Wonderful World of Albert Kahn

Editor's Note In the early 20th century, millions felt captivated by 'autochrome' color photography. French millionaire Albert Kahn, however, foresaw much greater possibilities and devised far more ambitious plans for the new invention than simply creating images of people, places and events. Kahn set up one of the world's first photographic archives ('The Archives of the Planet'), that he wanted to use to build multicultural understanding and foster peace between nations. To effectuate this goal, Kahn put together a "team" of roving photographers who traveled throughout the world and captured events both monumental - such as World War I soldiers in the trenches - and every day. Tragedy struck, however, when Kahn experienced financial ruination from the Great Depression, and had to end his project prematurely. This ten-part documentary series from the BBC tells the full chronological story of Kahn's archive, detailing its rise and fall.