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INVENTION STORY |
Airplane:
The Technology of Kitty Hawk
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
On December 17, 1903, two brainy bicycle makers from North Carolina
attained a dream that had captivated mankind for millennia. The first
powered flight With expert insight into the debates between the brothers
and an up-close look at the historic' 03 Flyer, an incisive,
illuminating look at the nuts and bolts of the first flight. |
Airships:
Airships
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73282 / Less than $25.00
They are among the most romantic machines ever built, enormous craft
held aloft by lighter-than-air gas trapped beneath their vast skins. In
the 20th century, they have played a vital role in war, transportation
and commerce?and been involved in one of the most famous tragedies of
all time. |
Automation:
Assembly Line
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
When Henry Ford started building the Model T on an assembly line, he
didn't just revolutionize the fledgling automobile industry--he changed
the world. |
Automobile: Car Tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $30.00
This two-hour tour through the automotive future is peppered with exotic
visions and groundbreaking engineering advances, from hyper-efficient
vehicles with revolutionary drive trains to alternate fuel sources and
the most radical designs currently coming off the drawing boards from
Stuttgart to Detroit. |
Bulletproof:
Bulletproof
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
A bullet travels up to 3,000 feet per second. So how can it be stopped?
Surprisingly, there are many answers to this question. |
Chemistry:
Alchemy: The Science of Magic
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 74310 / Less than $25.00
From the earliest times, but especially in the Middle Ages, men labored
over furnaces and vats of molten metal hoping to discover a path to
riches or everlasting life. And while modern society rightfully
dismisses the Holy Grail of alchemy the transformation of lead or
another base metal to gold the ancient art helped lay the groundwork for
much of modern science. |
Computers:
The Creation of the Computer
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73090 / Less than $25.00
Trace the technological advancements that led to the first true modern
"computers" and the rapid progress that saw computers shrink from
room-sized monsters to the desktop units that are revolutionizing life
in the '90s. |
Computers:
Computers
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
The incredible breakthroughs and refinements that have marked the
development of the computer are so familiar that they have lost some of
their power to amaze. |
Dynamite:Dynamite
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
The solid explosive invented by Alfred Nobel has not only changed the
way we live, it has changed the face of the earth. |
Energy:
Power Plants
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Though the basic technology has remained constant for decades, continual
improvements and refinements have made them far more efficient and
powerful. |
Energy:
Nuclear Tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73436 / Less than $25.00
From the dawn of the nuclear age to a sneak peek at an ultra-modern
fusion reactor, See how nuclear science has made a mark in fields as
diverse as medicine and international security, meet the scientists who
are developing the next generation of reactors, and ride along as spent
uranium rods are transported from power plants to secure storage
facilities. |
Farming:
Farming Technology
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
It is the industry that feeds the world, an industry so efficient that,
in America at least, it is possible never to think about it. But behind
your fully-stocked local market stands an extraordinarily sophisticated
network that has revolutionized every step from seed to shelf. |
Farming:
Harvesting
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73189 / Less than $25.00
Cutting, digging, picking, stripping, shaking and raking--whatever the
crop, there's a custom machine to harvest it. It all began with hand
picking, but today it's often one man and one machine harvesting
hundreds of acres in a matter of hours. |
Farming:
Harvesting 2
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76960 / Less than $25.00
In America's orchards and farm fields, the constant effort to supplement
or replace hand labor with mechanization has produced dozens of
efficient and sometimes bizarre harvesting methods. |
Farming:
Super Seeds
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73680 / Less than $25.00
Discover how the super seeds are engineered to resist the devastation
caused by foes like locusts, and how advances in soil management and
fertilizers promise to dramatically increase farmers' yields. |
Food and Drink:
American Eats: History On A Bun
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / 71153 / Less than $30.00
From pizza to the hoagie (or grinder or hero) some of the most
characteristically American foods have their origins abroad. But others
are strictly homegrown, the product of fads, trends or good,
old-fashioned screw-ups that turn out well in the end . |
Food and Drink:
More American Eats
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / 71214 / Less than $30.00
MORE AMERICAN EATS serves up a second helping of Americana, continuing
the story that got off to such a delicious start with AMERICAN EATS.
