In 1952, actors performed the musical ADAM TO ATOM for the 160th Anniversary of American Society of Chemical Engineers. This musical featured music by Isaac Van Grove, choreography by Joan Woodruff, and a script by Ben Aronin.

This 1952 color film shows the stage production of Adam to Atom as it was presented at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (:21), interspersed with clips of actual items discussed in the musical. It highlights a history of man beginning with creating fire, inventing tools, using labor to build pyramids, as well as Grecian philosophers and Roman engineers all pushing forward the progress of man. The invention of the Gutenberg press in 1440 led to high-speed printers (8:34) for books and newspapers. Likewise, the steam engine invented in 1765 by James Watt led to powering steam trains (11:49) and the advent of the Industrial Revolution. The American Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1852 in Reston, Virginia (15:29). The next step highlighted is the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877 (16:13), one of a thousand patents he owned. The internal combustion engine in 1884 by Edward Butler (19:02) with his idea for four-cylinders set the stage for vehicles available to everyone and not just the rich. Edison’s Pearl Street power station in Manhattan began generating electricity on September 4, 1882 (22:17), forever changing how we live and work as electric lights replaced gaslights and candlelight. Entertainment was also changed. Nickelodeons (22:57) opened in 1905. These small theatres showing projected motion pictures led way to large movie theatres (23:27). All of these advancements relied on generations of new engineers, represented by a schematic (23:32) and a slide rule (23:36), who continue to build on the past for the future. Farming has come a long way from a primitive plow behind an ox (24:08) to tractors (24:16). On the seas, hand-powered watercraft (24:30) have advanced to tug boats that can push 15,000 tons of coal on one load (24:35). Covered bridges (25:03) are now bridges spanning great lengths (25:15). Instead of foot pedaling the movement of water (25:18), dams now control its movement (25:30). Instead of using a human chain to load a ship (25:47), a crane can now do it (26:01). It’s American engineers who have led to so many advancements in electricity (26:14). Diesel trains (26:49) carry goods and materials to factories (26:59) where new tools and machines are continuously created to expand their efficiency (27:00-28:04). It ends with the launch of the Mercury Redstone 3 rocket on May 5, 1961 (28:53).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com