged to Gidget and Hollywood, but a lot happened along the way. From Duke
Kahanamoku to the surf music phenomenon, this museum in Oceanside, California captures the history and
unique spirit of surfing. General Topics: Art, History, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 108
The Field Museum: Earthly Treasures
Location: Chicago, IL
Program Introduction: Earthly Treasures
Act One:
The Whole World at Your Fingertips
Act Two:
Sue’s Story: What We Learn from the Largest T-Rex
Act Three:
People of the Planet: Cultural Diversity
Act Four:
Evolution of Knowledge: Global Research
Program Description: The Field Museum's mission to explore the Earth and its people is apparent as soon
as a visitor steps into the Great Hall. Just past the two ceiling-high totem poles are two enormous dueling
African elephants locked in perpetual battle, as well as Sue, the largest T-Rex ever found. Artifacts and
explanations of ancient human cultures from practically every continent are on display. The Chicago
museum contains cultural, archaeological, botanical, zoological and geological collections totaling more than
20 million objects, yet less than one percent of them are on display at any given time. General Topics:
History, Science/Technology/Industry, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 109
Morris Museum of Art: The Art of the South
Location: Augusta, GA
Program Introduction:
Defining Regional Art
Act One:
What is the ‘Art of the South?’
Act Two:
The People: Antebellum Portraiture to 20th Century Folk Painting
Act Three:
The Places: Landscape Painting & American Impressionism
Act Four:
The Stories: 2oth Century Literature Narrative Realism
Program Description: From the pleasing 19th century portraits by William Edward West of Kentucky to the
vibrant paintings of Gullah life by Jonathan Green of South Carolina, the art of the South is as varied and
diverse as its people. Opened in 1992 in Augusta, Georgia, the museum has a surprising collection of
antebellum portraiture, Civil War paintings, still life, impressionism, landscapes, narrative paintings and folk
art. General Topics: Art & Music, History, Diversity
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 110
Molly Brown House Museum: The Unsinkable
Location: Denver, CO
Program Introduction: The Legend of Molly Brown
Act One:
An American Folk Legend Comes to Town
Act Two:
A Woman’s Home Is Her Castle
Act Three:
Restoring the Truth and the Treasures
Act Four:
Titanic Fever
Program Description: Being in the Denver home of Margaret ‘Molly’ Brown is like stepping back more than
100 years to Victorian times. Through beautiful period restoration, the exhibit reveals the life of this very
unconventional, yet very Victorian, woman and the society in which she lived. Despite her heroic role in the
Titanic disaster, she was ‘caricatured’ out of Denver society because of her stance on human rights and
social change. General Topics: History, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 111
DuSable Museum of African-American History: American Soul
Location: Chicago, IL
Program Introduction: What’s American About Americans?
Act One:
What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black?
Act Two:
Treasures of the DuSable Museum
Act Three:
Distorted Images: Made in the USA
Act Four:
The Children Shall Lead Us
Program Description: Founded in 1961, the DuSable in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the first African-American
museums in the country. The museum follows African-American history from its beginning on the shores of
Africa to a celebration of African-American achievements including, Bessie Coleman, the nation’s first black
female aviator; World War II Tuskegee airmen; Major Robert Lawrence, the nation’s first black astronaut; and
Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor. General Topics: Art, History, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 112
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: Art Gets a Start in America
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Program Introduction: Two Centuries of Contemporary Art
Act One:
Grand Manners and Morals
Act Two:
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Art
Act Three:
Rocking the Cradle of Liberty
Act Four:
To Be Modern
Program Description: Founded when Thomas Jefferson was president and the Revolutionary War was still
a part of living memory, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia is America's first art
museum and school, and is home to more than two centuries of American art. Its mission is the same as
when it first opened its doors in 1805: to train and exhibit work by contemporary American artists. Inside,
