The Twenty Mule Team of Death Valley

Video Title: 

The Twenty Mule Team of Death Valley

Producer/Distributor: 

Gold Creek Films

Disks: 

1

Length (min): 

77

Year Created: 

2012

Description and/or Review: 

MEMBER REVIEW: Sometimes it is fun to watch something that creates a great deal of nostalgia and this is the video for that. Twenty Mule Team Borax is an old-time washing compound, but where does Borax come from? What is Borax? California is known for gold and Nevada for silver, as mineral resources, but there are many other minerals that are useful, but a lot less glamorous. Industrial minerals make more money than precious metals, but we learn less about them. Borax is one of those minerals, and most of it comes from California and Nevada, hence this video. It is used in jewelry making, ceramics and laundry. In the 1870's several deposits of borax were found in California and Nevada, and borax mining in the US became a big industry. Before this, all borax was imported to the US, and finding a domestic source was advantageous. The companies that sprang up, their competetions and their advertising campaigns make for an entertaining video. It shows that competition and big advertising are way older than the recent half century. This video touches on a lot of topics, but the mineral borax is the center of it all. History and nostalgia abound. Borax is still mined in California by the Rio Tinto Company, so it is still an important industrial mineral. This is a fun video for the whole family.

Format: 

DVD