Ruth and Louis Kirk moving image collection, 1967-1991

Overview of the Collection

Title
Ruth and Louis Kirk moving image collection
Dates
1967-1991 (inclusive)
Quantity
approximately 1,700 films and film elements including film and soundtrack reels, cassette tapes, vinyl LP albums, 2 in. and 3/4 in. videotape, and 42 educational filmstrips
Collection Number
PH1000
Summary
Documentary films and filmstrips produced by Ruth and Louis Kirk for public television and educational distribution many of them relating to the National Parks
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

The original films are not accessible due to preservation concerns. Arrangements can be made to view the films by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a National Endowment for the Humanities "We the People" grant for Washington Women's History to the Washington Women's History Consortium, a part of the Washington State Historical Society. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Ruth and Louis Kirk were a husband and wife team of filmmakers who made numerous documentaries over a decades-long career across the American Northwest and West. Acclaimed Washington naturalist Ruth Kirk achieved lasting success, most notably as a writer, but also as a photographer and filmmaker working in close collaboration with her husband Louis Kirk to create films and television programs focusing on the natural spaces of the Northwest, Southwest, and Canada, wildlife, archaeology and historic preservation, and Native American communities.

The daughter of a physician and a chemical engineer, Ruth Kratz was born in 1925 and spent her formative years in Los Angeles. During her studies at Occidental College, Ruth met Louis Kirk, a young coast guardsman serving in the area and they married in 1943. At the end of the Second World War, Louis pursued his education, earning degrees in natural sciences, psychology, and education. Louis was interested in working outdoors, and in 1947 became a ranger and naturalist with the National Park Service (NPS). During almost 20 years with the NPS, Louis served in a succession of posts in the Southwest, North and South Dakota, Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park, along with special assignments in England and Washington D.C. In his work as a naturalist, he was frequently asked to create attention-grabbing visitor presentations and museum exhibits to tell the story of America's national parks.

Ruth frequently worked with her husband as an active partner on a range of official and unofficial projects. She also nurtured an avid personal interest in nature photography, and soon began publishing photo-essays for the Seattle Times . Ruth published a substantial number of articles in the Seattle Times, Smithsonian, Natural History , and the New York Times Book Review , among others. Ruth began writing non-fiction books at this time, co-authoring the guidebook Death Valley (1954), for which photographer and friend Ansel Adams, provided the pictures. This would be the first of her 36 published books to date, with topics ranging through ecology, anthropology, archaeology, history, and natural science.

When Louis retired from the NPS in 1967, he was offered a position with the KPEC (later KCPQ), a television station run by the Clover Park School District in Lakewood, Washington. Influenced by Louis’ experience with interpretative presentation, as well as their deep affection for the National Park system, the Kirks soon shifted into a new career producing films. While Louis usually served as the principal cameraperson, at one time or another Ruth acted as producer, editor, scriptwriter, still photographer, actor, and narrator for the films they created. Ruth and Louis created curriculum filmstrips, films, and broadcast documentary programming for use in the classroom and on television that were produced primarily for the Clover Park School District Public Broadcasting Systems and distributed by the University of Washington Press. The Kirks also produced content for other organizations during this time, including the NPS, Tacoma Public Utilities, and for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s long-running series Klahanie: The Great Outdoors .

Their films concentrated on natural and environmental themes, especially within the setting of those National Parks already familiar to them. Ruth and Louis crisscrossed the Western United States for many years, along with occasional side-trips to Canada, Mexico, and Japan, filming the landscape. They also recorded the traditions of the indigenous communities of the Northwest and Southwest. The Kirks developed several close creative relationships with Native American communities living along the Northwestern coast. Their relationship with the Makah of the Olympic Peninsula developed during production of their film The Tribe and the Professor . The film looked at the collaboration between archaeologists from Western Washington University led by Dr. Richard Daugherty and the Makah during the Ozette archaeological dig at Neah Bay, Washington. The discoveries at Ozette, the Makah community, and archaeology in Washington became a subject visited repeatedly over the course of the Kirks' long filmmaking career.

The Kirks became well-known during the production of their local PBS series Kirks' Camera (1976-1978). This series concentrated on environmental themes and settings reminiscent of their other work, but here the Kirks would appear in front of the camera as well as behind it, serving as guides for the audience to learn from and follow each month. This series was a wide-ranging fusion of travelogue and nature documentary. Each episode followed the Kirks as they embarked on a trip into the field, perhaps to hike the shipwreck coast of Vancouver Island, to explore land ethic in Japan, or to observe the daily life of Washington’s Olympic Marmot.

The Kirks continued to make films for 14 years after the end of Kirks' Camera , until the death of Louis in 1992. In the years following, Ruth put aside filmmaking in favor of her writing career, and has subsequently produced works on the Olympic Rain Forest, Washington Archaeology, and Mount Rainier National Park, among others. Ruth has been repeatedly recognized for excellence over the course of her long career, earning the Washington State Governor’s Writer’s Award, the Pacific Northwest History Award, and a short-listing for the National Book Award, among others. In 2007, Ruth married long-time friend and collaborator Richard D. Daugherty, an anthropologist and archaeologist retired from Washington State University.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection contains production elements and final prints for approximately 110 projects (films, television episodes, and filmstrips) produced by the Kirks from 1967 to 1991. The collection is made up of approximately 1,700 reels of film, filmstrips and audio materials. Much of the collection documents the Kirks’ career as producers for television shows such as Klahanie on the CBC in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Kirks’ Camera on KCPQ in Tacoma, WA. Also represented are the educational films and filmstrips produced on behalf of the Clover Park School District, the University of Washington Press, and the US National Park Service.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

The Kirks were often producing films using very limited financial resources and, as a result, they used the same footage for a number of different projects. They also revisited particular themes repeatedly over the course of their career and frequently used the same footage for a variety of purposes, depending upon the needs of the particular film or television program. For example, footage of a Quinault elder carving a canoe might be seen in Indian canoes along the Washington coast , The Tribe and the Professor and in both the Kirks' Camera and the Klahanie episodes of Heritage in Cedar . These types of links between projects are noted in each

Dates for Kirks' Camera were determined by documentation kept in the Ruth Kirk Manuscript Collection (Acc. No. 4166), while approximate dates for Klahanie were determined by notes left on film elements as well as external research. All other dates refer to date of physical publication.

INVENTORY GLOSSARY
  • Project Elements - The assorted subordinate film and audio recordings generated in the production of a film project. The elements include a large amount of footage and audio recordings. While some elements were not used in the final cut, they remain valuable by providing insight into the conceptualization and construction of the final product.
  • Episode Print -A copy of a film made from a negative. Each episode is an individual television program that is part of a larger series or serial.
  • Release Print -A copy of a film made from a negative, especially a copy made for distribution.
  • Viewing copy - A copy of the release print made for patron access.
  • Filmstrip -A length of film containing still photographs, often of illustrations, diagrams, charts, etc., arranged in sequence for projection separately and used as a teaching aid.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact the Special Collections division of the University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by genre. Individual projects are listed chronologically within each genre:

  • Films
  • Television Episodes
  • Unfinished and Unidentified Projects
  • Filmstrips

Acquisition Information

Gift of Ruth Kirk, May 7, 1992.

Processing Note

Processed by Hannah Palin, Laird Jimenez, Zola Mumford, Ryer Banta, Rachel Chabra, and Jonathan King, 2008-2011.