students paint before the great works of Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart, Winslow Homer and Mary
Cassat. From 19th century paintings after the Grand Manner Tradition of Europe to contemporary works by
today’s artists, this collection may represent the interesting dynamic that exists between the lure of Europe
and the increasing instinct of American artists to create an art that is uniquely American. General Topics:
Art, American History, Diversity
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 113
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: Water Ways
Location: St. Michaels, MD
Program Introduction: The World of the Bay Waterman
Act One:
Water Ways: The Largest Estuary in North America
Act Two:
The Great Shellfish Bay
Act Three:
The Revolutions
Act Four:
Restoring the Bay
Program Description: Located in St. Michaels on Maryland’s eastern shore, this museum offers 600 years
of the unique history of North America’s largest estuary. The story covers Native Americans and their dug-out
canoes; pirates and privateers; Baltimore Clippers; the American Revolution; hardworking oystermen;
SkipJack racing; environmental conservation and more. Though boats are restored on-site, the museum’s
ultimate mission is about preserving communities and a way of life that is disappearing quickly. General
Topics: History, Geography, Ecology/Conservation; Science, Technology, Industry, Popular Culture,
Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 201
The Charleston Museum: America’s First Museum
Location: Charleston, SC
Program Introduction: New Things from the New World
Act One:
America’s First Museum: 1773
Act Two:
The Riches of Rice
Act Three:
From the Exotic to the Everyday
Act Four:
Then and Now: Charleston’s Golden Ages
Program Description: Founded in 1773 on the eve of American independence, this South Carolina
museum features natural wonders like the rattlesnake, which so fascinated early European explorers; shells
and pottery shards from an on-going archaeological dig that reveal the lost truths of rural slave life; the Civil
War journal of the Ft. Sumter soldiers; Charleston-made silver and furniture; and the city's re-emergence as
a Southern cultural and tourist center. Historic Charleston homes owned by the museum offer glimpses into
the lives of prominent early citizens. General Topics: History, Archaeology, Science, Industry, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 202
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian: Native Voice
Location: New York, Washington, D.C.: Resource Center in Suitland, MD
Program Introduction: Interpreting Living Cultures in a Museum
Act One:
A New Kind of Museum
Act Two:
The Art of Living
Act Three:
The Native Voice
Act Four:
A Window on the Indian Universe
Program Description: This D.C. and New York-based museum approaches the native story in an
enlightened and exciting way, using the native voice to demonstrate that native history, culture, art and life
are part of the shared cultural heritage of all Americans. Behind the scenes at the Maryland-based Cultural
Resources Center, thousands of objects, arranged by tribe, are given ‘traditional native ‘ care, such as air,
light, water or food. Featured objects include 3000 year-old duck decoys; a Cheyenne feather bonnet; a
priest-like Caribou hunting gown; beetlewing jewelry; cradleboards , dolls and miniatures; Pomo feather
baskets; Pueblo dough bowls; Pacific Northwest Tlingit hats; Osage pipes; Valdivia figurines, the oldest
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depiction of human beings in the Western Hemisphere; and a collection of nearly 2000 pairs of moccasins.
General Topics: Art, History, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 203
Colorado History Museum: Crossroads of Culture
Location: Denver, CO
Program Introduction: Crossroads of Culture
Act One:
From the Ancient Anasazi to the Conquistadors
Act Two:
Black Cowboys
Act Three:
Indians: The Sand Creek Massacre and Cheyenne Dog Soldiers
Act Four:
Boom and Bust
Program Description: At this Denver museum, the key players in the Colorado drama come to life: The cliffdwelling Anasazi Indians; the Spanish, who named it Colorado, meaning red; the 19th century ranchers,
miners, missionaries and Native Americans. Highlights include the reality of the Black cowboy life; the boom
and bust days of mining when only a few like Horace and Baby Doe Tabor would strike it rich. Through a
specially designed glass wall visitors glimpse the 95 percent of the collection that is in storage, and gain a
unique sense of what ‘preserving our history’ entails. General Topics: History, Technology, Industry,
Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 204
The Delta Blues Museum: The Blues Lives On!
