Watch The Big Picture - Pictorial Report No. 33

Experience the American Journey through our country's visual heritage in this historical recording provided by the National Archives of the United States. From the U.S. Army's "The Big Picture" television series, 1950-1975. This is the story of men who are concerned with bringing a "big picture" to the public. In the first half, viewers are taken behind the scenes of the Army Exhibit Unit, an organization that mixes skill and showmanship to bring the heritage and accomplishments of the Army to the nation's front door. The second half deals with the biggest picture of them all: "The American Way of Life," and how this image of freedom and good will was established to the world at the Brussels' World Fair. The Army Exhibit Unit might be called "the Army's Strolling Players." Their stages are miniature, three-dimensional battlefields and missile displays so painstakenly recreated that one can almost hear the roar of rockets and taste the charred air. The cameras trace the time of an exhibit's conception to the moment when the shows return to Cameron Station, Virginia, from a nation-spanning tour where they have left a lasting picture of the Army in the minds of 11,000,000 Americans. In Brussels, the Signal Corps cameras covered the U.S. exhibit that placed emphasis not on what we have done, but on the kind of people we are. Spotlighted is the free, relaxed, cheerful portrait of America that so captivated the hearts of all who saw it.

Note: audio is slightly distorted for the first third.

This historical recording from the National Archives may contain variations in audio and video quality based on the limitations of the original source material.

The content summary for this video is adapted from an historical description provided by the government agency or donor at the time of production release.