Americana :: Industry

Money in all its forms is the glue that keeps the economy and society humming along. This collection of films explores money - what it is about, how it is made, how credit works and how counterfeiters have worked to cheat the system and what the government does to counter these thieves.

Communication is the transformative force that allowed civilization to grow. The invention of the printing press was one of the transformative events in this evolution. It led to the mass distribution of books, newspapers, leaflets and all sorts of printed material at affordable prices. It literally unlocked a learning explosion for the masses. This collection of four vintage films explores various aspects of the printing industry and how printing was done in the 1930s to 1960s.

The American highway system is what built America and this collection of five films explores the men and equipment that went into designing and building our interstate systems. Enjoy the adventures of the big construction rigs as they mold the land into man-made structures to connect the vast areas of America.

Explore the Physics of Sound Waves, How Sound Is Transferred to Film Via Recording Devices, Audio Pitch, and More

This DVD contains a variety of vintage films showing the logging industry in the early 1900's and includes a bonus feature that shows the entire fascinating process of going from a tree to a newspaper using early 1900's technology.

Mobile Crane Safety was produced by the Department of Defense to educate targeted personnel about how to operate mobile cranes safely in their working environments.

Principles of Refrigeration is a 1944 animated presentation about the process of refrigeration. Through the miracle of animation, you will get an inside look at all the processes that occur to cool things down. The concepts are presented in a logical and easy to understand manner, building from the simple to the more complex to ensure that all who watch the presentation will understand how refrigeration works.

This classic DVD is a collection of films highlighting the early history of radio. It includes a late 40's behind the scenes tour of NBC Radio at the Rockefeller Center in New York City, a demonstration of how sound effects were done in the 30's and 40's, how radio actually works to deliver the performance to your house, a fascinating look at how radio was used to help win World War II and much more.

The 1950's show demonstating Science in every day langauge - including The Flow of Heat, Submarines, Rivers of Ice, Aero Medicine and Drilling for oil.

Seaport Security was produced in 1991 by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center for the purpose of teaching law enforcement officers about the operation and security arrangements at a typical working seaport. While the material was produced pre-9/11, it is still an excellent introduction to what goes on in and around a seaport and steps that are taken to ensure their safety.

This DVD contains a variety of 20's to 50's films dealing with telegram and telegraph use and technology (with a little phone technology thrown in.) It also includes a rare newsreel of a US Navy graduating Morse code class.

This classic DVD is a collection of films highlighting the early history of television. It includes television manufacturing at RCA back when televisions were still built in America, how TV actually works to get the signal to the television, early production techniques and early automation in the form of remote controls and programmable timers for the TV. A fascinating look at the early days of television.

Watch the amazing construction of the Boulder Dam

The Great American Chocolate Factory is the story of American Chocolate giant Hershey. This film gives you an in depth look at the Hershey Factory and grounds at Hershey, Pa. It takes you through the entire process of how they make chocolate: from harvesting the cocoa beans to how they are processed and mixed and packaged into the wonderful Hershey treats that we enjoy every day. It also covers the science behind how they test and make sure the chocolate is of the consistent high grade that we all know and love and also looks at their distribution system to show how they ensure that we never need to go without their sweet snack. It also includes great footage of the Hershey amusement park.

Plastic - a modern miracle - is an indispensable part of everyday modern life. How was it developed and how did its key uses come to be? Lets find out...

The Story of OSHA was produced in 1980 by the Department of Labor - Occupational Health and Safety Administration. It educates workers about the history of OSHA - how it was set up to help reduce disease and injury in the workplace environment. It also discusses workers rights under the law, how NIOSH conducts various tests to ensure compliance and safety, how standards are set and how OSHA investigates complaints.

The Story of the Hoover Dam explores the construction of this remarkable structure. It starts with the passage of the 1928 Boulder Canyon Project authorizing its construction. It explores the construction of the diversion tunnels, the dam, the support facilities that needed to be created to build it - like a steel fabrication plant that could build the giant sized pipes and the hydroelectric operations that made it a major supplier of electricity for California, Nevada and Arizona. It also explores how Lake Mead became a successful recreational area as the result of the construction of the Hoover Dam.

A 1904 Tour of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company and the Westinghouse Machine Company

Total Quality Management is a lecture filmed by the Department of Defense. The presenter is John J. Hudiberg a former Florida Power and Light Executive. During this presentation, Mr. Hudiberg walks the attendees through all aspects of implementing a total quality management solution including issues such as meeting the needs, desires and expectations of the customers, total commitment to quality by everyone in the organization, the basic principles of a quality improvement program (QIP), techniques to get the entire company on board and much more. The viewer will walk away from this presentation with a complete overview of all the steps involved in implementing a TQM solution.

Produced by the Department of Energy, this film explains the complexities faced by scientific researchers in the pursuit of a sustainable fusion power system. The film outlines the theory of fusion and current experiments being pursued to achieve fusion power. It also shows visits to five major fusion research laboratories including interviews with top researchers. This film was produced in the mid-1990s.