Visiting America: World's Fair in Chicago; Washington, DC memorials; New York City

Seven films by Carl Lutz of the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago, St. Louis, Washington, DC, and New York City: Nr. 297 Amerika (Film Nr. 8) [1934] (10:40) Nr. 298 Chicago Weltausstellung (Film Nr. 3) [1934] (12:00) Nr. 299 Eine Reise nach den Vereinigten Staaten - Carl Lutz (Film Nr. 24) [ca. 1930] (13:21) Nr, 300 Reise nach Amerika IV (Film Nr. 25) [1933] (04:49) Nr. 301 St. Louis - Schweiz (Film Nr. 2) [ca. 1933-1934] (15:08) Nr. 302 Besuch im St. Louis Zoo (Film Nr. 1) [ca. 1933-1934] (10:37) Nr. 304 Washington - Schweiz (Film Nr. 23) [1920s-1930s] (09:22) Detailed Descriptions: Nr. 297 Amerika (Film Nr. 8) [1934] Overview of buildings along a coastline and mountains in the background. Boats in the harbor. View from a mountaintop of the water. More shots in the harbor. A parade with a band marches down the street. Young men in suits carry a sign that says, “You can help! Clean up, paint up, plant up, fix up. Campaign April 16th to April 28th. Sponsored by Chamber of Commerce Board of Education City of St. Louis.” Women carry signs that say things like, “Cheer Up,” “Plant Up,” etc. Another band walks by carrying similar signs. A streetcar goes by on the street behind them. A group of men carry American flags, followed by another band. Another band, carrying a sign that says, “Shepard Ninth Grade Center.” Another group carries a sign that says “Madison School Ninth Grade.” More “Clean Up,” etc. signs. Another group carries a sign that says “Roe 9th Grade Center.” Close up on an enclosure with two black bears. Shot of two polar bears, then just one polar bear walking around. Polar bears standing up and eating fish. A badger climbs a tree. A badger enclosure. A group of children stands outside an animal enclosure. Close up of a black bear. Title card reads: “Erntezeit in der Getreidekammer Amerikas – Illinois. Die Spreu wird durch ein Blasrohr abgeblasen und auf Haufen geschichtet.” (Trans. “Harvest time in the granary of America – Illinois. The chaff is blown off by a blowpipe and stacked on a heap.”) Farmers load hay into machinery, where the chaff is blown off through a pipe and the grain is harvested. Men load the grain into sacks. Horses pull a flat cart with two young boys riding on it. Two horses pull a flat cart piled high with hay. (03:44) Sign reads “The New World’s Fair of 1934.” Women in dresses and hats file through security. Many American flags wave in the breeze. Title card reads: “Weltausstellung Chicago 1934. Die Geschichte der Transportation. Postreiter, bedeckte Wagen der ersten Ansiedler. Prariekutschen.” (Trans. “World Exposition in Chicago 1934. The history of transportation. People who delivered the post by horse. Covered wagons of the first prairie settlers.”) There is a demonstration on the history of transportation, including people on horseback, horses carrying covered wagons, a makeshift train, a pretend boat, people dancing, more elaborate covered wagons. Title card reads: “Die Entwicklung der Dampflokomotive. Moderne Fahrund Flugzeuge.” (Trans. “The development of the steam locomotive. Modern driving and airplanes.”) A steam locomotive travels across the stage. Horses pull more covered wagons. The actors dance. More steam locomotives. People ride across the stage on bicycles. A car drives by. An airplane is wheeled out. Its wings are attached. Title card reads: “Eingangspforte zur Weltausstellung in Chicago 1934. USA grusst uns! Die Fahnen aller vertretenen Nationen. Die grössten Omnibusse der Welt befahren das Ausstellungsareal.” (Trans. “Entrance to the World Exposition in Chicago 1934. The USA greets us! The flags of all nations represented. The largest buses in the world travel the exhibition area.”) Buses drive down a street framed by many large flagpoles. People ride around on these open-side buses. Waving American flags. Shots of the exhibition areas. The cable railway in the air above. Title card reads: “Die Schwebebahn über dem Ausstellungsgelände. Wir besehen uns die Ausstellung von oben. Das Schweizerdorf aus der Vogelschau. Im Hintergrund rechts das ..Matterhorn.” (Trans. “The cable railway hovers above the exhibition grounds. We look at the exhibition from above. The Swiss village from a bird’s eye view. In the background, on the right, the Matterhorn.”) A man speaks into a bullhorn labeled “Sky Ride.” Shots of the cable cars in the air. A post with signs pointing out the directions to the bus station, chapel car, Swiss village, public telephones, and street cars. Views of the exhibition grounds from the air. View inside the cable car. A woman points out various monuments. View of the flags from the air. Nr. 299 Eine Reise nach den Vereinigten Staaten - Carl Lutz (Film Nr. 24) [ca. 1930] Title card reads: “Eine Reise nach den Vereinigten Staaten – Carl Lutz.” (Trans. “A Trip to the United States – Carl Lutz.”) Shots of a train leaving the Bern station. People looking out the windows of the train. The train passing through a station in the mountains. Title card reads: “Genoa – New York --.” A car is lifted onto a boat and lowered down. Shot of the ocean from the boat deck with two people looking over the railing. Shot of the ocean and waves in the boat’s wake. Shot of the far off coastline and the boat deck. Shot of people lined up against the boat’s railing. Title card reads: “Stimmungsbilder auf den offenen