Location: Clarksdale, MS
Program Introduction: Our Most Enduring Classical Music
Act One:
Origin of the Blues
Act Two:
The Blues Leaves Home
Act Three:
Blues, Blacks and Whites
Act Four:
Bringing the Blues Back Home
Program Description: Located in an old depot in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where Muddy Waters boarded the
train to carry the Blues to the world, this small museum tells the powerful story of the origins of the Delta
Blues and its ultimate transformation into Rock-n-Roll. Interviews include actor and native son, Morgan
Freeman and blues artists Charlie Musselwhite and ‘Super Chikan’ Johnson. Featured are Muddy Waters’
sharecropper cabin; Sonny Boy Williamson’s harmonicas; B.B. King's guitar, ‘Lucille;’ and the annual
Sunflower River Blues festival, which brings together rising talents and established stars of America's most
enduring music. General Topics: Art, Music, History, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 205 *High Definition
National D-Day Museum: Triumph of the Spirit
Location: New Orleans, LA
Program Introduction: Triumph of the Spirit
Act One:
The Greatest Sacrifice
Act Two:
‘The Man Who Won the War’
Act Three:
The Day That Changed the World: June 6, 1944
Act Four:
The Promise of Peace in the Pacific
Program Description: This is not the history of World War II, but the story of what it takes to transform a
nation of people into a nation of warriors. This New Orleans-based museum, opened in the year 2000, talks
about war in human terms and celebrates the American spirit through the personal stories and artifacts of the
American men and women who sacrificed and prevailed in an epic struggle against tyranny. In one soldier’s
Christmas letter to ‘my dear little boys,’ a father struggles to explain war to his young children. He was killed
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shortly after the letter was sent, but he left his children a legacy of love and hope evidenced by his careful
letter. General Topics: History, Technology, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 206 *High Definition
National Music Museum: America’s Shrine to Music
Location: Vermillion, SD
Program Introduction: Not Just the Icing on the Cake
Act One:
America’s Shrine to Music
Act Two:
Variation 1: European Instruments
Act Three:
Variation 2: Non-Western Instruments
Act Four:
Variation 3: American Musical Instruments
Program Description: The art of making music requires genius, precision and passion. Founded in 1973,
this landmark museum in Vermillion, South Dakota, includes more than 10,000 musical instruments from
virtually all cultures and historical periods. Today, its holdings are rivaled only by institutions in such cultural
centers as Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and Vienna. Featured are Stradivari and Amati violins; Saxophones by
Sax, the inventor of the saxophone; American Civil War brass instruments; C.G. Conn instruments; a
contemporary Gamelan; a Thai turned log drum; the Sargent Pepper Lonely Hearts Club horn; the Bill
Clinton sax and more. General Topics: Art, Music, History, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 207 *High Definition
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Collective Vision
Location: Boston, MA
Program Introduction: Isabella’s Plan: To Assault Your Senses with Art
Act One:
Art Opens You Up to be Different
Act Two:
The Artist at Work
Act Three:
The Old Inspires the New
Act Four:
Triumph of the Will
Program Description: A patron with exquisite taste and a zest for life, Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the
world for over three decades, assembling piece by piece one of the world’s most remarkable art collections.
Her interests ranged from Rembrandt, Titian, Sargent, Whistler, and Matisse to architectural antiquities,
medieval stained glass windows, tapestries, painted leather ‘wallpaper’ and rare books. In 1903, the ‘palace’
she built as a museum to house her collection was opened to the public. She personally directed the
installation of the entire collection It remains on permanent display exactly as she willed it, creating complex
conservation challenges. Though she died in 1924, her vision that art should be a transforming experience is
still the guiding principle of this Boston-based museum. General Topics: Art & Music, History, Object and
Textile Conservation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 208 *High Definition
National Museum of Racing: Horse Power
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
Program Introduction: Ode to the Beast
Act One:
Win, Place and Show
Act Two:
Owners, Trainers & Jockeys
Act Three:
The Match Races
Act Four:
Start to Finish
Program Description: Thoroughbred racing is one of America’s oldest sports, and it has a colorful history.
Seabiscuit, Man o' War, Secretariat, Arcaro, and the Jones Boys are all heroes of the turf and names that
evoke the clang of the starting gate, the thunder of pounding hooves-- the sights and sounds of racing.
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Located at the historic Saratoga Springs racetrack, this museum celebrates the sport and the animals whose
grace and beauty have become legendary. General Topics: History, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 209 *High Definition
California State Railroad Museum: Binding Ties
Location: Sacramento, CA
Program Introduction: The Magic of the Railroad
Act One:
Linking a Nation
Act Two:
The Golden Age of Railroads
Act Three:
Railroads & Everyday Life
Act Four:
On Track: Railroading in the 20th Century and Beyond
Program Description: The railroads helped shape the unique culture of the West and reunite a Civil Wartorn nation. Through meticulously restored locomotives, archival photographs, and artifacts, this Sacramento
museum illustrates the diverse experiences of those who built the railroads and those who used them.
