The new documentary portrait of Ed Bearss, a man often called a “living national treasure,” makes its East Coast debut in a Smithsonian screening featuring appearances by Bearss and producer-director David Currey.
From his childhood on a cattle ranch in Montana to his Marine Corps days in WWII through his career as chief historian for the National Park Service, 90-year-old Bearss has lived a colorful life. But to Smithsonian Associates audiences, he is best known as the indefatigable Civil War tour guide and champion of battlefield preservation, a one-of-a-kind figure with a booming voice, extraordinary knowledge, and seemingly boundless energy. Bearss and Currey answer questions after the film.
Audience members receive a DVD of American Journey, which also includes a bonus feature: film of the December 2013 Smithsonian Associates program featuring Bearss and author James M. McPherson.
