« Back to "Archives" menu

Nobel Voices Video History Project, 2000-2001

3 cubic feet: 16 DB; 4 ShB
By Alison L. Oswald, August 2001
Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
© 2001 by the Smithsonian Institution. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

History
Scope and Content Note

Provenance
Container List

---

History

The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution and the Deutsches Museum collaborated in June 2000 to conduct video interviews with thirty-three Nobel Laureates. Interviews were conducted in Lindau, Germany, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the United States. The video documentation subsequently formed the core of the Nobel Voices Video History Project and the exhibition Nobel Voices: Celebrating 100 Years of the Nobel Prize. The interviewees were asked about their motivations, visions for the future, and opinions on the nature of creativity and innovation. In the interviews, the laureates speak about their passion for their work, their childhood inspirations, the spirit of discovery, and the personal meaning of the Nobel Prize.

The Nobel Voices Video History Project documents and preserves examples of the quest for innovation and its important messages for future generations. Interviewees were: Werner Arber, Hans-Uno Bengton, Gunther Blobel, Paul Boyer, Claude Cohen-Tannouudji, Johann Deisenhofer, Kristen Lindahl Deisenhofer, Manfried Eigen, Richard Ernst, Edmond Fischer, Ernst Otto Fischer, Paul Greengard, Jerome Karle, Isabella Karle, Klaus von Klitzing, Walter Kohn, Harold Kroto, Robert B. Laughlin, David Lee, Rudolph A. Marcus, Kary B. Mullis, Nancy Mullis, Erwin Neher, Douglass D. Osheroff, Phyliss L. Osheroff, William D. Phillips, John Polanyi, John Pople, Gerardus t'Hooft, Robert C. Richardson, Jack Steinberger, Samuel C.C. Ting, Charles Townes, Martinus Veltman, and Jody Williams.

The Lemelson Center received generous support for the Nobel Voices exhibit from the Lemelson Foundation. The exhibit was developed in collaboration with the Deutsches Museum, Bonn, Germany, and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, with the cooperation of the Meetings of Nobel Prize Winners in Lindau, Germany, annually convened by Countess Sonja Bernadotte of Wisborg, Sweden. Nobel Voices explores the motivation and vision of Nobel laureates and the history of Alfred Nobel and his prize. It features personal video interviews of laureates, candid photographic portraits, and original artifacts, including Albert Einstein's pipe and William Faulkner's tweed jacket and typewriter.

Visitors to the exhibition pass through eight sections telling the story of the Nobel Prize and those who have achieved it: The Nobel Prizes, Nobel Encounters, Inventing the Future, Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Prize, The World of the Laureates, Through Young Artists' Eyes, The Nobel Laureates in Lindau, and Images of Nobel Prize Winners from the National Portrait Gallery. For more information about the Nobel Prize and Nobel Laureates see http://nobelprize.org/ administered by the Nobel Foundation.

---

Scope and Content Note

The thirty-three interviews total approximately twenty-six and one half hours in length and exist in five formats: digital, BetaCam SP, 1/2” VHS, cassette audio tapes, and transcripts. All five formats document the same interview content for each interviewee. The collection contains original, master, and reference videos, audio tapes, transcripts, production footage (stock and b-roll) and compact disks, documenting thirty-three Nobel laureates. All interviews were conducted by Neil Hollander. The production footage is from a variety of non-profit and commercial sources and there are no transcripts or time logs. The production footage was used in the exhibition interactive Ask the Prizewinners and the Nobel Prize: 100 Years of Creativity and Innovation (interactive CD-ROM). This CD-ROM explores the motivation and vision of Nobel laureates and the history of Alfred Nobel and his prize. This CD-ROM is a resource for educators and others interested in interdisciplinary approaches to stimulating creativity. The Ernst Otto Fischer (Chemistry 1973) interview was not conducted in English and there is no transcript. The Hans-Uno Bengtson interview documents a Swedish physicist and there is no transcript. Five interviews include laureate spouses: Kirsten Fischer Lindahl, Isabella Karle, Margaret Kroto, Nancy Mullis, and Phyllis Osheroff. The video interviews and transcripts are unedited. A three minute edited version of the interviews appears on the web at http:///www.NOfestiBEL.com.

