Phil Sturholm (1936-2016) was a Seattle-area television producer who
won 32 regional Emmy Awards, a Peabody, and a DuPont Award for his news
photography and filmmaking. He graduated from Oregon State University and began
a career in television news that took him to KING-TV and KIRO-TV in Seattle, as
well as PM Magazine. In 1993, Sturholm was inducted into the National Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle, a prestigious honor given to
exceptional journalists with at least 25 years experience. Sturholm was also
one of the first American television photographers to enter the People's
Republic of China, and he won a National Press Photographers Award for
The collection contains programs produced or otherwise co-created by Phil Sturholm, many of which were award-winning pieces for KING-TV in Seattle, Washington. Programs include documentary pieces about politician Warren G. Magnuson and professional basketball player Bill Russell, KING-TV personality Jean Enersen's trip to China, and a look at the racial divide in Seattle's Central District. The collection also includes a number of short pieces by other local television luminaries including Greg Palmer and Al Wallace.
Access to the original films is restricted due to preservation concerns. Arrangements can be made to view the films by contacting the Visual Materials Curator.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Donors: Priscilla "Charlie" Hinckley, May, 2007; Phil Sturholm, November 11, 2015.
Men are shown cutting down trees in a forest, presumably in the Pacific Northwest. The workers are using chainsaws and axes to fell the timber. Logs are removed from the site using bulldozers, chains, and large hauling trucks.
Discusses the various social programs to be found in Scandinavia
in the 1960s. Examines housing and urban development in a
Discusses Spain's transition to a tourist destination in the second half of the twentieth century. Examines the recent boost to the economy afforded by the tourist trade, as well as the negative cultural impact of catering to foreign visitors. Various tourist attractions in Spain are shown in detail: churches, art, flamenco, bullfighting, politics, and carnivals.
A visual essay pertaining to the redwood forests in northern California. Discusses the tree species from a scientific standpoint, and transitions to the various conservation and logging techniques used on the redwood trees themselves. Supports the narrative with images of both untouched redwood forests and portions that are utilized by the logging industry.
Part one of an examination of the racial divide in Seattle, Washington in the late 1960s. Members of the black community speak on the nature of this divide, and specific individuals and families are documented as a means of illustrating the issue of equality. Education and religion within the community are also discussed in the context of racial inequality. Seven black leaders representing the spectrum discuss possible methods for achieving equal rights in Seattle.
Part two of an examination of the racial divide in Seattle, Washington in the late 1960s. Members of the black community speak on the nature of this divide, and specific individuals and families are documented as a means of illustrating the issue of equality. Education and religion within the community are also discussed in the context of racial inequality. Seven black leaders representing the spectrum discuss possible methods for achieving equal rights in Seattle.
A montage of dilapidated barn exteriors. Construction workers
are shown building
Uses the example of the Mainstreeter -- Northern Pacific's daily run from Seattle to Saint Paul -- to examine the decline in passenger traffic in the longer railroad lines of the United States. The various features and amenities of the Mainstreeter line are discussed, as are the small stations that the train passes through each day. Statistics concerning the decline in patronage seek to answer questions concerning low ticket sales, and possible solutions to the problem are presented.
Serves as a follow-up to a 13 year-old KING-TV program entitled
Examines the personal life and career of Bill Russell, former professional basketball player and coach. Interviews with family members and professional associates are interspersed with footage from Russell’s college and NBA careers.
Billed as a
Explores the personal life and professional career of Warren Magnuson, an American lawyer and politician. Discusses Magnuson’s early years, his education, and his time served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States. Archival stills and film footage are interspersed with current interviews and speeches to provide a portrait of the politician.
Explores life in China in 1979 through firsthand reportage by a Seattle news crew. Discusses the education of children and young adults in China, and how this education serves the greater needs of Chinese society. Industry in China is also examined by the film, particularly how it relates to the larger global marketplace.
A collection of regional news pieces from Seattle, Washington and other locations in the American west. Program subject matter includes: a hostage situation; a house fire; a snowstorm; the restoration of the first schoolhouse in Bothell, Washington; a camp for the blind and deaf; a potential Boeing strike; delayed flights due to a volcanic eruption in Alaska; an expose on faith healers; a therapy session for sex offenders; a man that swims frozen rivers; a play created by Soviet and U.S. teenagers; bungee jumping.
A collection of regional and national television pieces. Program
subject matter includes: an Al Franken piece from Saturday Night Live; a parody
of a
A collection of regional news pieces from Seattle, Washington and other locations in the American west. Program subject matter includes: a multi-country gymnastics exhibition; a rural mudslide; the protesting of a Chinese official’s visit to Seattle; a Maple Valley, Washington house fire; a Greg Palmer piece about horror film tropes; a Greg Palmer piece concerning a new Seattle convention center; the U.S. Women’s Olympic Rowing Crew practicing in Seattle; organized wheelchair races; the International Paper Airplane Contest at Seattle’s Kingdome; a flight rescue in the Southwest; American bald eagles; wild horses; Devil’s Tower in Wyoming.
A collection of human interest vignettes filmed in western Washington. Subject matter includes: a carnival midway at night; children in a craft store; preparation for a University of Washington theater production; downtown Seattle during the holiday season; hats at a department store; downtown Seattle on a rainy day; a car show; a University of Washington dormitory.
A collection of human interest vignettes filmed in western Washington. Subject matter includes: Fort Lewis and its surrounding farmlands; the State Horseshoe Pitching Association; an ascent to the roof of the Space Needle; an all-girl bagpipe band; the daughter of a worm farmer; commuting on roller skates; an insect photographer; a water diviner; a renovated steam engine.
A collection of human interest vignettes filmed in western Washington. Subject matter includes: a steam-powered vehicle; a mail carrier on horseback; a jogging commuter; the Northwest Bloodhound Association; hang glider training school; barn painting; a singing produce supplier; a school bus full of singing children.
A collection of vignettes filmed in Thailand. Subject matter includes: Buddhist monks seeking morning offerings; the marketplace and its wares; traffic issues; westernization and tradition; a water festival in the summertime; homes along the canals; silk weaving; Bangkok fashions; Thai boxing; the River Kwai; an excavation site for gems; handmade Thai folk umbrellas; various artisans; rural lumber harvesting with elephants; ancient Thai buildings.