Calendars out, all - Ken Burns' "The National Parks"

[ASRafferty]

...airs on September 27: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

New Hampshire and Vermont have their own tiny slice of this story that I'll be watching for... I'd love to know what those of you who will tune in for this will be watching for from the photographer's point of view. (Was also wondering if QT Luong's project, or work of others who hang out here, and Burns' intersected at any point in the making!) Having just watched again how important a part photography played in Burns' telling of "The Civil War," I expect that to be even more dramatically the case in this new series.

[SW Rick]

One of the photos which cycles thru is one of Yosemite by QTL. Didn't see calendar- just dvds and book. I'm sure there will be a calendar

[Bill_1856]

Thanks for the notice.

[John Bowen]

Thanks Amy!

[vinny]

They shot over 318,000ft of film for this program, I can't wait.

[Scott Knowles]

It will be an interesting series. I read an interview a local (Seattle) journalist had with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, and even realizing journalists misplace or overlook facts for a story, an e-mail exchange with the journalist pretty much confirmed the article's presentation about Mt. Rainier NP. So I will be curious how the facts of history will be presented about this NP, and if it's the same for the others. And that is, like you're curious?

The history of effort to designate Mt. Rainier a National Park (1890-1899) was the work of many groups, recreationists (climbers), scientists (NAS, USGS, etal) and local gov't and commercial interests the main three. But history as written by the conservationist and recreationist, again mainly mountain climbers, has misplaced the latter two's effort when in fact historians put their effort, and especially the scientists, as far more important and instrumental in geting NP status for Mt. Rainier.

I'll give Mr. Burns, etal, latitude to tell their version of the story, but I would hate to see the work of many Americans then and in the intevening years overlooked because it doesn't fit the narrative they want to present. Embellishing the lives and work of a few, eg. John Muir, for the many who were equally or more important isn't a story except as a lie.

Most people like a happy, pretty story, and I wonder if Mr. Burns will do just that with this documentary.

[ASRafferty]

Most people like a happy, pretty story, and I wonder if Mr. Burns will do just that with this documentary.

I think anyone who's seen Burns' films would have a tough case to make that he's into varnishing for the sake of coming up with a "happy, pretty story." In fact, given the Civil War series and the Mark Twain piece (just to name two), it would have been so easy to fall in line with romantic, or even populist, versions, and he surely doesn't. I don't know what he's done in this upcoming series, of course, but in my judgment, Burns has a whole lot of Cronkite going on in his work -- taking joy in being able to say "that's the way it was" and knowing you've done your best to make that telling true.

Will Muir get more rarefied air time than he deserves? Dunno, but as long as this series is about "America's Best Idea" and not "John Muir's," I'm expecting it to have a lot of tales of what Americans always do about good ideas -- fight to win about how it will be done, and then squabble about who really did what forever afterward.

[Bill_1856]

There's a one hour preview scheduled within the next week on PBS. Check your TV schedule.

[QT Luong]

I've watched the entire series at the world premiere in Telluride, and I can highly recommend it. Besides the treat of beautiful cinematography, I learned so much and was very moved.

I, and my 5x7, make a brief appearance on episode 4 (September 30th at 8.00pm Eastern Time). There are only three other photographers prominently mentioned, William Henry Jackson, George Masa and Ansel Adams. I'll probably make another announcement in Sept so that you don't miss it.

I don't remember well the Mt Rainier episode. The series does focus on individual, colorful, characters so it is possible that he doesn't talk much about entities such as business or scientific communities. There is a considerable amount of time devoted to John Muir, which personally I found very interesting, since I didn't know his life well.

[Scott Knowles]

Thanks. I hope the series is open and honest, even if it focuses on individuals. I'll watch it. The problem his production folks most likely saw was the sheer complexity of the NP's. They weren't politically popular with many politicians, why it took 7-10+ years to get NP designations (Mt. Rainier took almost 7). They were political compromises for land, money, use, etc. You can't present that in an overview of the whole range of NP's, each with their own early pre/post-history.

And I will be especially interested in the Mt. Rainier show, since it's early history was as complex. And yes, there were a few key people who pushed the hardest for it, but in the end, it wasn't them who got it done, they only provided the reasons. It was the key politicians who wrangled the bills through Congress to the President. I learned with Mt. Rainier, politics over NP's hasn't changed, only the times and events.

There was a period (vet. going back to college in the '70's) I read the works of the 19th century "environmentalists" (or whatever you want to call them). Muir's are some of the better ones and Thoreau's some of the driest. But to have lived then was interesting. It's why I'm working on the early pre-NP history of Mt. Rainier. Appreciation for people and times past still present.

And I'll look for the 5x7 with the what's his name behind or with it. You deserve the recognition and our respect. Thanks.