The collection is divided into six series:

Series 1: Original Videos
Series 2: Master Videos
Series 3: Reference Videos
Series 4: Audio Tapes
Series 5: Transcripts
Series 6: Production Footage

---

Provenance

This collection was created by the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation from 2000 to 2001 in conjunction with the Deutsches Museum in Germany. The principal investigator was Neil Hollander. The collection was transferred to the Archives Center on May 18, 2001.

---

Container List

Box	Folder		Date
		Series 1: Original Videos, 2000
1	OV 771.1	Arber, Werner, (Medicine 1978)	6/27/00
	OV 771.2	Bengtson, Hans-Uno	6/27/00
	OV 771.3	Blobel, Gunther, (Medicine, 1999)	n.d
	OV 771.4-5	Boyer, Paul, (Chemistry 1997)	6/29/00
	OV 771.6-7	Cohen-Tannouudji, Claude (Physics 1997)
	OV 771.8	Deisenhofer, Johann (Chemistry 1988) and Kirsten Fischer Lindahl	6/27/00
	OV 771.9	Eigen, Manfried (Chemistry 1967)	6/26/00
	OV 771.10	Ernst, Richard (Chemistry 1991)	6/29/00
	OV 771.11A	Fischer, Edmond (Medicine 1992)	6/28/00
	OV 771.11B	Fischer, Edmond (Medicine 1992)	6/28/00
	OV 771.12	Fischer, Ernst Otto ( Chemistry 1973)	6/28/00
	OV 771 .13-15	Greengard, Paul (Medicine 2000)	n.d.
	OV 771.16	Hewish, Antony (Physics 1974) and Margaret Kroto	2/8/00
	OV 771.17	Karle, Jerome ( Chemistry 1985) and Isabella Karle	6/26/00
	OV 771.18	Kohn, Walter (Chemistry 1998)	8/2/00
	OV 771.19	Kohn,Walter (Chemistry 1998) and David Lee (Physics 1996)	n.d.
	OV 771.20	Kroto, Sir Harold (Chemistry 1996)	6/29/00
	OV 771.21	Laughlin, Robert B. (Physics 1998)	6/29/00
	OV 771.22	Marcus, Rudolph A. (Chemistry 1992) and Manfried Eigen (Chemistry 1967)	6/26/00
	OV 771.23	Mullis, Kary B. (Chemistry 1993)	6/29/00
	OV 771.24	Mullis, Nancy	6/29/00
2	OV 771.25	Neher, Erwin (Medicine 1991)	6/26/00
	OV 771.26	Osheroff, Douglass D. (Physics 1996)	6/28/00
	OV 771.27	Osheroff, Phyliss L.	6/28/00
	OV 771.28	Phillips, William D. (Physics 1997)	6/26/00
	OV 771.29A	Polanyi, John (Chemistry 1986)	6/27/00
	OV 771.29B	Polanyi, John (Chemistry 1986) DUB	6/27/00
	OV 771.30	Pople, John (Chemistry 1998)	6/29/00
	OV 771.31	Ramsey, Norman (Physics 1989)	6/27/00
	OV 771.32	Richardson, Robert C. (Physics 1996)	6/27/00
	OV 771.33-35	Steinberger, Jack (Physics 1988)	6/28/00
	OV 771.36	t'Hooft, Gerardus (Physics 1999)	6/27/00
	OV 771.37	Ting, Samuel C.C. (Physics 1976)	6/29/00
	OV 771.38A	Townes, Charles (Physics 1964)	6/26/00
	OV 771.38B	Townes, Charles (Physics 1964)	6/26/00
	OV 771.39	Veltman, Martinus (Physics 1999)	9/17/00
	OV 771.40	Von Klitzing, Klaus (Physics 1985)	6/27/00
	OV 771.41-43	Williams, Jody (Peace 1997)	n.d.
	OV 771.44	Nobel Voices Theme Video (final version)	n.d.
		Series 2: Master Videos, 2000
3	MV 771.1	Arber, Werner (Medcine 1978)	6/27/00
	MV 771.2	Blobel, Gunther, n.d. (Medicine 1999)	n.d.
	MV 771.3	Boyer, Paul (Chemistry 1997)	n.d.
	MV 771.4	Cohen-Tannouudji, Claude (Physics 1997)	n.d.
	MV 771.5	De Duve, Christian (Medicine 1974)	6/28/00
