As Seen On TV // Diptych #18
an educational media gold mine featuring two national parks and a cross-country train ride
This week, while looking through the media section of a Habitat ReStore in Knoxville, Tennessee, I came across some tapes containing some wonderful sights. All three tapes contain some really stunning scenery and I’m happy I am able to share these, as I wasn’t able to find nearly any record of them across the internet.
Documentaries produced specifically for home video in the 80s through the early 00s are extremely interesting to me. I watched a ton of these in school and even rented a few from the library over the years and always enjoyed them back them, just as much as I do now. As I live near the Smokies, those depicting the very mountains that surround me are particularly of interest, but exploring a completely new place via the harsh glow of a CRT is exciting to me as well.
The more i find tapes like these, the more I’m reminded of certain pieces of lost media in my own life. One example, The Gospel According to St. Bernard: The Devil and Macaroni Pizza isn’t so much lost, as it is just hard to find. Many cases of lost media from my own life are from fringe religious publishing houses that my church had tapes from when I was growing up. To me this is somewhat of a (holy) grail. I’d love to come across a box of old religious tapes dropped off by a church one day. I watched a ton of stuff like that while growing up, but I don’t remember everything vividly, and as there’s no organized record of everything that was available, some of the stuff I remember only vaguely has proved to be really hard to find.
In total there’s about three hours of footage here. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
Great Smokey Mountains: Portrait of the National Parks
Presented by American Visions
Featuring the photography pf David Muench and Pat O'Hara
A gallery of exquisite photography, quiet mountain coves, empty homesteads and blue mountain mist. A symphony of gentle words and music of rustling leaves and whispering winds, soft rain, and tumbling waterfalls. A memory of the Great Smokey Mountains -- timeless reflections of subtle beauty. A portrait in motion.
Featuring original music Jackson Berkey, keyboardist for Mannheim Steamroller, courtesy of American Gramophone Records.
Word's Greatest Train Ride Videos Presents: Canada
Experience the breathtaking excitement of authentic train travel!
1996 International Travel Films
The World's Greatest Train Ride" video series takes you on the train adventure of a lifetime! Filled with all the breathtaking excitement of authentic train travel, this exhilarating journey through Canada takes you on a complete rail tour.
Your train adventure begins in Toronto with a visit to the luxurious Royal York Hotel. You'll then travel to historic Winnipeg, gateway to the golden western plains, on your way to Saskatoon, where you'll discover the rich traditions of Canada's Native American Culture. You'll continue through bustling Edmo0nton and high into the Canadian Rockies, where you'll gaze in delight at the thrilling mountain vistas, gorgeous waterfalls, and fascinating animal life.
You'll travel aboard the "Canadian" all the way to Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean -- and see all of Canada's amazing sights, including Lake Louise and the truly spectacular Banff National Park! Along the way, you'll see many faces of Canada's multi-cultural people, experience first-hand the serene aura of this great country and watch as its beautiful places and timeless wonders come alive.
Ready? All aboard!
Yellowstone: The First National Park
A Reader's Digest Presentation
1988
Running Time: 55 Minutes
Experience the spectacular, wild beauty of Yellowstone National Park... the splendor of its seasons and the majesty of its wildlife... all from the most scenic vantage points. Enjoy this magnificent national park in the comfort of your home... in living color... with specially scored stereo music... and enlightening narration. Achieve the feeling of actually being there!
International Video Network
If you’d like to check out my other archival work, please check out my Youtube playlists for video and audio archives. As well as these and many more articles I’ve already published.
Thanks so much for checking out this week’s edition of Diptych. As always, if you have any questions or comments you can get at me here or here or leave a comment below this post. If you haven’t subscribed to this newsletter yet (it’s free) please think about doing so.
See you soon.
—Forrest
!