Oral & video history documentation

The Lemelson Center's oral and video history projects increase historical documentation on invention and innovation in the United States.
Above: Guitarist G.E. Smith is featured in the Electric Guitar Video Documentation Project. Smithsonian photo by Jeff Tinsley.

Full descriptions of the following collections may be found by searching the archives and manuscripts section of SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Unless otherwise noted, all collections are housed in the NMAH Archives Center. For further information, contact the Archives Center Reference Desk.

Oral & video history documentation is listed in alphabetical order by subject of interview. Date of interview is in parentheses.

Hildreth (Hal) Walker, inventor of laser devices and electromobiles (1995) Video footage documenting the first program in the  “Innovative Lives” series, presented by Hildreth "Hal" Walker, an inventor who developed laser equipment that projected images of the moon back to the earth during the 1969 Apollo moon walk. Walker discusses his background and how he became an inventor, shares his ideas on innovation as a career, explains his research on lasers and his developmental work with electric automobiles, and demonstrates the properties and applications of lasers, including measuring the distance to the moon and voice communications. The footage also includes former Museum director Spencer Crew, former Smithsonian Secretary I. Michael Heyman, Lemelson Center director Arthur Molella, and Jerome Lemelson at the establishment of the Lemelson Center. 0.5 cu. ft.: 3 boxes containing original, master, and reference videos. See related article »