	MV 771.6	Deisenhofer, Johann (Chemistry 1998) and Kirsten Fischer Lindahl	6/27/00
	MV 771.7.	Eigen, Manfried (Chemistry 1967)	6/26/00
	MV 771.8	Ernst, Richard (Chemistry 1991)	6/29/00
4	MV 771.9	Fischer, Edmond (Medicine 1992)	6/28/00
	MV 771.10	Fischer, Ernst Otto (Chemistry 1973)	6/28/00
	MV 771.11-12	Greengard, Paul (Medicine 2000)	n.d.
	MV 771.13	Hewish, Antony (Physics 1974)	2/8/00
5	MV 771.14	Karle, Jerome (Chemistry 1985)	6/26/00
	MV 771.15	Kohn, Walter (Chemistry 1998)	8/2/00
	MV 771.16	Kroto, Sir Harold (Chemistry 1996)	6/29/00
	MV 771.17	Laughlin, Robert B. (Physics 1998)	6/29/00
	MV 771.18	Lee, David (Physics 1996)	6/27/00
	MV 771.19	Marcus, Rudolph A. (Chemistry 1992)	6/26/00
	MV 771.20	Mullis, Kary B. (Chemistry 1993)	6/29/00
6	MV 771.21	Neher, Erwin (Medicine 1991)	6/26/00
	MV 771.22	Osheroff, Douglas (Physics 1996)	6/28/00
	MV 771.23	Phillips, William (Physics 1997)	6/26/00
	MV 771.24	Polanyi, John (Chemistry 1986)	6/27/00
	MV 771.25	Pople, John (Chemistry 1998)	6/29/00
	MV 771.26	Ramsey, Norman (Physics 1989)	6/27/00
7	MV 771.27	Richardson, Robert C. (Physics 1996)	6/27/00
	MV 771.28	Steinberger, Jack (Physics 1988)	6/28/00
	MV 771.29	T'Hooft, Gerardus (Physics 1999)	6/27/00
	MV 771.30	Ting, Samuel C.C. (Physics 1976)	6/29/00
	MV 771.31	Townes, Charles (Physics 1964)	6/26/00
	MV 771.32	Veltman, Martinus (Physics 1999)	9/17/00
	MV 771.33	Von Klitzing, Klaus (Physics 1985)	6/27/00
8	MV 771.34	Williams, Jody (Peace 1997)	n.d.
		Series 3: Reference Videos
15	RV 771.1-13	Arber-Hewish
16	RV 771.14-27	Karle-Pople
17	RV 771.28-35	Ramsey-Williams
		Series 4: Audio Tapes, 2000-2001
18	RTC 771.1	Arber, Werner (Medicine 1978)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.2	Blobel, Gunther (Medicine 1999)	n.d.
	RTC 771.3	Boyer, Paul (Chemistry 1997)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.4	Cohen-Tannoudji, Claude (Physics 1997)	n.d.
	RTC 771.5	De Duve, Christian (Medicine 1974)	6/28/00
	RTC 771.6	Deisenhofer, Johann (Chemistry 1988) and Kirsten Fischer Lindahl	6/27/00
	RTC 771.7	Eigen, Manfried (Chemistry 1967)	6/26/00
	RTC 771.8	Ernst, Richard (Chemistry 1991)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.9	Fischer, Edmond (Medicine 1992)	6/28/00
	RTC 771.10	Fischer, Ernst Otto (Chemistry 1973)	6/28/00
	RTC 771.11-12	Greengard, Paul (Medicine 2000)	n.d.
	RTC 771.13	Hewish, Antony (Physics 1974)	2/8/00
	RTC 771.14	Karle, Jerome (Chemistry 1985)	6/26/00
	RTC 771.16	Kohn, Walter (Chemistry 1998)	8/2/00
	RTC 771.17	Kroto, Sir Harold (Physics 1996)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.18	Laughlin, Robert B. (Physics 1998)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.19	Lee, David (Physics 1996)	6/27/00
19	RTC 771.20	Marcus, Rudolph A. (Chemistry 1992)	6/26/00
	RTC 771.21	Mullis, Kary B. (Chemistry 1993)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.22	Neher, Erwin (Medicine 1991)	6/26/00
	RTC 771.23	Osheroff, Douglas (Physics 1996)	6/28/00
	RTC 771.24	Phillips, William (Physics 1997)	6/26/00
