An American Family DVD Collection
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Abstract
The An American Family Collection consists of 12 one-hour episodes of the 12-hour documentary, "An American Family," that debuted on PBS-TV in early 1973. It consists of 12 DVDs.
Historical Note
In 1971 filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond spent seven months documenting the day-to-day lives of the Loud family of Santa Barbara, CA, including parents William C. "Bill" and Pat Loud and their children Lance, Kevin, Grant, Delilah, and Michele. The resulting 12-hour documentary, "An American Family," debuted on PBS-TV in early 1973. The show captivated millions of viewers worldwide with its then-unconventional depiction of middle class American family life that encompassed the "real-life drama" of marital tensions and subsequent divorce, a son's openly gay life, and the effects of the changing concepts of the American family structure. Breaking apart from the traditional American family model of harmony and ideality portrayed in fictional televison sitcoms of the early 1970s like "The Brady Bunch," the novelty and innovation of "An American Family" not only pioneered reality television, but also set the tone for the more complex family models exhibited in later shows such as "Roseanne" and "The Simpsons."
Arrangement
The episodes are arranged in one series, in the order in which they originally aired on PBS-TV in 1973.
Scope and Contents
The collection is comprised of 12 one-hour episodes that document the Loud's day-to-day life during seven months of 1971.
Subjects
Families
People
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open to researchers. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Material in this collection may not be duplicated in any form or loaned for any reason. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder. Please contact the Fales Library and Special Collections, fales.library@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of episode, 1973; An American Family DVD Collection; MSS 210; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The source of this acquisition is not recorded. The accession number associated with this acquisition is 2008.210.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Access DVDs for audiovisual materials in the collection are available by appointment for reading room viewing and listening only.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2024 are unknown.
