New York Underground

This hour-long PBS documentary, originally broadcast as part of the American Experience series, offers a highly engaging account of the construction of the original New York City subway system at the turn of the 20th century—one of the great engineering feats of its day. Beginning with an overview of the crowded conditions that plagued the city's stifling streets in the post-Civil War years, the film initially looks at an unsuccessful plan to build a tunnel transport system in the late 1860s—an effort blocked for political reasons by Boss Tweed—before moving on to the subway project (further impelled by a catastrophic blizzard in 1888), which finally broke ground in 1900 and four years later culminated in the gala opening of the longest, most sophisticated electric subway in the world. Combining rare film footage and stills, drawings, source documents, narration, and insightful commentary from historians and others (including novelist E.L. Doctorow, reading from The Waterworks, and author Caleb Carr), New York Underground not only underscores the immensity of the undertaking—especially in view of topographical difficulties and sometimes tragic setbacks—but also places it within the prevailing social and political contexts, in addition to painting incisive portraits of the individuals involved in the planning and execution of the work. DVD extras include printable materials for educators. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)