Discovery was an American history and cultural television series produced by ABC News from 1962 to 1971. The program, aimed at children, was first hosted by Frank Buxton and then Bill Owen starting in 1966. Owen traveled to different locations around the United States and world and introduced his viewers to the history and culture of the place. This episode, “Discovery Visits New York”, first aired in 1968, introduces children to New York City, in particular the many immigrant communities that live in Manhattan.
(00:15) Bill Owen atop the newly-built Pan-Am Building
(00:40) Title sequence for “Discovery ’67” produced by ABC News
(02:26) Washington Square in Greenwich Village
(03:23) Children cross the street in Harlem
(04:01) Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge
(04:08) Brooklyn Bridge
(04:09) George Washington Bridge
(05:51) People ice skate at Wollman Memorial Skating Rink in Central Park
(06:36) View of the skating rink with skyscrapers behind it
(07:27) A man speaks Spanish on the phone, a main language in New York City. Owen explains that many Puerto Ricans have moved to New York recently and do not understand English. However, there are many areas of the city where you can function without speaking English such as:
(08:12) On East 86th Street, where many German immigrants have settled.
(08:49) 86th St. Brauhaus
(08:56) Marzipan, an Austrian and German sweet
(09:10) Irish stores on 3rd avenue
(09:21) A store sells products like Irish sausage, Irish soda bread mix, Irish bacon, and honey. Irish immigrants began settling in New York in the 1850s.
(09:58) A storefront displays menorahs and other Jewish goods. Many Europeans Jews fled persecution to arrive in New York.
(10:02) A sign “shomer shabbat”- the store is closed on Saturday and Jewish holidays
(10:06) Congregation Shaarai Shomayim on Rivington Street on the Lower East Side
(10:13) At the time, the Lower East Side was a hub for Jewish life
(10:57) Men speak Yiddish while purchasing a tallis
(11:16) Bernstein’s delicatessen on Essex Street, also known as Schmulka Bernstein. It opened in 1957 and closed in the 1990s. It was one of the first Kosher restaurants to serve Chinese food.
(12:22) Little Italy
(12:25) Chinatown
(12:32) A sign in Polish
(12:34) Little Finland
(13:06) The Central Park Zoo which includes a children’s zoo
(14:56) The Empire State Building
(15:19) The roof of the Pan-Am building which, prior to a fatal accident, served as a heliport for businessmen
(15:35) A Pan Am Sikorsky S-61L helicopter takes off from the roof
(15:37) View of Manhattan from the helicopter
(15:53) Aerial shot of Central Park
(16:42) Fort Tryon Park
(16:52) The Met Cloisters showcase medieval Christian art
(18:14) An empty and silent Wall Street on a Sunday morning
(18:27) New York Stock Exchange
(18:38) Wall Street Journal headquarters
(18:51) Staten Island Ferry
(19:15) View of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty
(19:54) Owen concludes the program by mentioning the other boroughs.
(20:44) Sponsored in part by United Airlines and produced in cooperation with the National Education Association. A Jules Power Production in association with ABC News and Public Affairs. Executive Producer: Jules Power, Written by Joseph Hurley, Produced by Daniel Wilson, Directed by Alan Seeger, Program Host Bill Owen.
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