Related Materials

Related materials can be found in the Ruth Kirk Manuscript Collection (Acc No. 4166)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Films, 1971-1981Return to Top

Films produced by the Kirks in collaboration with the Clover Park School District 400 and distributed by the University of Washington Press and the National Park Service Division of Audiovisual Arts. These films were produced for use in the classroom, or for other instructional uses. Several were produced with assistance from the Makah Tribal Council, the Office of Architecture and Historic Preservation and Washington State University.

Container(s) Description Dates
Glacier Legacy
Illustrates how glaciers have affected the geology of the North American Continent.
Producer, United States, National Park Service. Division of Audiovisual Arts ;cinematography & story by Louis & Ruth Kirk. Distributed by the National Audiovisual Center.
1971
Release Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, optical sound, color (1070 feet)
item
VC142
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (28 minutes)
Project Elements
circa 1971
Film/ Video Elements
25 reels : 24 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (8235 feet); 1 16mm color internegative, silent (1070 feet)
1 videotape : 2" Quad film transfer master, sound, color (28 minutes, 50 seconds)
Audio Elements
5 reels : 4 16mm full-coat magnetic (1070 feet); 1 16mm optical (1070 feet)
Marmes Archaeological Dig
Describes one of the oldest fully documented discoveries of early humans man in the Western Hemisphere--the remains of the Marmes man found in southeast Washington. Explains the techniques which anthropologists, archeologists, geologists, and other scientists use in the field and laboratory to reconstruct humanity's past.
Producer, Media Department, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; cinematography & story by Louis & Ruth Kirk. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
Narrator, Paul Herlinger; Archaeologist: Richard Daugherty; Geologist: Roald Fryxell, Researchers: Grover Krantz and Carl Gustafson; Warren G. Magnuson;
1971
Release Print
2 reels : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (650 feet); I 16mm print, silent, color (750 feet)
1 videotape : 1 video cassette tape
item
VC144
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (18 minutes)
1971
Project Elements
circa 1968
Film/ Video Elements
12 reels : 1 16mm print, silent, black and white (175 feet); 11 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color (500 feet),
Audio Elements
3 reels : 2 16mm magnetic, narration and composite tracks; 1 1/4" open reel, interview track
Marmots of the Pacific Northwest
The life and habits of the local Marmot colony is examined. Ruth and Louis Kirk join zoology student David Barash and his wife Beverly on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, where David is studying the hibernation, reproduction, feeding, and social interactions of the Olympic Marmot in its natural environment. The four also travel to nearby Vancouver Island in search of the rare and elusive Vancouver Island Marmot, but are unsuccessful.
Producer, Media Department, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; cinematography & story by Louis & Ruth Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1971
Release Print
2 reels : 2 16mm prints, magnetic and optical sound, color (700 feet)
item
VC145
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (18 minutes)
Project Elements
circa 1967-1971
Film/Video Elements
3 reels : 2 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (2000 feet)
Audio Elements
5 reels : 2 16mm optical, narration and composite tracks (1480 feet); 2 16mm magnetic, narration and composite tracks (1430 feet); 1 1/4''open reel narration track
Indian Canoes Along the Washington Coast
Depicts how and with what tools the traditional cedar dugout canoes of Northwest Indians are carved. Also included are the Quinault River motorized canoe races, the Makah tribe’s paddle canoe races in Neah Bay, stocking of a King Salmon fish hatchery, and a salmon bake. There is particular emphasis on how indigenous communities keep traditions alive and relevant through their incorporation into sports and celebration days.
Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1972
Release Print
4 reels : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (900 feet); 1 16mm print, magnetic sound, color (850 feet); 2 16mm partial prints, optical sound, color (905 feet)
item
VC166
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (22 minutes, 16 seconds)
Project Elements
1968-1972
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 4 16mm camera original, partial workprint and assorted footage, silent, color (1150 feet)
Audio Elements
6 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, narration, composite and assorted tracks (1370 feet); 1 16mm optical, soundtrack (600 feet),
Northwest Coast Indians: a Search for the Past
Archaeological excavations in Ozette, Cape Alava, Washington, site of a Makah Indian village which was inhabited at least 2,000 years ago.
Producer, Media Department, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; cinematography & story by Louis & Ruth Kirk in cooperation with Richard Daugherty ; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1973
Project Elements
circa 1973
Film/Video Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm camera original, workprint
The Tribe and the Professor
Presents the archaeological investigations of Dr. Richard D. Daugherty and his students from Washington State University on the history of Makah Indians at the Ozette village at Cape Alava, on Washington's Olympic peninsula.
Producer, KCPQ-TV 13, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; cinematography & story by Louis & Ruth Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
There are several versions of this title produced from 1972-1978. Elements from these versions have not been fully processed.
1975
Release Print
6 reels : 6 16mm print, color
5 videotapes : 2 2" Quad film transfer masters, sound, color; 3 3/4" Umatic Videotape film transfer masters
item
VC147a, VC147b
Viewing copy of release print
2 videodiscs : DVD, sound, color (18:10, 28:50 minutes)
Project has not been fully processed. There are viewing copies of two versions of this film, and it is not clear which is the final cut of the film as released.
Project Elements
circa 1975
Film/Video Elements
22 reels : 6 16mm print, color and black and white; 16 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white; 3 16mm color internegatives, silent
Audio Elements
14 reels : 7 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks; 7 1/4''open reel, narration, sound effects, and assorted tracks
Heritage of the Sea
In the viewpoint of Makah Indians, fishing is an ancient and fundamental way of life guaranteed them in perpetuity by their 1855 treaty agreement with the United States Government. Part one of the film includes reminiscences by the Makahs about their past and comments on the future of their tribal salmon management programs. Part two is a defense by Makah fishermen and elders of their treaty rights to fish for salmon and a discussion of their previous relinquishment of whaling, sealing and halibut rights guaranteed to them by treaty. Artifacts dealing with fishing found at Hoko River and Ozette are also demonstrated.
Producer, KCPQ TV Channel 13, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; film, story, and production, Louis and Ruth Kirk ; in cooperation with the Makah Tribal Council; Songs, Makah senior citizens (pt.1), the Parker family, and Nora Barker (pt.2) ; narration, Louis and Ruth Kirk, with Paul Herlinger ; editing, Cathy Cook. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1978
The First Northwesterners--The Archaeology of Early Man
Alternate title: Archaeology of early man
A look at early humans in the Pacific Northwest. Portrays the 1977 discovery at the Manis farm in Sequim, Washington of a mastodon struck by a hunter's bone spear more than 11,000 years ago, and the recovery of Marmes Man in southeast Washington, the oldest human skeletal material in the western hemisphere to be fully documented in place and supported by detailed knowledge of the environment of 10,000 years ago. Modern archaeologists excavate the artifacts and use them to study the past via painstakingly replication and testing. Shows sequences of making stone tools and using them to chop down trees and cut fish.
Producer, KCPQ TV Channel 13, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; filmed, written, edited & produced by Ruth & Louis Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger ; Consultants: Washington State University archaeologists: Richard D. Daugherty Jeffrey Flenniken, Carl E. Gustafson, Harvey Rice cello & piano, John Mattern, Terry Spiller. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1979
Release Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, sound, color
item
VC143
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes)
3 videotapes : 1 2" Quad film transfer master, sound, color; 2 3/4" Umatic Videotape film transfer master, sound, color
Project Elements
circa 1979
Film/Video Elements
13 reels : 1 16mm print, assorted footage; 12 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white; 1 16mm internegative
Audio Elements
3 reels : 2 16mm magnetic, audio C and composite tracks; 1 16mm optical, soundtrack
Heritage in Cedar: Northwest Coast Indians Woodworking, Past and Present
An exploration of historic and modern use of cedar as an integral part of Northwest Coast culture. The film discusses the carving of totem poles and canoes, methods of housing construction, preservation attempts and the issues surrounding the removal of totems from their original outdoor environments. Viewers are taken on visits to the Queen Charlotte Islands, the historic village of ‘Ksan [Kasaan] in Hazelton, British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, the Ozette archaeological dig at Neah Bay and the Hoko River Archaeological site in Clallam County, Washington.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; filmed, written, edited & produced by Ruth & Louis Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Made possible by a grant from the Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation to Clover Park School District. Distributed by the University of Washington Press.
1980
Release Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, optical sound, color (2140 feet)
1 videotape : 2" Quad film transfer master, sound, color (28 minutes, 50 seconds)
item
VC148
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (18 minutes)
Project Elements
Content that was not used in the completed film includes a brief scene with Erna Gunther, an anthropologist and University of Washington professor, speaking to archaeology students at the Hoko River Archaeological Site. Another reel shows a ceremony performed by members of the Makah Tribal Community dedicating the Hoko rock shelter excavation followed by a picnic, featuring Makah elders and community members, Dale Croes, director of the Hoko project, and the crew working on the dig.
1964-1980
Film/Video Elements
25 reels : 24 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (8235 feet); 1 16mm color internegative, silent (1070 feet)
Audio Elements
5 reels : 4 16mm magnetic (1070 feet); 1 16mm optical (1070 feet)
In Partnership with Time
Details historic preservation efforts in Washington State. Various structures across the state are profiled, including the Volunteer Park Conservatory and Fort Worden State Park. The ongoing renovation, restoration, and reuse of notable older buildings is particularly emphasized.
Producer, KCPQ TV Channel 13, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; filmed, scripted, edited, and produced by Ruth and Louis Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
1981
Release Print
1 Reel : 1 16mm print, sound, color
item
VC86
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (30 minutes)
1 videotape : 1 3/4" Umatic film transfer master, sound, color
Project Elements
circa 1981
Film/Video Elements
1 reel : 116mm camera original, assorted footage
Audio Elements
7 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks; 4 1/4''open reel, assorted tracks
Of Time and Place : Historic Preservation in Washington
Presents the story of historic preservation in Washington State in terms of its historical development and change, combined with a rich sampling of the early-day structures and skills still practiced. Notable historical sites like Fort Vancouver and the Yakima Indian Museum are profiled in terms of their historical context.
Producer, KCPQ TV Channel 13, Clover Park School District 400, Lakewood Center, Washington; filmed, scripted, edited, and produced by Ruth and Louis Kirk.; Narrator, Paul Herlinger. Distributed by University of Washington Press.
Possible alternate title: Historic preservation in Washington
1981
Release Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, sound, color
item
VC140
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (32 minutes, 30 seconds)
1 videotape : 1 3/4" Umatic film transfer master, sound, color
Project Elements
circa 1981
Film/Video Elements
121 reels : 121 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white
Audio Elements
50 reels : 4 16mm magnetic, assorted tracks; 46 "1/4 open reel, composite, narration, sound effects, and assorted tracks
Kumsheen
1985
Project Elements
1977-1985
Film/Video Elements
15 reels : 15 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (4450 feet)
Audio Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm magnetic, promo and assorted tracks (150 feet); 2 "1/4 open reel, narration and sound effects tracks (1200 feet)
Archaeological Investigations at Fort Nisqually
Surveys the history of the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Nisqually and describes the 1989 excavations of its site. Also contains brief promotional material for Northwest Landing, Weyerhaeuser's planned residential community.
Producer: Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Company; Photographers and scriptwriters: Ruth and Louis Kirk.
Narrator: Paul Herlinger.
1989
item
VC141
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (20 minutes)
VC141 contains viewing copies of multiple release prints (DVD running time: 1 hour, 1 minute).
Upper Cowlitz Archaeology & Culture
This tells the story of the archeological investigation of this long-occupied site, and gives us a glimpse into the ancient people who lived there. Archaeologists discovered evidence of an ancient seasonal fishing village when they explored the site of Tacoma Public Utilities' Taidnapam Park on the shore of Riffe Reservoir, at the upper Cowlitz River near Morton in Washington state.
Producer: Tacoma Public Utilities; Distributor: Tacoma (Wash.). Dept. of Public Utilities; Photographers and scriptwriters: Ruth and Louis Kirk.
Narrator: Paul Herlinger.
1991
item
VC141
Viewing copy of release print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color
VC141 contains viewing copies of multiple release prints (DVD running time: 1 hour, 1 minute).

