“WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS” DISCOVERY ’70 TV SHOW EPISODE NEW YORK CITY FULTON FISH MARKET XD30622

Want to support this channel and help us preserve old films? Visit Visit our website This educational film “While the City Sleeps“ is an episode of the TV program titled “Discovery ‘70”. Discovery (the title was followed by the year of the airing) was shown on ABC from 1962 until 1971. It was as an award-winning children’s program about the history and culture of America. This episode, “Discovery ’70 While the City Sleeps, “ covers the markets in New York City set up by merchants during the night. The three markets are Hunts Point Market, Fulton Fish Market, and Manhattan’s wholesale flower market. The film is a Jules Power production in association with ABC News, hosted by Virginia Gibson, written by Michael Burton, photographed by Juliana Wang, edited by Herb Aust, and produced in consultation with the National Educational Association in cooperation with the American Library Association. Views of Hunts Point produce market in New York City (00:09). “While the City Sleeps” title banner (00:35). Discovery 70’ intro-segment (00:39). Host Virginia Gibson introduced the episode at Hunts Point produce market (01:03). Views of the market’s produce, including fruits, fish, and vegetables (01:25). Peas (02:04). Apples (02:13). Trucks driving during the night (02:20). Crates, boxes, and baskets of produce being unloaded at the market (02:43). Boxes of fruit displayed (03:10). Commission merchants counting money (03:14). A conveyor belt of tomatoes being assorted by workers (03:34). Californian artichokes (03:57). Belgian endives (04:01). Mexican cantaloupes (04:05). Watermelons from Texas (04:08). Pineapples from Puerto Rico (04:12). Figs from Greece (04:14). Wicker baskets filled with snails from Morocco (04:17). Strawberries (04:23). Cucumbers (04:25). Onions (04:28). Eggplant (04:30). Carrots (04:31). Sweet potato (04:33). Butternut squash (04:36). Garlic (04:38). Californian Raspberries (04:40). A storage space for the Hunts Point market (05:06). Virginia Gibson speaking about the market’s freight (05:24). Parked trucks (05:49). Sellers and commission merchants (05:58). The market’s buyers (06:09). Virginia comments sellers’ price setting strategies (06:52). Views of buyers (07:04). Sellers load their produce back into trucks (07:18). Trucks carrying freight drives from the Hunts Point Market (07:53). A switchyard (08:02). Merchants unload their produce (08:10). A man speaks on the phone (08:17). Virginia Gibson speaks about the demanding working hours of the market’s sellers (08:25). Views of New York City (09:15). Virginia Gibson at Fulton Fish markets (09:18). Views of the harbor and the East River (09:33). Illustrations of Fulton Fish Market in the 1800s (09:15). Buildings housing independent fish dealers (10:35). Virginia Gibson looking at stands of various types of fish (10:53) including shrimp, Brazilian lobster tail, Alaskan king crab, and Canadian salmon (11:14). Virginia Gibson is speaking about the work and payment methods (11:26). Fishermen and sellers at Meyers Hotel (11:56). Views of the fish market at night and the unloading of products (12:23). Fish being weighed and prepared (12:39). Brooklyn Bridge (13:04) and Fulton market (13:07). Buyers shopping at the market (13:14). Sales are loaded into buyers’ trucks (14:56). The market is cleaned (15:23). Virginia Gibson speaks about the plan to move Fulton market to Hunts Point market (15:39). Virginia Gibson at Manhattan’s wholesale flower market on 28th street (16:14). Views of the market (16:40). Types of flowers including roses, lilies, daisy flowers, orchids, and carnation flowers (17:15). Boxes of flowers being unloaded from a truck (18:36). A man speaking on the phone (18:53). Bundles and bouquet of flowers being packaged (19:05). Virginia Gibson looking at dried flowers (19:11). A tropical plant store (19:38). A display of artificial flowers (19:52). Virginia Gibson speaks about the distribution and display of artificial flowers and seasonal decorations (20:04). A Christmas decoration display (20:12). Mistletoes, wreaths, and other artificial Christmas decorations (20:04). Virginia Gibson speaks about the fresh flowers sold at the market (20:48). Gibson concludes the episode about the markets of New York City (21:08). She suggests three books to the viewers: Meat from Ranch to Table by Walter Buehr, Night People by C.B Colby, and The Trucks That Haul at Night by Leonard A. Stevens (21:23). Credits (21:43). This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit
Back to Top