From Hershey bars to breakfast cereals, Jell-O to Spam, it's a
smorgasbord of fascinating tales. |
Food and Drink:
Candy
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 75814 / Less than $25.00
Americans eat 7 billion tons of candy, and it all has to come from
somewhere. In Hershey, Pennsylvania, see how the cocoa bean is processed
at the candy giant's latest plant. The traditions of the past remain
plain at Schimpff's Confectionary, where they still use small kettles,
natural flavors, and hand-operated equipment. Jelly beans, saltwater
taffy and licorice are also on the menu, as well as exotic creations
like scorpion on a stick! |
Food and Drink:
Chocolate
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76499 / Less than $25.00
Enjoyed as a drink by the Mayans and Aztecs, chocolate was introduced to
sugar by the Europeans. The story in America starts with Milton Hershey,
whose gospel was spread by American GIs in WWII, when the chocolate bar
became internationally recognized as a symbol of the country. |
Food and Drink:
Cookies
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76488 / Less than $25.00
In the 1930s, the nation made its greatest contribution to cookie
culture with the masterpiece known as chocolate chip, but we also
invented the peanut butter cookie and, perhaps surprisingly, the fortune
cookie. From plates left out for Santa to the Keebler elves and beyond,
join us for a sweet hour as we get out our rolling pins for the history
of cookies. |
Food and Drink:
Ice Cream
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76303 / Less than $25.00
Few treats are as popular or American; immigrants arriving at Ellis
Island were once served ice cream as part of their first meal. And it
was immigrants which helped popularize this oh-so-American
treat--Italian pushcart vendors in New York introduced "Penny Licks" at
the turn of the century, and we've been screaming for ice cream ever
since. |
Food and Drink:
Salty Snacks
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76318 / Less than $25.00
It's official--the American diet is a disaster. But it is also
undeniably tasty, and increasingly snack-centric. We consume over 4.3
billion pounds of snack food a year which means the snack is on the
verge of becoming America's favorite meal! |
Food and Drink:
Soda
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 76311 / Less than $25.00
From sugar, water and carbon dioxide has come a $25 billion a year
industry that provides some 15 billion gallons of soda a year in a
kaleidoscope of flavors--including turkey-and-gravy (for Thanksgiving,
of course). Inspired by miracle mineral waters, advanced by small town
pharmacists, the story of soft drinks is the story of American ingenuity
and competition |
Food and Drink:
Snackfood Tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 74171 / Less than $25.00
It's a world of creamy fillings, frosted tops and salty morsels. It's a
multi-billion dollar industry where recipes are closely guarded secrets.
It's an American obsession. See what happens before M&Ms get to "melt in
your mouth" at Masterfoods USA, the world's largest candy manufacturer.
At each stop, we'll meet the men and women who keep these tasty treats
coming and the formulators who are working to create the next snack
sensation. |
Gadgets:
Garage Gadgets
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Small machines often have big stories behind them, and GARAGE GADGETS
proves it. Through fascinating segments on some of the most familiar
motorized helpers, we'll see how social pressures, technological
innovation and the inspirations of inventors worked together to create
the machines we have come to rely on. |
Gadgets:
More Gadgets
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Consider the Zippo lighter. It works in all but the most unforgiving
conditions, it is rugged and simple, and the concept is so perfect that
it has seen just minor changes since it first appeared decades ago. Or
think of the safety razor and how it transformed a tedious and
potentially dangerous task. |
Healthcare:
Mavericks, Miracles and Medicine
DVD / 2 Volume Set / 200 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $40.00
The arsenals of today's hospitals are filled with complex and
technologically sophisticated tests and treatments that, only a
generation ago, would have been the exclusive province of science
fiction. |
Home:
Bathroom Tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73182 / Less than $25.00
From tub to toilet to toothpaste, here's everything you ever wanted to
know about the most used and least discussed room in the house. From the
first home bathrooms in ancient India, Roman latrines, and bizarre
Victorian-era bath contraptions, to modern luxurious master bathroom
suites, we trace the history of bathing, showering, and oral hygiene. |
Home:
Digi-tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
See how the computing capacity of World-War II era room-sized computers
is now surpassed by hand-held devices; visit Zenith to see a
side-by-side comparison of regular television and HDTV; discover how a
Cold War era NASA program is transforming personal photography, and get
the inside story about MP3s. |
Household:
Household Wonders
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
HOUSEHOLD WONDERS tells the story of seven taken-for-granted inventions
that make modern life comfy, fast and clean: the stove, sewing machine,
refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, toaster
and mixer. |
Instruments:
Navigation
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 72350 / Less than $25.00
From the time the first sailor ventured beyond the sight of land, we
have worked to perfect ways of keeping track of our place on the waters.
