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To many, the most shining moment in the history of Buffalo, New York occurred one-hundred years ago. During 1901's Pan-American Exposition, electric light was highlighted and the world was never the same. The 20th Century was fresh and new, commerce and society were evolving and history was being made everyday. Living in that era was an exceptional experience. Everything that it was--and could be--was encompassed in the Pan-Am Expo. In a historic 60-minute documentary, WNED and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (BECHS) collaborate to explore THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE.
On Friday, October 19 at 9 pm, THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will provide an accurate portrayal of a visit to the Pan-American Exposition based on a wealth of archival material including photographs and film footage, period music, historical quotes and diaries, as well as on-camera interviews with historians and local authorities on Pan-Am. The scope of the documentary will include the people who planned it, the Niagara energy that powered it, and the ways it changed the city and the nation.
Produced and directed by WNED's Lynne Bader-Gregory, THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is structured into three distinct segments:
- A
Grand Plan, which details the extraordinary planning, construction
and building of Buffalo's world's fair.
- Spend
a Day at the Fair,
which conveys what eight million visitors would have seen, felt, and
heard on the Pan-Am grounds.
- The Nation Changes at Buffalo, which recalls the infamous assassination of President William McKinley, the historic transfer of power to Theodore Roosevelt and the legacy the Pan-Am left to Buffalo.
"The three twenty-minute segments are 'classroom friendly,'" Bader-Gregory said. "Teachers can use each segment to engage students in the day's lesson."
Programs produced and/or directed by Ms. Bader-Gregory have received Eastern Education Network and Central Education Network Awards. Her credits include producing and directing the acclaimed WNED documentary REMEMBERING TORONTO, directing the MARK RUSSELL COMEDY SPECIALS and producing the two WNED broadcasts of Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concerts. This successful collaboration led to the upcoming PBS national broadcast of the BPO's American Seasons concert.
THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, co-produced by the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, is part of the centennial celebration of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Founded in 1862, the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society is one of the oldest regional historical societies in the U.S. and the largest in Western New York.
"We are delighted to be collaborating with WNED on this Centennial video project," said BECHS Executive Director William H. Siener. "We are always looking for new ways to make our extensive collections more accessible to the Western New York community. This project perfectly suits that goal." The Historical Society's headquarters is its National Landmark museum building at 25 Nottingham Court near Elmwood Avenue. This classically designed structure was the only planned permanent building constructed for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.
WNED's primary consultant on THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE is Robert W. Rydell, PhD., one of the leading authorities on world's fairs. Dr. Rydell is a professor of history at Montana State University, and author of All the World's a Fair and World of Fairs. Executive Producer is Telly Award winner David Rotterman.
Funding for THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE was provided by a grant from the Community Foundation For Greater Buffalo.
THE PAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE premieres on Friday, October 19 at 9 pm on WNED-TV.
