Watch The Big Picture - Tularosa Frontier

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. "Tularosa Frontier" is a film documentary, skillfully photographed and written, covering the historical achievements and present progress of the White Sands Missile Range in developing missiles for national defense. Opening with a review of the historical highlights of the Tularosa Basin, brief sequences are shown of Spanish conquistadores, early-day prospectors, wagon trains, cowboys, Indians, and the Cavalry, culminating in the first "A" bomb explosion which took place on the present-day White Sands Missile Range. The body of the film goes on to scenes of an early-day V-2 missile test. There follow brief sequences of technological "firsts" achieved at White Sands (e.g., missile-borne camera shots of the earth, the Viking missile, high-speed sled tests, static motor tests, and many others. Backdropped by the Oregon Mountains of New Mexico, "Tularosa Frontier" becomes a picture posing the question: "What does the future hold?" 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.