Ozean. Die Sonne versinkt ins Meer.” (Trans. “Pictures of the mood on the open ocean. The sun sinks into the sea.”) More shots of the sun reflecting on the ocean. The sunset on the horizon line. Title card reads: “Die Freiheitsstatue grusst uns. Wir nahern uns New York, der gwaltigsten Stadt der Welt mit der doppelten Einwohnerzahl der Schweiz. Im Dunst der New Yorker Atmosphare ist das hochste Gebaude der Welt. Das Empire State Building, sichbar. Die Passagiere sind begeistert. Ein tausendfaches Widersehen am Dock.” (Trans. “The Statue of Liberty greets us. We approach New York, the most powerful city in the world with double the population of Switzerland. In the haze of New York’s atmosphere is the tallest building in the world. The Empire State Building, invisible. The passengers are thrilled. A thousandfold are looking on the dock.”) The Statue of Liberty from afar. Another small boat passes by. View of the New York City skyline from the boat. A band plays on the deck as the boat comes into the harbor. Many people are waiting on the dock, waving. Title card reads: “New-York – Broadway mit Empire State Building, 400 Meter hoch, mit Zeppelin-Landungsmast. Der Riesenbau steht einige Kilometer von den anderen Wolkenkratzern entfernt, um ein Beschädigen des Zeppelins beim Landen zu verhüten. Büroräumlichkeiten fur 20,000 Arbeiter.” (Trans. “New York – Broadway with Empire State Building, 400 meters high, with Zeppelin landing mast. The construction is a few kilometers from the other skyscrapers to prevent damage of the zeppelin during landing. Construction space for 20,000 workers.”) View of city streets with old cars driving and pedestrians. Shots of skyscrapers. Title card reads: “Rundsicht vonder obersten Terrasse auf die Halbinsel Manhattan, zwischen East River und Hudson.” (Trans. “Panoramic view from the top terrace to the Manhattan peninsula, between the East River and Hudson.”) Second title card reads: “Das Chryslergebaude, benannt nach dem Namen des Automobilkonigs Chrysler.” (Trans. “The Chrysler Building, named after the Chrysler Automobile Corporation.”) View of skyscrapers, including the Chrysler building, from above. Camera pans streets and buildings from above. Title card reads: “Der Landsitz George Washingtons in Mt. Vernon, bei Washington, D.C. Ein Nationalheiligtum und Eigentum der patriotischen Frauenliga: ‘Tochter der Amerikanischen Revolution.’” (Trans. “The estate of George Washington in Mt. Vernon, near Washington, D.C. A national sanctuary and the property of the patriotic women’s league: ‘Daughters of the American Revolution.’”) The Mount Vernon estate. Title card reads: “Das Grab des ‘Unbekannten Soldaten.’ Nationalfriedhofbei der Hauptstadt, die Ehrenwache. Grabmaler aus dem Weltkrieg.” (Trans. “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The National Cemetery in the capital. The honorary guard. The Tomb of the World War.”) The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with a uniformed soldier walking around it. Arlington cemetery. Title card reads: “Washington, die Hauptstadt der Vereinigten Staaten.” (Trans. “Washington, the capital of the United States.”) Second title card reads: “Das Weisse Haus, Wohnsitz des Prasidenten, Blick von Wohnhaus des Prasidenten der Pennsylvania Avenue entlang zum Regierungspalast, dessen Grundsteinlegung von George Washington im Jahre 1793 vollzogen wurde.” (Trans. “The White House, home of the President. View of the President’s residence from Pennsylvania Avenue along to the Capitol building, whose foundation stone was laid by George Washington in 1793.”) The White House. Close up of the Capitol building. Far shot of the Capitol building. Fountain. Title card reads: “Parade zur Forderung der Arbeitsbeschaffung. Die Initianten und Teilnehmer sind Schuler und Schulerinnen der Sekundarschulen und andern Lehranstalten.” (Trans. “March demanding job creation. The organizers and participants are students in secondary schools and other educational institutions.”) Students marching. Some are carrying brooms, rakes, paintbrushes, dusters, or signs with their school names. Some carry signs that say “Kill Rats,” or “For a Clean City.” Title card reads: “Bekannt sind Amerikas Marsche und – Dirigenten!” (Trans. “American marchers and leaders are well known.”) A band marches through with a dancing conductor. More people march with signs. Title card reads: “Niagara Falls in Winter.” Sign that reads “Niagara Falls.” View of rushing water with ice caps. Niagara Falls with a thick mist. Parts are iced over. People stand at the railing overlooking the falls. Ice caps on the water. Faraway shot of the falls. Side view of the falls. People walking in the snow. Title card reads: “Abfahrt von New York auf dem Conte di Savoia.” (Trans. “Departure from New York on the Conte di Savoia.”) A packed crowd of people wave from the dock at the harbor in New York. A man stands, back to the camera, at the railing of the ship, waving to the dock. The Empire State Building is in the background. Other ships pass by. View of the side of the ship and waves in its wake. Shots of the ocean and the sun setting over the horizon line. Title card reads: “Gibraltar – Neapel. Die Schloten warden aussen auf jeder Fahrt gereinigt.” (Trans. “Gibraltar – Naples. The outside of the smokestacks were cleaned on each journey.”) Sailors/boat staff attached to belay ropes repaint the sides of the ship’s smokestack. Shots of boats in the harbor.