In a journey that extends beyond recorded history, NAVIGATION details
how everything from dead-reckoning to GPS systems work. |
Inventions: Ancient Inventions
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $30.00
Span the globe in this riveting look at the most incredible
accomplishments of the ancient world achievements that rival and even
surpass those of today. From the secret formula of Damascus steel which
helped drive the Crusaders from the Holy Land to the "computer" from
Ancient Greece, probe the origins of these incredible inventions. |
Inventions:
Failed Inventions
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Join us for a salute to the dreamers and schemers who brought the world
an odd assortment of flawed ideas--like flying, swimming, and
jet-powered automobiles, flying rocket belts, and radium-filled clothes
that promised to inflate the owner's sagging love life! |
Motorcycles:
Motorcycles
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Meet the pioneers behind such names as Triumph, Indian, Yamaha and
Harley Davidson, and see how their early designs have been adapted and
updated over decades of development. |
Motorcycles:
The Story of the Harley-Davidson Empire
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 150 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
A special-edition DVD commemorating the centennial of an American icon
Hog Heaven probes the Harley mystique and follows the company
from its modest beginnings in a Detroit shack to today's phenomenal
successes, interviews with industry insiders, company officials and
famous fans. |
Office: Office Wonders
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Office Wonders explores the stories behind everything from the paper
clip to the laser printer, showing how they were invented and developed
and revealing what makes them tick. From chance discoveries never
intended to wind up at work to the irony of labor saving devices and why
they can actually create more work, we'll deconstruct your desktop and
expose the wonders there.
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Photography:
Captured Light: The Invention of Still Photography
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
The development of the still camera was one of the most significant
advances of the age of invention. The captured image has transformed the
way we see our world, preserving moments forever with the push of a
button. |
Steel:
American Steel, Built to Last
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Its roots go back to the Ancient Egyptians, whose iron weapons helped
maintain an empire that lasted three millennia. But in the 1850s,
Englishmen Henry Bessemer invented a process that turned iron into
steel, and the world was changed forever.It became the foundation of the
corporate empires of Carnegie and Morgan; skyscrapers with skeletons of
steel scraped the heavens; steel rails, trains, ships, planes, and
automobiles built a transportation network unmatched in the world.
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Telephone:
The Telephone
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Undeniably essential to modern life, the telephone is the most
important, influential, and effective communication tool ever developed.
Exploring how one man's speaking device has grown into the technological
web that links humankind, this thrilling program also revisits the race
between Bell and rival Elisha Gray—who was building a similar design but
ultimately filed the history-changing patent just two hours after Bell. |
Television: Television - Window to the World
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Chronicles the incredible story of television, from the vision of Philo
Farnsworth, a Utah farm boy who developed the first working system in
1925, to the technological breakthroughs that are transforming the
medium as we head into the 21st century. |
Tools:
Hardware Stores
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
Explore the evolution of the things that hold our world together. Behind
everyday items like screws and duct tape are some surprising stories,
and they are told here with flair and fascination. |
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Toys: History of Toys and Games
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / The History Channel / Less than
$30.00
As long as there have been children, there have been toys. And from
wooden tops to virtual reality, America has always taken its
playthings pretty seriously. Hear the fascinating stories of the
young-at-heart inventors who created some of the most famous games
and toys of all time, and meet the people who play for a living,
trying to anticipate what kids will fall for next holiday season. |
Transportation: America On The Move
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 90 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
The Smithsonian Institute and A&E present AMERICA ON THE MOVE--two
complete documentaries that cover over a century of invention and
innovation. Interviews, fascinating archival footage and a stunning
behind-the-scenes look at the new transportation exhibit at the National
Museum of American History reveal the epic transformation of our nation
by planes, trains, boats and automobiles. |
Transportation:
The Wheel
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73423 / Less than $25.00
The millwheel revolutionized food production. The wheel and axle are the
basis for almost every form of land transportation. Before the digital
age, keeping accurate time would have been impossible without the wheel.
And that's just the beginning. |
Video:
Video Games: Behind the Fun
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
First there was Pong. Then came Asteroids, and Pac Man, and Nintendo. At
every stage of their development, Video games have pushed the limits of
computing power. |
Weapons:
Early Guns
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / 73899 / Less than $25.00
Though no one can deny that the gun changed history, few realize how
long it took to do so. From the time gunpowder was discovered until guns
became effective, reasonably reliable and widespread, nearly a millenium
passed. |
Weapons:
Inventions of War
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
War spurs innovation and invention. At no other time is there a more
focused effort on common goals, with a free flow of money and manpower
supporting the most brilliant minds in the name of developing devices
that will help bring about the swift and successful end to the fight.
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