Museum Extension Service (10 East 43rd Street, N. Y. 17) is the source of two filmstrip examinations of aspects of economic history. When Cotton Was King traces the expansion of cotton cultivation in the pre-Civil War South. The economic importance and the social consequences of the plantation system are brought to view in a selection of vivid pictures. Abolitionism and the sectional conflict are also introduced into this rewarding visual account. Industry Changes America skillfully documents the impact of mechanization on transportation, agriculture, and industry. Some critics may believe the unsatisfactory results of industrialization are overemphasized and that attention should have been given to the place of capital formation in industrial developments. Nevertheless, the excellent selection and organization of material make both filmstrips effective aids to learning in the senior high school.
The Story of Colonel Drake (Department of Information, American Petroleum Institute, 50 West 50th Street, N. Y. 19, and local petroleum distributors) explains the difficulties involved in drilling the first commercial oil well. This motion picture of more than ordinary interest dramatizes Drake’s perseverance, and the settings elaborately recreate the appearance of life in the 1850’s.