A suggestion for documentarian Ken Burns... · Jul 15, 09:12 AM
NY TIMES 7/15/08
ARTS, BRIEFLY
Ken Burns to Document the Nation’s Parks
A new documentary by the filmmaker Ken Burns, detailing the history of America’s national parks, is scheduled to run in fall 2009 on PBS, The Associated Press reported. The 12-hour, six-part film titled “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” will be narrated by Peter Coyote. Tom Hanks and Andy Garcia are among several actors who will lend their voices to the film. It will be produced by Mr. Burns and Dayton Duncan, who wrote a book for the series as well. The film is also produced by Florentine Films and the public television station WETA in Washington. Mr. Burns’s previous documentaries include “The Civil War” and “Baseball.”
Organized by region, The National Park Architecture Sourcebook is unique and comprehensive guidebook to America’s most significant historic park-based architectural treasures. Kaiser leads readers beyond the rustic lodges of Yellowstone and Yosemite found in typical guidebooks to those special places where history, form, and natural beauty have combined to create moments of architectural magic or enduring symbols of patriotism and heroic action such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Lincoln Memorial, Fort Sumter, and the USS Arizona. Blending facts, anecdotes, and personal observations based on many thousands of miles of travel, Kaiser evokes the spirit of these places while offering a solid understanding of why national park architecture occupies a significant and unique place in American history.
In one accessible, engaging, and easy-to-use volume, readers (especially documentary filmmakers) can find historical context, directions, factual information, and succinct architectural descriptions for more than two hundred places of interest across the U.S. Designed in a convenient paperback format, this guidebook is an invaluable resource for the traveler, design professional, student, or anyone interested in learning more about the historic architectural treasures of our national park system.
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