REVIEWS / COMMENTS

"MOUNTAIN MUSIC WITH CARL AND BETTY ROSS OF TYMES PAST"

A.F. Carter, Satisfied Customer:  'Old Tyme' mountain music with Carl and Betty Ross provides a homespun touch of Southern Appalachian music which it isn't easy to find in Michigan's U.P.  I enjoyed the explanations of the area history, the music and how the instruments were made and used. I especially enjoyed the segment of dulcimer music as I’m learning how to play my own. Kate Marshall Graphics included some of their beautiful Smoky Mountain photography along with several historical photos from the area. This is a very entertaining and informative DVD, I’ll enjoy watching and listening whenever I want a touch of the music of the Great Smoky Mountains.

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"VOICES OF CADES COVE" - 9-Part Documentary Mini-series

Arthur ‘Butch’ McDade, Retired Park Ranger (National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Glacier National Park), and Author, "Old Smoky Mountain Days" and "The Natural Arches of the Big South Fork and a contributing writer to the Encyclopedia of Appalachia," plus a contributing writer to several magazines: 

Kate Marshall Graphics has done outstanding work for decades on documenting, through their award-winning DVDs, the cultural and natural history of the Smokies. In particular, their work on documenting the human history of Cades Cove through their continuing mini-series entitled "Voices of Cades Cove" has been recognized as an invaluable archival record of the good folks who lived in the Cove prior to the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. KMG has spent untold hundreds of hours in Cades Cove and the general area over several decades, interviewing people who had lived in the Cove, along with their descendants. 

Their "Voices of Cades Cove" DVDs provide interviews, maps, graphics, and historic photographs of the Cove and its former residents, along with the locations of old buildings that are long gone now. Their DVDs are tremendously valuable research documents, and historians, folklorists, and genealogists will use them for decades and decades to come. 

Most importantly, KMG has always sought out first-hand information from real people who lived in the cove, and their descendants, instead of just relying on outside historians and academics. They steadfastly have included comments and stories from the people who knew the Cove best. This separates their diligent historical research from that of other commentators.  They always subscribed to the philosophy of 'let the mountain people tell their own stories,' something that pioneering folklorist and linguist Joseph Sargent Hall also believed in. And that makes all the difference in the world. 

If you love Cades Cove and its scenery, animal and plant life, and human history, you’ll want to own the entire series of "Voices of Cades Cove." These DVDs are a real historical treasure.

Stephen Weber, Cades Cove Descendant, Cades Cove Preservation Association President: 

A leader of Cades Cove during his time, my grandfather, John W. Oliver’s dream and life’s work of preserving the history and culture of this mountain community has come to life in "Voices of Cades Cove.”  

Georgiana Sharp Deane, Cades Cove Descendant: Thank you for preserving our heritage in this incredible way. My mother, Pearl Taylor Sharp, (her mother was Rutha Hassell Oliver) was on at least two of the videos and it is a precious memory to see and hear her share her stories of her family before she entered into the devastating decline of elder years. This is something I can share with my children, grandchildren and future generations. You did an excellent job and have succeeded. Well done.

Lucille Sparks Britton, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant:  Congratulations, thanks for all the work you have put into these memories, for us and the younger ones coming up. 

Ruth Caughron Davis, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: As each new Voices video has been completed, I think, “Oh, this one is the best!" Even though both my parents were the sixth generation of two different families who lived in Cades and were both the descendants of the first permanent pioneer family of Cades Cove, we have learned so much from the wonderful memories and stories of all the other families who lived there. Thank you, Kate Marshall Graphics, for your dedication and hard work to tell all of the stories of all the “Voices of Cades Cove.” It is deeply appreciated.

Larry Sparks, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: Thank you for doing this wholesome project. These releases are so genuine and reach beyond any video ever produced in preserving our Cades Cove Heritage. I deeply appreciate it. 