General Topics: History, Technology, Industry, Popular Culture, Diversity
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 210 * High Definition
George Eastman House: Picture Perfect
Location: Rochester, NY
Program Introduction: He gave us our ‘image.’
Act One:
Through the Lens: The Language of Light
Act Two:
‘You press the button, we do the rest.’
Act Three:
The House That George Built
Act Four:
The Future of Film
Program Description: Located on historic East Avenue in Rochester, New York, the 12.5-acre museum site
was the urban estate of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company. The Museum focuses on
the 150-year history of the art, technology, and impact of photography and motion pictures – media that
continue to change our perception of the world. The 1910 Colonial era house, where Eastman lived and
died, offers a glimpse into the private world of this marketing genius who invented the word ‘Kodak’ and
made photographers of us all! General Topics: Art, History, Technology, Industry, Popular Culture
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Great Museums # 211 * High Definition
The Library of Congress: Volumes to Speak
Location: Washington, DC
Program Introduction: World’s Largest Repository of Knowledge & Creativity
Act One:
Books and Beyond: America as a Product of the Age of Print
Act Two:
Memory: The Nation’s Life Story
Act Three:
Reason: A World of Knowledge
Act Four:
Imagination: Source of Ingenuity and Invention
Program Description: Established in 1800 as a small research library for the new Congress, today’s Library
is considered the repository of the nation’s life story and arguably the ‘ultimate American museum.’ It’s
holdings include Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence, marked up by Adams and Franklin; the
maps carried in the pockets of Lewis & Clark; the contents of Lincoln’s pockets the night he was shot;
Gershwin’s piano; the typescript of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a Dream’ speech; and Bob Hope’s 80,000
page joke file. General Topics: Art & Music, History, Literature, Science, Technology, Industry, Popular
Culture, Diversity
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 212 * High Definition
The Whale Museum: Science at Sea
Location: San Juan Island, WA
Program Introduction: The Sea as ‘Extended Exhibit Floor’
Act One:
A Great Big Collection…and... It’s Alive!
Act Two:
Humans of the Sea
Act Three:
Science at Sea
Act Four:
A Whale of a Show: Whale Watching
Program Description: There’s a museum for everything and this one, on San Juan Island, Washington, is
the museum of the ‘killer whale.’ Whale watching in the San Juan Islands has become a $10 million industry
in recent years. The Whale Museum estimates that more than 500,000 people descend on this region every
year to catch a glimpse of the ocean∂s fastest swimmers - the killer whales. General Topics: History,
Science, Technology, Ecology, Popular Culture
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 213 * High Definition
Institute of Texan Cultures: Behind the Lone Star
Location: San Antonio, TX
Program Introduction: The True Texans
Act One:
Behind the Lone Star (Native Texans, Black Seminoles, & Spain)
Act Two:
The Lone Star State is Born (Anglo-Texas; European Immigrants)
Act Three:
Living off the Land (Italian Cowboys; Japanese Farmers)
Act Four:
Wild Men, Wildcats and Women’s Wear (Jewish Texans)
Program Description: Cowboy boots, spurs, and cattle quickly come to mind when people think about the
Lone Star State. But who are Texans, really? This surprising San Antonio museum explores the 26 diverse
cultures that settled Texas. The people of the world came to Texas, and all of them did not become cowboys.
General Topics: History, Popular Culture, Diversity
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 301 *High Definition
**The Metropolitan Museum of Art : World of Art (Part One)
Location: New York City
Introduction: ‘A World of Art’ Part One
Act One:
What Makes a Masterpiece?