Television Episodes, Klahanie1973-1977Return to Top

Klahanie was a half-hour television program that aired on the CBC in Vancouver from 1967-1978. The title came from a Chinook word meaning "outside or "the outdoors." The show presented wilderness and outdoor activities with a focus on conservation and tried to bring viewers to beautiful, often inaccessible destinations in British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The show was produced by Andy Snider and was hosted by Bob Fortune from 1967-1972 and later by Don White. The Kirks contributed content to Klahanie from 1973 through 1977, including programs about Japanese National Parks, the Japanese land ethic, the Ozette Archaeological Dig, preserving historic sites in Scotland, and a visit to Atlin, B.C.

Few episodes of Klahanie appear to have survived and there are no complete programs within the Kirk collection. There are scripts, audio tracks and edited films that appear to have aired on Klahanie, but there are no finished prints and nothing with identifying titles and credits. Information about these particular films was taken from notes on and in film cans and from leader on reels. The shows were often re-edited with new narration and used for Kirks' Camera productions on KCPQ-TV in Lakewood, Washington.

Description Dates
Japanese Land Ethic
This film describes the feeling the Japanese have toward their land.
1973
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, partial and complete episode, silent, color (1500 feet)
Project is not fully processed; print copies may not be the final cut of film as released.
Project Elements
circa 1973
Film/Video Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm camera original, workprints and composite, silent, color (55 feet)
Japanese National Parks
Ruth and Louis Kirk explore the major parks of Japan and their scenic attractions.
1973
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, silent, color (1000 feet)
Project is not fully processed; print copies may not be the final cut of film as released.
Project Elements
circa 1973
Film/Video Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm camera original, workprints and composite, silent, color (55 feet)
Atlin Cassiar
The Kirks travel to the tiny gold-rush town of Atlin in the Northwest corner of British Columbia and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, which heads north from Hazelton and runs to Watson Lake. They travel to the copper town of Stewart and Mount Edziza Provincial Park. The entire drive is through wilderness punctuated only occasionally by settlements.
September 15, 1977
Project Elements
circa 1972-1977
Film/Video Elements
3 reels : 3 16mm camera original, silent, color and black and white (630 feet)
Audio Elements
3 reels : 4 16mm magnetic (2250 feet)
Eskimo Village
unknown date
Project Elements
circa 1971-1973
Film/Video Elements
3 reels : 1 16mm print, promo, silent, color (275 feet); 2 16mm camera originals, workprint and assorted footage, silent, color
Audio Elements
4 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, composite, B roll, and sound effects tracks, 1 1/4''open reel sound effects track
Fraser River
unknown date
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 1 16mm print, title sequence; 3 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Audio Elements
3 reels : 3 16mm full-coat magnetic, composite and sound effects tracks
Glacier Bay
1970
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, color, optical sound
Project is not fully processed; print copies may not be the final cut of film as released.
Project Elements
circa 1970
Film/Video Elements
8 reels : 1 16mm print, assorted footage; 7 16mm camera original, workprint and assorted footage
Heritage in Cedar
unknown date
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, sound, color (1000 feet)
Project Elements
circa 1969-1975
Film/Video Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm camera original, assorted footage
Audio Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm magnetic, composite track (500 feet)
Hesquiat/'Ksan [Kasaan]
1977
Project Elements
circa 1977
Film/Video Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm camera original, assorted footage, silent, color (800 feet)
Audio Elements
2 reel : 1 16mm magnetic, composite soundtrack (1000 feet); 1 16mm optical, composite soundtrack (1000 feet)

