Flipcard Video: Inventors--Latimer, Woods, Matzeliger

This initial entry in the Flipcard Video series, subtitled "a celebration of unsung heroes," looks at the lives and work of three Black inventors: Lewis Howard Latimer, Granville T. Woods, and Jan Matzeliger. Using simple illustrations and iconographic animation, together with voice-over narration, the program traces the histories of Lewis Howard Latimer, who invented the carbon filament light bulb in 1882; Granville T. Woods, who was known as the "Black Edison," and who, in 1887, perfected the induction telegraph system (which greatly aided in re-routing trains); and Jan Matzeliger, a machinist and inventor who produced the "shoe lasting" machine in 1883. In addition to the stories of the inventors, the program touches on the relevant history of the period, touching on the Fugitive Act, the Dred Scott decision, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Reconstruction. At intervals, the Flipcard Video team of four young kids address flipcard questions to the viewers, followed by the answers. While an admirable concept, the Flipcard Video series is too simple in its graphics to really grab the MTV-crowd. On top of that, the recording of the voice-over narration is uneven (with the voice occasionally slowing down or speeding up). Not a necessary purchase. (Available from: Video Visions, P.O. Box 42185, Atlanta, GA 30311-0185; (404) 333-6564.)