(Spiritual qualities; Egyptian jasper lips, El Greco, Van Gogh, Eakins, Rubens;
Western traditions; Chinese painting)
Act Two:
In the Beginning
(Architectural history; J.P. Morgan; Egypt; Arms & Armor)
Act Three:
Making Choices
(Washington Crossing the Delaware; The Luce Center for the Study of American
Painting; American landscapes from Bingham to Heade to Homer)
Act Four:
The Art of Success
(Making an impact; 19th century French painting, Courbet, Manet, Monet, Renoir,
Gauguin, Matisse; Louisine Havemeyer, Mary Cassatt and Degas)
Program Description: In this visually stunning high definition production, ‘A World of Art,’ the magnificence
of America’s premier art museum lights up the screen. One of the architectural glories of New York, the
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Metropolitan Museum of Art stretches 1000 feet along Fifth Avenue. Inside is a dazzling three dimensional
encyclopedia of world art, radiating 5,000 years of artistic history. From millions of works of art, curators at
the Met must decide for this day and age, what makes a masterpiece? In this episode: Egypt; China;
Renaissance Europe; Arms & Armor; American; Impressionism; collectors J.P. Morgan and Louisine
Havemeyer; connoisseurship and critical evaluation. General Topics: Art History, Culture, Diversity, Art
Appreciation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 302 *High Definition
**The Metropolitan Museum of Art : World of Art (Part Two)
Location: New York City
Introduction: ‘A World of Art’ Part Two
Act One:
Ideal Beauty
(Greek, Roman and South Asian sculpture; Canova’s Perseus; The Costume
Institute)
Act Two:
A Collection of Collections
(Lehman Collection; Early Italian painting; Northern Renaissance from Van Eyck to
Vermeer; Western Europe from Velazquez to Goya)
Act Three:
The American Way
(Portraiture from Copley to Sully to Sargent; Madame X)
Act Four:
Evolving Aesthetic
(Annenberg Collection from Van Gogh to Picasso; Early Modern and African art;
Michael Rockefeller and the art of Oceania)
Program Description: Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was built on the shoulders of
capitalism: J.P. Morgan, Havemeyer, Lehman, Rockefeller, and Annenberg are just a few of the names
behind the Met’s collections. Today, the Met remains dedicated to the on-going pursuit of the greatest
treasures of mankind. In this episode: Greece and Rome; Asian India; Costume Institute; early Italian
Renaissance; Northern Renaissance; American portraiture from Copley to Sully to Sargent; Van Gogh;
Africa, Oceania and Meso-America. General Topics: Art History, Culture, Diversity, Art Appreciation.
**Episodes 301-302 are also available on video as seamless hour (# 301-W).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Great Museums # 303 *High Definition
The Franklin Institute: Wonderland of Science
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Program Introduction: Science is a Phenomenon
Act One:
Everyday Science (Franklin and Scientific phenomena)
Act Two:
Interactive Pioneers (Roots in the Mechanical Age)
Act Three:
Mind over Matter (The Wright Brothers)
Act Four:
Answers in the Heavens
Program Description: Founded to commemorate and continue the inventive spirit and scientific
genius of Benjamin Franklin, the imposing Franklin Institute stands solid as a rock on 20 th Street in
Philadelphia. Science is a phenomenon--.a process. You can't put it in a museum display case.
On ‘display’ at the Franklin Institute is a surprising ‘collection’ of ordinary, everyday experiences
like ‘stability,’ ‘momentum,’ ‘speed.’ Yet its rich historical collection also charts the progress of
science in America, from Benjamin Franklin’s lightening rod to the Wright Brothers’ airfoils and
flight experiment records, to one of the earliest planetariums in America. The Franklin Institute
aims to awaken the scientist in each and every one of us. General Topics: Science, History.
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Great Museums # 304 *High Definition
The Henry Ford: Made in America
Location: Dearborn, MI
Program Introduction: Innovation, Imagination, Ingenuity Made in America
Act One:
History is Bunk (Ford’s view that history is made everyday by everyone)
Act Two:
Genius at Work (Ford mobilizes the 20th century and collects Americana)
Act Three:
If at first you don’t succeed…
Act Four:
Character Made in America
Program Description: With the success of the Model T and the assembly line, Henry Ford was in
the business of making history and mobilizing the 20th century. By the time he opened his
museum in 1929, Ford had amassed tens of thousands of seemingly ordinary objects to document
the genius of ordinary people. Rows of cast iron stoves, an endless parade of planes, trains,
automobiles, tractors, cotton pickers. George Washington’s cot, Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park
‘invention factory,’ an entire Americana ‘village’ – all designed to represent innovation,
imagination, ingenuity made in America. General Topics: American History, Industry, and Culture.
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