Television Episodes, Kirks' Camera1976-1978Return to Top

Kirks' Camera was a monthly half-hour series that aired on KCPQ Television in Lakewood, Washington from January 1976 to May 1978. The show was produced by the Kirks in conjunction with the Media Department of the Clover Park School District 400. Louis was the show's cinematographer, director, and editor while Ruth wrote scripts, narrated and appeared in many episodes. The show explored man's impact on the environment as well as the lifestyle and traditions of indigenous communities across the Northwest and Southwest U.S. Each episode was formatted as a travelogue, following the Kirks and their companions as they embarked on a trip into the field, perhaps to hike the shipwreck coast of Vancouver Island, to explore land ethic in Japan, or to observe the daily life of Washington’s Olympic Marmot.

Container(s) Description Dates
The Makah Indians and Ozette
The premiere broadcast of Kirks' Camera. A one hour documentary of the investigation of one of the richest discoveries of prehistoric indigenous material ever found in the United States, an ancient Makah Indian village on the coast of the Olympic Peninsula. It includes a look at the scientific work directed by Dr. Richard Daugherty, of Washington State University, and interviews with Makah students who were helping on the archaeological project. Guests on the program were Dr. Daugherty and Mrs. Shirley Johnson, head of the museum and Cultural Committee of the Makah Indian Nation.
January 6, 1976
Episode Print
3 reels : 3 16mm print, color
Project is not fully processed; print copies may not be the final cut of film as released.
Project Elements
1964-1980
Film/Video Elements
35 reels : 6 16mm print, promo and assorted footage; 29 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Audio Elements
65 reels : 8 16mm magnetic audio, composite, narration, sound effects and assorted tracks; 57 1/4" reel-to-reel audio, narration, sound effects and assorted tracks
5 tapes : 5 audio cassette tapes, narration and assorted tracks
The Japanese Land Ethic
A look at what the Japanese people are doing to preserve the classic beauty of their land. The film focuses on the country side of Kyushu, Japan's southern island, and on the villages outlying from the Tokyo to Osaka strip familiar to tourists. Featured are the ama of Wagu, hiking in Kirishima National Park, and participation in a tea ceremony in Kyoto. Also includes native wild horses at Cape Toi, snow monkeys off the Nichinan coast, rooftop playgrounds and gardens.
February 3, 1976
Episode Print
3 reels : 2 16mm print, silent, color (700 feet); 1 16mm, silent, color, partial print of program (70 feet)
item
VC134
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (27 minutes, 13 seconds)
Viewing copy shares DVD with other projects (DVD running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes, 1 second).
Project Elements
circa 1971
Film/Video Elements
95 reels : 95 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (12320 feet)
Audio Elements
12 reels : 10 16mm magnetic (1215 feet); 2 1/4" reel-to-reel
5 tapes : 5 audio cassette tapes
Eskimos from Dogsleds to Snowmobiles
This episode looks at the everyday life of Eskimos in a remote village of the interior Alaskan Arctic as it moves from a subsistence economy to a cash economy. The effect on their lifestyle is seen in the replacement of dog sleds with snowmobiles. Scenes include villagers using snowmobiles while hunting, fishing, obtaining water from beneath the ice, and snaring ptarmigan.
March 3, 1976
Episode Print
3 reels : 3 16mm print, silent and sound, color
item
VC134
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (2 hours, 3 minutes, 1 second)
VC134 contains Viewing Copies of multiple Episode Prints.
Project Elements
circa 1971-1976
Film/Video Elements
37 reels : 37 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color
Audio Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm magnetic
Scotland's Countryside Commission
The successful efforts of the Scottish Countryside Commission (a government organization created to coordinate activity relating to Scotland's National Parks) in land management and ecological preservation are examined in this tour of the Highlands. Highlights include island bird rookeries, a proposed national park at Carngorms, and Loch Lomond.
April 6, 1976
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, silent, color
item
VC167
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, silent, color (30 minutes, 35 seconds)
Project Elements
circa 1971-1976
Film/Video Elements
40 reels : 1 16mm print; 39 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white
Audio Elements
1 cassette : 1 audio cassette
10 reels : 6 16mm magnetic, narration and music tracks; 4 "1/4 open reel
An Ozette Update
Louis and Ruth Kirk visit the buried Makah Indian village near Lake Ozette on the Olympic Peninsula, which is a joint project by Washington State University archaeologists and the Makah Indian Nation. Included in the program is a look at field excavations and laboratory preservation techniques, together with brief comments by several of the Makah Indians helping project director Dr. Richard Daughtery.
May 4, 1976
Project Elements
circa 1971-1976
Film/Video Elements
5 reels : 3 16mm print, possible episode prints and assorted footage; 2 16mm camera original, workprints, color and black and white
Audio Elements
1 cassette : 1 audio cassette
4 reels : 2 16mm magnetic, composite tracks; 1 16mm optical; 1 "1/4 open reel, narration track
Southwest Canyon Country and the Navajo Indians
A visit to the Canyonlands National Park and the Navajo reservations in Utah and Arizona for a look at the country, the cliff dwellings of the ancient Anazazi. The film features a trip to Keet Seel, a cliff dwelling and important archaeological site. The Kirks also visit Monument Valley, and a Navajo family who are educating one son for modern life, the other to carry on traditional life.
October 10, 1976
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, silent, color (1100 feet)
item
VC135
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 16 seconds)
VC135 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds).
Project Elements
circa 1968-1976
Film/Video Elements
6 reels : 6 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (3460 feet)
Audio Elements
9 reels : 6 16mm magnetic , composite and assorted tracks (2790 feet), 3 1/4'' open reel, narration tracks (1800 feet)
Cruising Glacier Bay
A visit to Glacier Bay, near Juneau, Alaska. The program includes film footage of the sixteen glaciers that give the area its name. Features humpback whales, mountain goats, glaciers calving, Bartlett Cove, and the occasional cruise ship.
November 19, 1976
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, optical sound, color
Project is not fully processed; print copies may not be the final cut of film as released.
Project Elements
circa 1968-1976
Film/Video Elements
51 reels : 2 16mm print, promo and assorted footage, color; 49 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, color and black and white
Audio Elements
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape, sound effects
12 reels : 6 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks; 6 1/4'' open reel, narration, sound effects, composite, and assorted tracks
A Day in the Life of the Olympic Marmot
The unique habits of Olympic marmots are observed and explained. David Barash, professor at University of Washington, has studied the marmots and joins Louis Kirks as he hikes the alpine meadows of the Olympics. Mountain goats, deer, chipmunks, and a variety of birds share the flower slopes with the marmots and they, too, are a part of this program.
December 12, 1976
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, magnetic sound, color (1025 feet)
item
VC145
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (20 minutes, 7 seconds)
Project Elements [assorted subordinate film and audio recordings generated in project
circa 1964-1976
Film/Video Elements
30 reels : 30 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color (3916 feet)
Audio Elements
6 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (2965 feet), 1 1/4'' open reel, narration track (600 feet)
Teton and Yellowstone by Canoe
The Kirks explore the wilderness by canoe and explore some of more remote regions in Yellowstone National Park, such as Shoshone Lake. The Kirks describe the geological nature of the region, such as geysers, hot spots, and thermal pools and discuss wildlife in the Yellowstone region including, beavers, buffalo, and moose. The episode then follows their later trip down the Snake River in the wilds of the Grand Teton National Park. They observe wildlife: Canadian geese, elk, deer, moose, Great Blue Heron, pelicans, teals, mergansers, beavers, muskrat, and Trumpeter Swans. As the two trips unfold, narration provides a commentary on the fragile interaction between man and wilderness.
January 12, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, magnetic sound, color (1200 feet)
item
VC134
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 18 seconds)
VC134 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes, 1 second).
Project Elements
circa 1966-1977
Film/Video Elements
11 reels : 1 16mm print, sound, color (600 feet); 10 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (7605 feet)
Audio Elements
10 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (3460 feet), 5 1/4'' open reel, narration and assorted tracks (680 feet)
British Columbia's Road to Atlin
The Kirks travel to the tiny gold-rush town of Atlin in the Northwest corner of British Columbia and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, which heads north from Hazelton and runs to Watson Lake. They travel to the copper town of Stewart and Mount Edziza Provincial Park. The entire drive is through wilderness punctuated only occasionally by settlements. The lives and livelihoods of those families and individuals who choose to live in this isolated region are a particular focus of the film.
February 20, 1977
Episode Print
1 reels : 1 16mm print, sound, color (1150 feet)
