This episode of the TV show, Discovery ‘70, dates to the year 1970. Discovery (in several incarnations) was an innovative historical, cultural and educational documentary TV series for children that aired from 1962-1971 on ABC. It was originally hosted by Frank Buxton on aired on weekdays, but for most of the Sixties it could be found on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings. This episode is hosted by Bill Owen (who replaced Buxton after 1966 as host) and Virginia Gibson.

This episode “Discovery Goes to Portugal” opens overlooking small fishing vessels beached by the sea on the beautiful coast of Portugal. The episode shows many clips of Portuguese men and women going about their daily business. Basket weavers sit on stone steps :30. We see a mountaintop view and the camera pans over the seaside town of Lisbon, Portugal 1:00. Bill Owen and Virginia Gibson sit by the sea and talk to the viewers 1:30. Lisbon is known as the city of the seven hills: “A cidade das sete colinas”. The Romans named Lisbon as Olissipo for its resemblance to the city of Rome which was also built over seven hills. Built on the margins of the Tagus river – Rio Tejo – Lisbon is filled with color and tradition. The camera zooms in from above onto the Plaza of Commerce 1:47. This huge plaza is also known as Terreiro Do Paço (Palace Terrace), which is also the name of the ferry terminal and a neighboring restaurant. The plaza itself is the old center of commerce. Government buildings (ministry, commerce, etc.) border the plaza on three sides, and Tagus River on the south side. The Plaza was the epicenter of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and subsequent tsunami, 21 years before American colonists declared independence from tea-taxing Brits. Black Horse Square, 2:07. José I of Portugal, called the “idle king,” in contrast to his energetic chief minister, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Count of Oeiras (known as the Marquês de Pombal), José was eclipsed as Pombal pushed absolutist tendencies to despotic heights following the cataclysmic Lisbon earthquake of 1755 2:15. The Pombaline style of architecture is prevalent throughout Lisbon 2:50. The beautiful architecture of Lisbon is shown 3:00. Earthquakes have devastated much of the city’s ancient architecture 3:15. The House of Points in Lisbon is the city’s oldest and stands in The Street of the Cod Fishers 3:29. Houses with roofs that touch because they were shaken during an earthquake 3:40. The Alfama is the oldest neighborhood of Lisbon, spreading on the slope between the São Jorge Castle and the Tagus river. The Alfama is a brisk marketplace 4:15. Rua du Judiaria 4:30. The people of Lisbon smile and play in the streets 4:55. Bill Owen speaks to the camera from the Alfama 5:15. Brightly colored tiles and mosaics cover the city’s walls. Glazed blue ceramic tiles or azulejos are everywhere in Portugal. They decorate the winding streets of the capital, Lisbon. The fishmongers are generally women and can be found in the Alfama 6:34. Fisher bought and sold throughout the day 7:20. Sesimbra is a fishing village and municipality of Portugal, in the Setúbal District and formerly in the historic Estremadura Province, lying at the foothills of the Serra da Arrábid 7:38. Crew of the “Goddess of the Bay” string fishing lines 8:30. The Castelo de Sesimbra (Sesimbra Castle), also known as Castelo dos Mouros (Castle of the Moors), is a castle located in the town of Sesimbra, in the Setúbal District of Portugal 12:00. There is a cemetery in the castle now 12:30. A beautiful, musical montage of the many scenes from the streets of Sesimbra 13:45. Children play with kittens as the fisherman mend their nets 14:00. Women and children peer from windows and laundry hangs from clotheslines in the streets 14:30. A woman rides a mule with large baskets 14:50. Young boys play soccer on the beach 15:05. Sesimbra prepares for the fisherman to return from the day 15:55. Owen speaks as the fisherman lay out their fish 16:30. The fisherman sell to brokers 17:10. A man washes a fish for sale at the “lota” or fish market 17:40. The days end as fisherman return to their homes 19:00. A man walks on the beach 19:22. The fish are eaten at resorts on the coast like Estoril. A trolley car climbs a steep hill 19:55. Gibson talks of the Portuguese belief in fate. The hosts close the show as waves crash in the background. 21:17. Books are shown; Manuela Lives in Portugal, The Portuguese Explorers and The Portugal Story. Written by Joseph Hurley. Directed by Vincent Scarza.

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