Roosevelt Film Library

For this film, the Roosevelt Memorial Association compiled footage from Theodore Roosevelt’s 1913-1914 trip to South America during which he combined a series of lectures with an expedition in the Amazon Valley of Brazil to collect zoological specimens. The Roosevelt group was combined with a group of Brazilian scientists under the leadership of Colonel Rondon to explore the course of the uncharted Rio da Dúvida, the River of Doubt. In 1926, G. M. Dyott, an English explorer, was asked by the Roosevelt Memorial Association to retrace Roosevelt’s voyage down the River of Doubt and to film his trip in order to supplement the footage from the 1914 trip.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1928

Creator(s)

Roosevelt Film Library

Second part of a compilation film revealing the story of Panama Canal construction, which Theodore Roosevelt considered one of his most valuable contributions to foreign affairs. This portion of the video focuses on the construction of the canal, as well as the canal in operation.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1927

Creator(s)

Roosevelt Film Library

Film depicts Theodore Roosevelt’s commitment to the reclamation of desert land and his belief that natural resources exist for the public benefit. Included are close-up views of Frederick H. Newell, first director of the U.S. Reclamation Service and Gifford Pinchot, first chief forester and leader of the conservation movement in the U.S.; both influenced Roosevelt’s thinking and action on conservation. Roosevelt fought successfully for the passage of the Reclamation Act of 1902, which authorized the creation of the reclamation service. In 1906 work on the Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River in Arizona began and was completed in 1911. Film consists of views of desert area, including many varieties of cactus; construction of the dam; the completed dam, hydroelectric plant, reservoir, and irrigation system. Scenes of fields and orchards, sheep and cattle grazing, men clearing, plowing, and harvesting fields with various types of farm equipment, and scenes of crops of wheat, alfalfa, and melons, all represent the benefits brought to the Salt River Valley area by the availability of water.

At the formal dedication of the dam on Mar. 18, 1911, Roosevelt presses an electric switch opening sluice gates; Roosevelt speaks and shakes hands with Indian workers. Behind him on the platform are, left to right: a woman who may be Edith Roosevelt; a bald man who is probably Louis C. Hill, supervising engineer of the project; an unidentified man; Benjamin A. Fowler, president of the National Irrigation Congress; another unidentified man; Richard E. Sloan, territorial Governor of Arizona; and a man who is probably John P. Orme, president of the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1928

At Tapirapoan the Roosevelt-Rondon group began the overland portion of their trip to the headwaters of the River of Doubt; there are scenes of oxen and pack mules. Orchids and palm trees with birds nesting in them depict flora and fauna of the area. The group spent several days at Utiarity (Utiariti) where Roosevelt especially admired the nearby waterfalls. There is a still photo of Roosevelt, Colonel  Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, and others with a group of Nhambiquara (Nambicuara) Indians near the Juruena River. Scenes depict the exacting journey down the River of Doubt: long shots of the river and men propelling canoes through rapids; men chopping trees for rollers on which canoes are hauled; transporting supplies and canoes; making paddles; cooking and eating at campsites. A still photo shows Roosevelt writing while wearing a protective headnet and gauntlets. The man examining a broken branch may be Commander G. M. Dyott; the Dyott party did meet Indians and there is footage of several who were called Arara Indians by Dyott. In a still photo, the Brazilian paddlers are grouped around the marker bearing the river’s new name, Rio Roosevelt, and there is also footage of a member of Dyott’s party examining the original marker 14 years later. The Roosevelt-Rondon group reached the end of the unknown portion of the river April 15, 1914, when they sighted homes of rubber workers. Roosevelt, suffering from illness and injuries incurred during his long journey, returned from Manaos (Manaus) to New York; the group of men on the riverboat traveling on the Madeira River are probably members of Anthony Fiala’s group rather than Roosevelt’s (Fiala left the Roosevelt-Rondon party at Utiarity to descend the Papagaio, the Juruena, and the Tapajós Rivers). A map showing the location of the River of Doubt as correctly charted by the Roosevelt-Rondon Expedition is shown. The last scenes of Roosevelt on a ship were probably taken on board the Vandyck before the expedition, rather than after, since Father J. A. Zahm, who left the group at Utiarity, also appears.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1928

Creator(s)

Roosevelt Film Library

Compilation film revealing the story of Panama Canal construction, which Theodore Roosevelt considered one of his most valuable contributions to foreign affairs. This portion of the film details the need for building the canal, and the early attempts to do so, and includes many still images and maps, in addition to the film clips.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1927

Creator(s)

Roosevelt Film Library