item
VC136
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 35 seconds)
Project Elements
1963-1977
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 4 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color (3275 feet)
Audio Elements
6 reels : 4 16mm full-coat magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (5500 feet); 2 "1/4 open reel, narration tracks (1200 feet)
Hiking the West Coast of Vancouver Island
The Kirks visit the rocky, beautiful stretch of high cliffs and sandy beaches of the west coast of Vancouver Island. The coast is threaded by the old trail and has been included in the Pacific Rim National Park. They hike the old Lifesaving Trail with Canadian friends from Nitinat Lake to Bamfield, a distance of 29 miles.
March 17, 1977
Episode Print
2 reels : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1050 feet); 1 16mm print, partial episode, sound, color
item
VC139
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 26 seconds)
VC139 contains Viewing Copies of multiple Episode Prints (DVD running time: 1 hour, 14 minutes, 56 seconds).
Project Elements
1966-1977
Film/Video Elements
8 reels : 8 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (1802 feet)
Audio Elements
6 reels : 4 16mm magnetic, composite, narration, sound effects, and assorted tracks (4280 feet); 2 "1/4 open reel, narration and assorted tracks (1200 feet)
Nootka B.C. and San Blas Mexico
A look at the present day scenery and village life of San Blas and Nootka, mixed with reminders of their past. The Kirks visit San Blas, Mexico and Nootka, British Columbia, the political capitals for the Spanish and British on the West Coast of North America in the late 1700s. Two centuries later, one is a picturesque fishing village situated between jungle and surf, as it was before the Spanish colonized it. The other is a small village in a spruce forest in remote British Columbia.
April 12, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1000 feet)
item
VC135
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 22 seconds)
VC135 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds).
Project Elements
circa 1977
Film/Video Elements
18 reels : 18 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (38955 feet)
Audio Elements
11 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (2400 feet), 6 "1/4 open reel, composite, narration, sound effects and assorted tracks (1000 feet)
Heritage in Cedar
The Kirks visit the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of North British Columbia. There they visit three abandoned Haida Indian villages to study the past and present of Northwest Coast Indian peoples. Includes footage of the anthropology museum at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and the museum's doors being carved at 'Ksan [Kasaan] near Hazelton, B. C, where Tsimshian artists worked with red cedar donated by Rayonier and experimentally kiln dried on the UBC campus. The program looks at the Ozette archaeological project on the Olympic Peninsula and moves to the Hoh River where members of indigenous communities fish from cedar dugout canoes and dance with cedar bark costume regalia.
May 18, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1050 feet)
item
VC134
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 8 seconds)
VC134 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 3 minutes, 1 second).
Project Elements
1972-1977
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 4 16mm camera original, assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (600 feet)
Audio Elements
7 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (1400 feet); 4 "1/4 open reel, narration and assorted tracks (2400 feet)
Hesquiat /'Ksan [Kasaan]
A comparison between the Hesquiat and Tsimishian Indian tribes of British Columbia, approaches and dilemmas towards preserving and maintaining cultural and tribal heritage. The Kirks first visit the Hesquiat tribe along with archaeologists looking for clues into the tribal past. The original village of Hesquiat was moved in the 1920s and destroyed in 1965 by the Alaskan earthquake and subsequent tidal wave and a modern village was established in its place. The Kirks visit the Provincial Museum in Victoria, BC, where Hesquiat heritage is being preserved. They next visit the villages of Kitwancool and Kitwanga and Kispiox and 'Ksan [Kasaan] of the Tsimishian Indian tribe. The Tsimishian people maintain their culture by inhabiting their original land and practicing the old ways: totem pole carving, longhouse building, and holding potlatches (ancient rituals of song and dance). They sustain cultural and tribal unity through commissioned totem pole carving and touring dance groups. The program focuses on how Hesquiat and Tsimishian Indians maintain tribal unity and values in a modern world.
October 23, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1040 feet)
item
VC137
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (36 minutes, 50 seconds)
Project Elements
circa 1977
Film/Video Elements
56 reels : 56 16mm camera original, workprints, promo, and assorted footage, silent, color and black and white (7453 feet)
Audio Elements
21 reels : 20 16mm magnetic, composite, sound effects, and assorted tracks (9519 feet); 1 "1/4 open reel, assorted track (600 feet)
Borderlands Park Arizona /Mexico
The Kirks travel to this unspoiled desert land, where giant cactus, volcanic cinder cones, and an abundance of wildlife abound. This is also the site of a proposed international park, which was ultimately never completed.
November 20, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color
item
VC165
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (28 minutes, 26 seconds)
Project Elements
circa 1977
Film/Video Elements
19 reels : 19 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Audio Elements
5 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks, 2 "1/4 open reel, assorted tracks
Rafting the Fraser River
The Kirks take a rafting trip down the Fraser River of British Columbia on the pioneering commercial run of the middle third of the river's length by Kumsheen Raft Adventures. They floated from near Williams Lake, through the fabled Hell’s Gate and about twenty other rapids to Yale, BC. Sights along the way included a mile-long cliff face with erosion similar to Bryce Canyon, Utah, with ancient terraces marking previous levels of the river, waterfalls, and side canyons.
December 11, 1977
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1200 feet)
item
VC138
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 45 seconds)
Project Elements
1967-1977
Film/Video Elements
10 reels : 24 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent and sound, color and black and white (3650 feet)
Audio Elements
12 reels : 4 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (4800 feet); 8 "1/4 open reel, narration and assorted tracks (4600 feet)
Baja California /Mexico
Ruth and Louis Kirk, along with friends Merle Carey, Darcy Carey, and Yoshi Nishihara, travel via camper down the Gulf coast of Baja California in order to meet Ruth's parents at the southern tip. Along the way, they film wildlife, native plants, scenic beauty, and the local residents. Unfortunately, her father dies before they can meet, ending the episode on a somber note.
January 15, 1978
Episode Print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1400 feet)
item
VC135
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 35 seconds)
VC135 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds).
Project Elements
1965-1978
Film/Video Elements
7 reels : 7 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent and sound, color (3525 feet)
Audio Elements
10 reels : 4 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (5600 feet); 6 "1/4 open reel, promo, narration, sound effects, and composite tracks (3200 feet)
Heritage of the Sea, Makah Treaty Rights - Part I & II
Pacific salmon became the foundation of a major fishing industry in the Northwest and the subject of a bitter struggle between the Indian Tribes and the white society which surrounded them. The right to fish was presumably guaranteed to the Makah tribe by the treaties of 1854 and 1855 made with the United States. The legal conflict has revolved around interpreting the language of the fishing right clauses of the treaties. The episode explores the lack of public understanding concerning the indigenous perspectives on treaty fishing rights. Ruth and Louis Kirk listen to the Makah people tell their side of the story.
This was split into two Kirks' Camera episodes, but appears to be conceived as a single project, and so is treated as such in the organization.
February 23/March 14, 1978
Episode Print
2 reels : 2 16mm print, sound, color
item
VC146a, VC146b
Viewing copy of Episode Print
2 videodiscs : DVD, sound, color (28:25, 29:49 minutes)
Project Elements
circa 1978
Film/Video Elements
157 reels : 157 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent and sound, color and black and white
Audio Elements
6 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, narration, composite, and assorted tracks; 1 "1/4 open reel
Hiking the Hoh Valley
The Kirks travel to the Hoh River Valley on the west side of Washington's Olympic Peninsula and hike along the valley's fifty mile length. Includes footage of Minnie Peterson, a homesteader who leads horse trips into the mountains, Native American Quileute families who fish the river mouth from dugout canoes, backpackers, mountain climbers and scientists studying the remnants of glaciers.
May 1, 1978
Episode Print
1 reels : 1 16mm print, optical sound, color (1000 feet)
item
VC135
Viewing copy of Episode Print
1 videodisc : DVD, sound, color (29 minutes, 50 seconds)
VC135 contains viewing copies of multiple episode prints (DVD running time: 2 hours, 7 minutes, 35 seconds).
Project Elements
circa 1978
Film/Video Elements
17 reels : 17 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage, silent, color (3200 feet)
Audio Elements
5 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, composite and assorted tracks (840 feet); 2 "1/4 open reel, assorted tracks (40 feet)

