Time travel at its best! American Photography: A Century of Images is a remarkably complete, high-caliber PBS presentation of who Americans were and are, using 20th-century images that capture everything from the everyday to the once-in-a-lifetime. While of course you'll see many photographs, some familiar and some new, you'll also learn about the history of our relationship with photography and the ways pictures are used. See the progression from posed to unposed photographs and from picture postcards to digitally enhanced photos that show what a missing child might look like today. Learn about the importance of photography for social causes such as abolishing child labor, the civil rights movement in America, and the way we feel about everything from what we buy and how we dress to how we get the news. Especially interesting is the discussion of how Native Americans have been portrayed--including the photographer who brought a trunk of costumes with him to dress Native Americans the way he wanted them to look in his pictures.

The three episodes, The Developing Image 1900-1934, The Photographic Age 1935-1959, and Photography Transformed 1960-1999, are educational and entertaining. Whether you've enjoyed National Geographic or Life magazine, or are interested in photography or 20th-century history, this will make a great addition to your video collection. --Tara Chace

Product Description
One picture is worth a thousand words - and actions. A simple snapshot can change a person, a society and a country instantly. Trace how photography has profoundly affected American history from the beginnings of the 20th century to the present, where manipulation is master. Fascinating and sometimes shocking, this exposi documents how one little device could seriously change the face of war, influence generations of families, boost the advertising community's wealth and grow from an art form to an image builder practically overnight.