	RTC 771.25	Polanyi, John (Chemistry 1986)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.26	Pople, John (Chemistry 1998)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.27	Ramsey, Norman (Physics 1989)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.28	Richardson, Robert C. (Physics 1996)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.29	Steinberger, Jack (Physics 1998)	6/28/00
	RTC 771.31	T'Hooft, Gerardus (Physics 1999)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.30	Ting, Samuel C.C. (Physics 1976)	6/29/00
	RTC 771.32	Townes, Charles (Physics 1964	6/26/00
	RTC 771.33	Veltman, Martinus (Physics 1999)	9/17/00
	RTC 771.34	von Klitzing, Klaus (Physics 1985)	6/27/00
	RTC 771.35	Williams, Jody (Peace 1997)	n.d.
		Series 5: Transcripts, 2000
20	1	Arber, Werner (Medicine 1978) Transcript	6/27/00
	2	Blobel, Gunther (Medicine 1999) Transcript	n.d.
	3	Boyer, Paul (Chemistry 1997) Transcript	6/29/00
	4	Cohen-Tannoudji, Claude (Physics 1997) Transcript	n.d.
	5	De Duve, Christian (Medicine 1974) Transcript	6/28/00
	6	Deisenhofer, Johann (Chemistry 1988) and Kirsten Fischer Lindahl Transcript	6/27/00
	7	Eigen, Manfried (Chemistry 1967) Transcript	6/26/00
	8	Ernst, Richard (Chemistry 1991) Transcript	6/29/00
	9	Fischer, Edmond (Medicine 1992) Transcript	6/28/00
		Fischer, Ernst Otto (Chemistry 1973)	6/28/00
19	10	Greengard, Paul (Medicine 2000) Transcript	n.d.
	11	Hewish, Antony (Physics 1974) Transcript	2/8/00
	12	Karle, Jerome (Chemistry 1985) Transcript	6/26/00
	13	Kohn, Walter (Chemistry 1998) Transcript	8/2/00
	14	Kroto, Sir Harold (Chemistry 1996) Transcript	6/29/00
	15	Laughlin, Robert B. (Physics 1998) Transcript	6/29/00
	16	Lee, David (Physics 1996) Transcript	6/27/00
	17	Marcus, Rudolph A. (Chemistry 1992) Transcript	6/26/00
	18	Mullis, Kary B. (Chemistry 1993) Transcript	6/29/00
	19	Neher, Erwin (Medicine 1991) Transcript	6/26/00
	20	Osheroff, Douglas (Physics 1996) Transcript	6/28/00
	21	Phillips, William (Physics 1997) Transcript	6/26/00
	22	Polanyi, John (Chemistry 1986) Transcript	6/27/00
	23	Pople, John (Chemistry 1998) Transcript	6/29/00
	24	Ramsey, Norman (Physics 1989) Transcript	6/27/00
	25	Richardson, Robert C. (Physics 1996) Transcript	6/27/00
	26	Steinberger, Jack (Physics 1988) Transcript	6/28/00
	27	T’Hooft, Gerardus (Physics 1999) Transcript	6/27/00
	28	Ting, Samuel C.C. (Physics 1976) Transcript	6/29/00
	29	Townes, Charles (Physics 1964) Transcript	6/26/00
	30	Veltman, Martinus (Physics 1999) Transcript	9/17/00
	31	Von Klitzing, Klaus (Physics 1985) Transcript	6/27/00
	32	Williams, Jody (Peace 1997) Transcript	n.d.
		Series 6: Production Footage
8	MV 771.35	National Archives footage
9	771.36	Nobel Theme (final), n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.37	Toni Morrison with Bill Moyers, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.38	Toni Morrison, pt.2, February 4, 2001 C-SPAN Book TV 1/2" VHS
	771.39	Toni Morrison, pt.1, February 4, 2001 C-SPAN Book TV 1/2" VHS