Unfinished and Unidentified Projects, 1969-1982Return to Top

Unfinished projects and films not used in other projects. Elements may also belong to known projects, but were not identified as such for reasons of unclear documentation.

Description Dates
Olympic Seashore
circa 1968
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
19 reels : 19 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Audio Elements
3 reels : 3 16mm magnetic, music and assorted tracks
Makah
circa 1972-1976
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
17 reels : 17 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Audio Elements
8 reels : 5 16mm magnetic, interviews and assorted tracks; 3 1/4" open reel, sound effects and assorted tracks
Rialto
circa 1976
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 4 16mm camera original, assorted footage
Mastodon
circa 1978
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
5 reels : 5 16mm camera original, workprint and assorted footage
North Cascades
circa 1978
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 1 16mm print, color, silent; 3 16mm camera original, workprints
Prudhoe Bay
circa 1979
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
5 reels : 5 16mm camera original, assorted footage
Queen Charlotte
circa 1975-1979
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
5 reels : 5 16mm camera original, assorted footage
Audio Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm magnetic
Yellowstone, Teton McKinley
circa 1979
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 2 16mm print, possibly complete unreleased film; 2 16mm camera original, assorted footage
Audio Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm magnetic, narration track
Hoko
circa 1978-1982
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
19 reels : 19 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Minnie Coleman
circa 1982
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm camera original, workprint and assorted footage
Audio Elements
1 reel : 1 16mm magnetic
Mt. Rainier
Project possibly aired as an episode of the Klahanie series.
circa 1978-1982
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
19 reels : 1 16mm print, possible release print; 18 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Olympic Accessible Wilderness
unknown date
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
2 reels : 2 16mm print, assorted footage
School Outdoors
unknown date
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
4 reels : 1 16mm print, possible release print; 3 16mm camera original
Signature of Ice
unknown date
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
27 reels : 1 16mm print, possible release print, silent, color; 26 16mm camera original, workprints and assorted footage
Tanu
unknown date
Project Elements
Film/Video Elements
6 reels : 6 16mm camera original, workprint and assorted footage

Filmstrips, 1967-1981Return to Top

Educational filmstrips produced by Ruth and Louis Kirk for the Clover Park Educational District.

Filmstrip projects have not been fully processed; only a basic descriptive inventory has been undertaken.

