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Title As It Happened: The Wild West Uncovered / Director: Bartlmae, Elmar
Published Australia : SBS 2, 2010
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Description 1 online resource (streaming video file) (52 min. 7 sec.) ; 313287907 bytes
Summary The American Wild West of legend is a sprawling desert fraught with promise and danger...A land of characters larger than life, whose exploits were celebrated - and undoubtedly embroidered - by the then-young travel writer Mark Twain.Today, an archaeological dig in the heart of gold rush country - Virginia City, Nevada - is turning old cliches about the Wild West on their heads. A dynamic team of experts, unearthing artifacts from iconic Western institutions - saloons - are finding evidence that the real 19th century West is even more intriguing that its legend.Long believed to be a remote outpost where gunslingers lounged in saloons at high noon and had quick-draw shootouts in the main street, the truth about America's Wild West is quite different. There were indeed cowboys, but at its zenith the Wild West was most dominated by gold diggers in search of fame and fortune, flocking from all over the world to try their luck.Historical census records and the findings from unearthing what is described as "the modern equivalent of Pompeii in the Wild West of America" reveals that Virginia City was one of the most cosmopolitan cities on earth at the height of the gold rush, with its own Opera House and classy piano bars which served wine in stem glasses - not just hard spirits and bottles of beer.In a town where the men far outnumbered the women, Virginia City had a thriving population of working prostitutes who made a living by servicing the needs of the thousands of lonely gold prospectors. They both provided basic escort services, keeping the men company at the bars and saloons, and provided other more intimate forms of entertainment!The layers of history are peeled back and a three-dimensional picture of life in Virginia City at the height of the American gold rush is assembled as the archaeological dig takes place. The key archaeological site - buried beneath the abandoned, but once thriving, town - is remarkably still in tact over 100 years later, and its contents are preserved in pristine condition.Piano keys, rare bottles, a water cooler imported from Europe and other amazing artifacts recreate the Wild West as it really was - a cosmopolitan, thriving and civilized place full of culture and energy. (From France, in English) (Documentary)
Event Broadcast 2010-04-29 at 19:30:00
Notes Classification: PG
Subject Bars (Drinking establishments)
Excavations (Archaeology) -- Research.
Frontier and pioneer life.
Gold miners -- Social conditions.
Historic buildings.
Prostitution.
Nevada.
Form Streaming video
Author Arnn, Perry, cast
Bartlmae, Elmar, director
Deidesheimer, Philipp, contributor
Finke, Gregor, cast
Galder, Steve, cast
Mackay, John, contributor
Ostrum, Ken, cast
Tadler, Charles, cast
Triplett, George, cast
Twain, Mark, contributor