Scientific hoaxes

Collection

Identifier: Film Collection no. 55

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Scientific hoaxes of the past century are the subject of this broadcast hosted by Charles Collingwood. Paul Curtis's American Mime Theatre perform a shadow play on the discovery of the Cardiff Giant, the wolf-boys, Piltdown Man and other hoaxes. The celebrated case of the Cardiff giant proved to be a mass of gypsum that had been secretly buried near Cardiff, N.Y., and was discovered in 1869. Bergen Evans, professor of English at Northwestern University and author of The Natural History of Nonsense, is the guest on this program. The known hoaxes and their discoveries are discussed in both a natural history and an historical context.

Dates

1954

Creator

American Museum of Natural History (Organization)

Language of Materials

English

Extent

1 Film Reel (30 minutes) : sound, black and white ; 16 mm.

1 Videocassette (U-Matic (30 minutes)) : sound, black and white ; 3/4 in.

Additional Description

Other Finding Aids

Finding aid: script.

General

3/4 in., U-Matic, viewing copy

General

Original format: 16mm kinescope.

General

Originally aired Jan. 10, 1954 as part of the CBS/AMNH Adventure television series.

General

http://libcat1.amnh.org/record=b1138280

General

Charles Collingwood, host; Tom Donovan, director; Perry Wolff, producer; Robert Northshield, assistant producer; Alden Stevens, writer; Leon Rice, editorial supervisor; Jac Venza, production design; Bernard Birnbaum, supervisor of film; Paul Curtis and the American Mime Theatre, performers.