Description Dates
New Arrangements for Learning : The Media Facilities Story
Alternative title: Media facilities story.
Demonstrates the adaptability of audiovisual materials to all methods of learning. Describes types of learning spaces with emphasis on the need to consider the media facilities during the design stage of the whole program.
Producer, University of Washington Office of Learning Resources; Distributor, University of Washington Press; Director, G.M. Torkelson.
1967
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
High Country Life: Plants and Animals of the Olympic Mountains, Washington
Presents plants and animals of the Olympic Mountains in Washington as an introduction to the sub-alpine life zone. Includes pictures of the glacier lily and the insect-trapping butterwort, mountain beavers, and the whistling marmot. With captions.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Text and photographs, Louis Kirk; Drawings, Yoshi Nishihara.
1968
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
Life in the Desert
Presents an overview of the types of rock and soil formations and the kinds of plant and animal life found in the desert.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1968
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Natural History along the Washington Coast
Depicts the geology, weather, and ecology of a fifty-mile stretch of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, from the Hoh River to Cape Flattery. Includes scenes of land and sea mammals and of marine animals from different life zones along the beach. With captions.
Producer, Media Unit, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, Clover Park School District 400; Text and photographs, Louis Kirk; Drawings, Yoshi Nishihara.
1968
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Prehistory of a Northwest Indian Village
Discusses the archaeological excavations at the Ozette Indian Village at Cape Alava, Washington, a village which has been the home of seafaring hunters for at least two thousand years.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press; Photographer, Louis Kirk.
1968
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
Research on Washington's Blue Glacier
Shows how glaciers are formed and to describe the materials and methods used for research on the Blue Glacier of Washington State .
Producer, Media Unit, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, Clover Park School District 400; Photographer, Louis Kirk.
1968
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
Washington's Rain Forests
Presents scenes of the three rain forest valleys of Hoh, Queets, and Quinault, located on the ocean side of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Depicts meteorological and geological factors leading to the development of these forests. Pictures plant and animal life and the ecology of the region.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Text and photographs, Louis Kirk; Drawings, Yoshi Nishihara.
1968
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
The Gold Rush : Alaska, the Klondike 1897-98
Uses contemporary photographs taken by E.A. Hegg. to give an overview of the life of the gold seekers in the Klondike region of Alaska at the end of the 19th century. Includes means of transportation, housing, cities and routes of travel. Based on the book entitled One man's gold rush: a Klondike album, by Murray Morgan.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press; filmstrip photography and text adaptation, Louis Kirk; photograph tinting, Yoshi and Kei Nishihara.
1969
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
The Marmes Man Dig
Discusses the archaeological excavation in eastern Washington where the Marmes Man was discovered.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press; Photographer, Louis Kirk.
1969
Project Elements
4 rolls : 4 35mm print
Meadow Life in Northwest Mountains: Plants and Animals of the Washington Mountains
Shows how the animals and plants living in the subalpine zone adapt to the deep winter snow, high winds, and dry summers. Includes views of snow worms, wolf spiders, and avalanche lilies.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1969
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Olympic Coast Indians Today
Discusses the northwest coast Indians and their surviving traditions. Shows dugout canoes being hollowed from cedar logs and used for fishing, bark grass gathered to make baskets, and masked dancing.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1969
Project Elements
3 rolls : 2 35mm print; 1 strip of slide negatives
The Philippines: A Luzon Travelogue
Presents daily life, farming and fishing methods, and modes of transportation in the Luzon area of the Philippines. Includes scenes of Manila Bay.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press; Photographer, Louis Kirk.
1969
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
African Sculpture
Alternate title: "The Sculpture of Africa."
Shows the wealth and variety of African sculpture using art objects from the western Sudan, the Guinea coast, and the Congo. Includes masks and carvings of human and animals. Based on the book entitled West African sculpture, by Rene Bravmann.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1970
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Everyday Life Along the North Coast of Mexico
Portrays the daily lives of the people who live along the desert and jungle coasts of Northwest Mexico. Includes scenes of the countryside and small cities, the making of adobe bricks, the construction of thatch huts, fishing in the sea, and a village fiesta.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1970
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
2 reels : 2 16mm camera original, assorted footage
National Parks of the Pacific Northwest
Describes the national parks of the Northwest-Olympic, North Cascades, Mt. Rainier, and Crater Lake. Includes scenes of the peaks, glaciers, snowfields, flowering meadows, and dense forests that characterize these wilderness areas.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press
1970
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Sandstone Country: the Canyons and Indians of the Southwest
Introduces the indigenous people of the Southwest, past and present, and reveals the history and geography of the land. Includes a view of the desert cliff cities of the apartment-dwelling Indians and the ancient traditions of the Navajo Indians who now inhabit this area. With captions.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1970
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
Washington State Historical Road Number One
Describes the history of the area around Washington State Historical Road No. 1 at the southeast end of Puget Sound, from pre-settlement times to the 1850's.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press
1971
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
3 tapes : 3 audio cassette tapes
3 records : 3 LP vinyl audio records
Indian Village Archeology - the Rediscovery of Ancient Ozette, a Northwest Coast Village
Explains the excavation and reconstruction of an Ozette Indian village on the northwest Washington coast, and points out that this village has been the home of seafaring hunters for at least two thousand years. Includes scenes of pieces of baskets, bone and stone tools, combs, traces of houses, and fire hearts.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press
Alternative title: Rediscovery of ancient Ozette, a Northwest Coast village.
1972
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
3 reels : 3 "1/4 open reel audio
3 tapes : 3 audio cassette tapes
1 record : 1 LP vinyl audio record
Northwest Coast Indian Traditions Today
Alternative title: Contemporary look at Remnants of a Heritage.
Describes the surviving traditions among Indians of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Includes views of the netting and preparation of fish, the making of sand bread, and the manufacture of baskets from swamp and salt water marsh grasses, the fashioning of dugout canoes from cedar logs, masked dancing, and the exchange of gifts.
Producer, Clover Park School District 400; Distributor, University of Washington Press.
1972
Project Elements
3 rolls : 3 35mm print
2 reels : 2 "1/4 open reel audio
6 tapes : 6 audio cassette tapes
Belt and Bod
1973
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
2 tapes : 2 audio cassette tapes
Western Landforms
Shows glaciation, volcanic action, tectonic activity and the work of water, wind, and weathering.
Producer, Clover Park High School (District 400, Lakewood Center, Wash.) Media Dept; Distributor, University of Washington Press; Photography and text, Louis & Ruth Kirk.
1973
Project Elements
4 rolls : 4 35mm print
1 reel : 1 16mm print, color
4 tapes : 4 audio cassette tapes
Ozette Archaeology: Northwest Coast Indian past
Describes the early Makah Ozette settlement on the Olympic Peninsula, the archaeological dig now underway there, and the importance of the artifacts recovered from the site.
Producer and Distributor, University of Washington Press; Writers and photographers, Ruth and Louis Kirk.
1979
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
To Honor the Past - Archaeology along the Snake River
1981
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
2 reels : 2 16mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Accident
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
Alpine Meadows
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
The Built Environment
unknown date
Project Elements
2 reels : 2 "1/4 open reel audio
Cycle Safety
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Do Pass by Due Process
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
English for Spanish Speakers
unknown date
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Historic Preservation, Preserving the Past
unknown date
Project Elements
2 tapes : 2 audio cassette tapes
How To Tell Your Car About Motorcycles
unknown date
Project Elements
2 rolls : 2 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Minimizing Impact
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
Parent Involvement
unknown date
Project Elements
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Sounds Around
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
1 reel : 1 "1/4 open reel audio
1 record : 1 LP vinyl audio record
Trip Planning
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
Walking Wisely
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
What is Color Tone?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 tape : 1 audio cassette tape
What is Form?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
What is Harmony?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
What is Melody?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
What is Rhythm?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print
What Is Tone Color?
unknown date
Project Elements
1 roll : 1 35mm print

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • American Bison
  • American Black Bear
  • Anthropology--North America--History
  • Archaeological finds
  • Archaeology--Washington (State)
  • Canada--Civilization--Indian influences
  • Canoe camping
  • Canoes
  • Conservatories--Preservation--Washington (State)--Seattle
  • Dogsledding--Alaska
  • Endangered species
  • Eskimo women
  • Eskimos--Alaska
  • Eskimos--Alaska--Kobuk River Region
  • Eskimos--Alaska--Kotzebue--Social life and customs
  • Eskimos--Alaska--Kubuk River
  • Eskimos--Alaska--Social life and customs
  • Eskimos--Fishing--Alaska--Kotzebue Sound Region
  • Eskimos--Hunting--Alaska
  • Excavation (Archaeology)--Canada
  • Fishing Villages
  • Fishing, Prehistoric
  • Fishing--Washington (State)
  • Geysers
  • Glaciers
  • Haida Indians
  • Hesquiat Cultural Committee--Canada
  • Historic buildings--Conservation and restoration
  • Historic preservation--Washington (State)
  • Historic preservation--Washington (State)--History--Sources
  • Hoko River Archaeological Project
  • Hot springs
  • Humpback whale
  • Hydrothermal vent ecology
  • Ice fishing--North America
  • Indian masks--Canada
  • Indians of North America--Boats
  • Indians of North America--Canada
  • Indians of North America--Social Conditions
  • Indians of North America--Washington (State)
  • Indians--History
  • Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, Washington
  • Makah Indians--History
  • Moving Image Collections (University of Washington)
  • Muskrat
  • Native nations of North America
  • Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah
  • Old Faithful Geyser (Wyo.)
  • Olympic marmot
  • Pulsating spring
  • Rafting (Sports)--British Columbia--Fraser River
  • Rare animals
  • Shoshone Reservoir (Wyo.)
  • Sled dogs--Training
  • Snowmobiles
  • Totem poles
  • Transportation--Alaska
  • Transportation--Arctic regions
  • Trumpeter swan
  • Tsimshian Indians
  • University of British Columbia (Canada)
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
  • Wetlands
  • Wildlife conservation
  • Wood carvers
  • Yellowstone National Park
  • ‘Ksan Historical Village (Hazelton, B.C.)