	771.40	In Depth with Toni Morrison, n.d. C-SPAN TRT: 07:00 BetaCam SP
	771.41	Me and Isaac Newton, n.d. TRT: 1:47:00 1/2” VHS
	771.42	Meilersteine der Naturissenschaft und technik pts., 17, 29, 47, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.43	Die Stillen Stars #2, n.d. 1/2" VHS
	771.44	Die Stillen Stars #1, n.d. How is a laureate chosen? Roslayn Yalow, Alan Cormack, Gertrude Elion, Emilio Segre 1/1” VHS
	771.45	Light of Imagination: The Laser and Charles Townes, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.46	Charles Townes/Nobel Preis Physik, 1964 1/2” VHS
10	771.47	Nobel prize Winners B-Roll Nadine Gordimer, Nelson Mandela, D. Lane (sp?), Octavio Paz, Elie Wiesel 1/2” VHS
	771.48	Elie Wiesel Speech/Tribute to Tibet from Frontline, Red Flag Over Tibet, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.49	Octavio Paz reading poetry and interview, n.d. TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.50	Octavio Paz reading poetry and interview, n.d. TRT: 60:00 1/2”VHS
	771.51	Dalai Lama shots from Associated Press Television News, n.d. 1/2”VHS
	771.52	Elie Wiesel, Dalai Lama, Toni Morrison ABC News Video Source, n.d. BetaCam SP
	771.53	Elie Wiesel, Dalai Lama, Toni Morrison ABC News Video Source, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.54	Mandela Inauguration 1/2”VHS
11	771.55	Jody Williams interview, n.d. TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.56	Samuel Ting interview, June 29, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.57	Charles Townes, June 26, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
12	771.58	William Phillips interview, June 26, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.59	Edmond Fischer interview, June 28, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.60	Walter Kohn interview, August 2, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.61	John Polayni interview, June 27, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
	771.62	Douglas Osheroff interview, June 28, 2000 TRT: 60:00 BetaCam SP
13	771.63	Dalai Lama Commencement Address at Michigan State University, pt. 1 of 1, May 7, 1999 C-SPAN 1/2” VHS
	771.64	Dalai Lama Commencement Address at Emory University, Pt. 1 of 1, May 11, 1998 1/2” VHS
	771.65	Non-Violence in Tibet Forum Dalai Lama at summit, November 6, 1998 TRT: 63:00 1/2” VHS
	771.66	Non-Violence in Tibet Forum Dalai Lama at summit, November 6, 1998 TRT: 63:00 BetaCam SP
	771.67	Dalai Lama at Smithsonian Folklife Festival, n.d. 1/2” VHS
14	771.68	Entrevista A Octavio Paz, August 18, 1997 1/2” VHS
	771.69	Conversation with Elie Wiesel, March 11, 2001 WHUT 1/2” VHS
	771.70	Theme Video, n.d. 1/2” VHS
	771.71	Great Prayer Festival, tape 2, n.d. BetaCam SP
	771.72	Great Prayer Festival, tape 3, n.d. BetaCam SP
	771.73	Televisa Octavio Paz interview, August 18, 1997 Selected segments, poor audio BetaCam SP
	771.74	Televisa Octavio Paz interview, August 18, 1997 Selected segments, poor audio BetaCam SP
	771.75	Nobel Prize Voice Overs, n.d. Compact disk