Personal Names

  • Amos, James
  • Andrew, Benedict
  • Arundale, Wendy Hanford, 1945-
  • Barash, Beverly
  • Barash, David P
  • Barber, James
  • Boehm, Gay
  • Carey, Darcy
  • Carey, Merle
  • Carter, Anthony
  • Charleson, Sennen
  • Coleman, Minnie
  • Croes, Dale R
  • Crozier, Neal
  • Daugherty, Richard
  • Downey, Shield
  • Flenniken, J. Jeffrey
  • George, Hal
  • Gray, Minnie
  • Gunther, Erna
  • Haggarty, James
  • Harris, Walter
  • Hoff, Ricky
  • Hudson, Howard
  • Jackobs, Ike
  • Johnson, Shirley
  • Jones, Keith
  • Kirk, Louis--Archives
  • Kirk, Ruth, 1925-2018--Archives
  • Leese, Gunther
  • Lombardi, Claudia
  • Lyons, C. P. (Chester Peter), 1915-
  • Merry, Wayne
  • Nishihara, Yoshi
  • Peterson, Herman
  • Sabbis, Terrance
  • Stephens, Vernon
  • Sterritt, Art
  • Tickett, Sarah
  • Williams, Ada

Corporate Names

  • Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
  • Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, Washington
  • Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah
  • United States. National Park Service
  • Washington State University. Department of Anthropology

Geographical Names

  • 'Ksan Historical Village (Hazelton, B.C.)
  • Alaska
  • Ambler (Alaska)
  • Anthony Island (B.C.)
  • Atlin (B.C.)
  • Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula)
  • Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
  • Fort Worden State Park (Port Townsend, Wash.)--History--Sources
  • Fraser River (B.C.)
  • Glacier Bay (Alaska)
  • Grand Teton National Park (Wyo.)
  • Haida Gwaii (B.C.)
  • Hoh River (Wash.)
  • Hoko River Sites (Wash.)
  • Kirishima National Park (Japan)
  • Klondike River Valley (Yukon)--Gold discoveries
  • Kobuk River (Alaska)
  • Kotzebue (Alaska)
  • Kotzebue Sound (Alaska)
  • Kyushu (Japan)
  • Marmes Rockshelter (Wash.)
  • Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park (Ariz. and Utah)
  • Museum of Victoria (B.C.)
  • Navajo National Monument (Ariz.)
  • Neah Bay (Wash.)
  • Noorvik (Alaska)
  • Nootka Sound (B.C.)
  • Olympic National Park (Wash.)
  • Osaka (Japan)
  • Ozette Lake (Wash.)
  • Ozette Site (Wash.)
  • Ozette Site (Wash.)
  • San Blas Atempa (Mexico)
  • Scotland
  • Seattle (Wash.)
  • Seattle Aquarium (Seattle, Wash.)
  • Shoshone Reservoir (Wyo.)
  • University of British Columbia –Museum of Anthropology
  • Vancouver Island (B.C.)
  • Victoria (B.C.)
  • Wagu (Japan)
  • Washington (State)--Antiquities
  • Yellowstone National Park (Wyo.)

Titles within the Collection

  • African Sculpture [Sculpture of Africa] (Filmstrip)
  • Age of Alaska (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Alpine Meadows (Filmstrip)
  • Atlin Cassiar (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Baja California/ Mexico (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Belt and Bod (Filmstrip)
  • Borderlands Park Arizona/ Mexico [Desert Borderlands] (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • British Columbia's Road to Atlin [Atlin Cassiar] (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Built Environment, The (Filmstrip)
  • Cruising Glacier Bay (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Cycle Safety (Filmstrip)
  • Day in the Life of the Olympic Marmot, A (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Do Pass by Due Process (Filmstrip)
  • English for English Speakers (Filmstrip)
  • Eskimo Village (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Eskimos from Dogsleds to Snowmobiles (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Everyday Life Along the North Coast of Mexico (Filmstrip)
  • First Northwesterners, The --The Archaeology of Early Man (Film)
  • Fraser River (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Glacier Bay (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Glacier Legacy (Film)
  • Heritage in Cedar (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Heritage in Cedar(Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Heritage in Cedar: Northwest Coast Indians Woodworking, Past and Present (Film)
  • Heritage of the Sea (Film)
  • Heritage of the Sea, Part I (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Heritage of the Sea, Part II (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Hesquiat 'Ksan [Kasaan] (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Hesquiat 'Ksan [Kasaan](Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • High country life: plants and animals of the Olympic Mountains, Washington (Filmstrip)
  • Hiking the Hoh Valley (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Hiking the West Coast of Vancouver Island (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Historic Preservation, Preserving the Past (Filmstrip)
  • How To Tell Your Car About Motorcycles (Filmstrip)
  • In Partnership with Time (Film)
  • Indian Canoes along the Washington Coast (Film)
  • Indian Village Archeology - the Rediscovery of Ancient Ozette, a Northwest Coast Village (Filmstrip)
  • Japanese Land Ethic (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Japanese Land Ethic, The [Travels to Japan] (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Japanese National Parks (Television Episode, Klahanie)
  • Kumsheen (Film)
  • Life in the Desert (Filmstrip)
  • Makah Indians and Ozette (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Marmes Archaeological Dig, The (Film)
  • Marmes Man Dig, The (Filmstrip)
  • Marmots of the Pacific Northwest (Film)
  • Meadow life in Northwest Mountains: Plants and Animals of the Washington Mountains (Filmstrip)
  • Minimizing Impact (Filmstrip)
  • National Parks of the Pacific Northwest (Filmstrip)
  • Natural History Along the Washington Coast (Filmstrip)
  • New Arrangements for Learning : The Media Facilities Story (Filmstrip)
  • Nookta B.C. and San Blas Mexico (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Northwest Coast Indian Traditions Today (Filmstrip)
  • Northwest Coast Indians: a Search for the Past (Film)
  • Of Time and Place : Historic Preservation in Washington (Film)
  • Olympic Coast Indians Today (Filmstrip)
  • Ozette Archaeology: Northwest Coast Indian past (Filmstrip)
  • Ozette Update, An (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Parent Involvement (Filmstrip)
  • Philippines: A Luzon Travelogue, The (Filmstrip)
  • Prehistory of a Northwest Indian village (Filmstrip)
  • Rafting the Fraser River (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Research on Washington's Blue Glacier (Filmstrip)
  • Rural Japan (Filmstrip)
  • Sandstone Country: the Canyons and Indians of the Southwest (Filmstrip)
  • Scotland's Countryside Commission (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Sounds Around (Filmstrip)
  • Southwest Canyon Country and the Navajo Indians (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)
  • Summer 1989, archaeological investigations at Fort Nisqually (Film)
  • The Gold Rush : Alaska, the Klondike 1897-98 (Filmstrip)
  • To Honor the Past - Archaeology along the Snake River (Filmstrip)
  • Tribe and the Professor, The (Film)
  • Trip Planning (Filmstrip)
  • Upper Cowlitz archaeology & culture (Film)
  • Walking Wisely (Filmstrip)
  • Washington State Historical Road Number One (Filmstrip)
  • Washington's Rain Forests (Filmstrip)
  • Western Landforms (Filmstrip)
  • What Is Tone Color? (Filmstrip)
  • What is Color Tone? (Filmstrip)
  • What is Form? (Filmstrip)
  • What is Harmony? (Filmstrip)
  • What is Melody? (Filmstrip)
  • What is Rhythm? (Filmstrip)
  • Yellowstone and Teton by Canoe (Television Episode, Kirks' Camera)

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Herlinger, Paul (narrator)
    • Kirk, Louis (creator)
    Corporate Names
    • Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
    • Clover Park Educational District, KCPQ TV-13
    • University of Washington Press