Ken Cannon, Satisfied Customer / Cades Cove Visitor . . . Part 3: I loved it. I visit Cade’s Cove regularly. I cannot learn enough about the history of the Cove. This DVD has history about the Cove and how people lived. Thanks for a great DVD. I loved it. 

Lee Wood, Cades Cove Descendant and Hazel Creek Resident and Descendant: So proud of all the work you are doing to preserve history of the Cades Cove area and Western North Carolina Fontana area. 

James Motter, Cades Cove Preservation Association, Public Relations: Thank you for what you have done to preserve the family’s histories of our beloved Cades Cove. This series of historic interviews with the descendants are absolutely priceless. 

Richard Anderson, Cades Cove Descendant, Cades Cove Preservation Association Treasurer & Former President:  Awesome! The "Voices of Cades Cove" project's positive impact on Cades Cove and its people can in no way be measured . . . thank you, thank you, thank you!

Judy Myers Johns, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant, and retired Park Ranger (National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park): There are givers and takers in the world, and you are truly a giver. You have the energy to help with our precious memories. Congratulations on your technical abilities and the magnitude of your heart.

Arthur ‘Butch’ McDade, Retired Park Ranger (National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Glacier National Park), and Author, "Old Smoky Mountain Days" and "The Natural Arches of the Big South Fork and a contributing writer to the Encyclopedia of Appalachia" plus a contributing writer to several magazines: Years from now, when scholars continue studying the Appalachian culture of the Cove, they'll access KMG's pioneering archival interviews on their DVDs, which are now included in the permanent archives of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Kate Marshall Graphics will go down in the history of the Smokies as pioneer researchers and documentarians who've given posterity impressive and invaluable resources about the real "Voices of Cades Cove."  

Bernard Myers, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: "Voices of Cades Cove" is a gold mine for those who lived in the Cove, a permanent record for our descendants, and also for visitors new to the Cove and its history. I really appreciate the hard work that Kate Marshall Graphics has put into this mini-series. My great-grandchildren will know how their ancestors lived.

Ruth Caughron Davis, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant:  As a former resident, the daughter of the last family to live in the Cove, I am so excited that "Voices of Cades Cove" is a reality! Several years in the making, it shares this rich history with visitors in a unique, entertaining and caring way.

Larry Sparks, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: Thank you for all you do to honor our Cades Cove Heritage. Never before have I seen anyone take our simple, yet humble stories to the levels that you have. And these are our very own words describing our life in this beautiful land, and in first person. 

Bob Hood, Satisfied Customer / Cades Cove Visitor: Kate Marshall Graphics has not only brought their unique talent for nature and the beautiful landscapes of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to the screen but has now coupled this with a history of one of the most unique places in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting Cades Cove knows its beauty, but few actually have little idea of its rich and varied history. This is a real gem for those who love and cherish the Cove. This a visual and oral history of the lives and times before the National Park Service took over and the people who called it home were forced to change their lives and the Cove as they knew it. Many of the people who are interviewed are no longer with us and without this documentary their stories would be lost to us forever. The passion of their history and the true pride in their love of Cades Cove is brought out time and again. This series of videos is a must for anyone who wants and desires to know more of the history of the beloved people and place that is Cades Cove. 

Gladys Oliver Burns, Cades Cove Descendant: A special thanks for "Voices of Cades Cove," which has given us a glimpse of a time past. We are very touched as the history unfolds before our eyes. This has been a very interesting journey down memory lane.

Gloria Motter, Cades Cove Preservation Association Museum Director:   

Congratulations! Thank you so very much for preserving the Cades Cove human history. Every DVD is precious. Like I said a few years back "no one will get tired of the Cades Cove stories, and I will hate for them to end.” Look at how many have passed, but because of your work, their stories will be heard for many years, after we are gone.

Faye Coada Johnson, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: I am so thankful for growing up in that beautiful valley and seeing my heritage and others' family stories shared on "Voices of Cades Cove."

Larry Sparks, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant: . . .  Part 7 - This is the best documentary I have ever seen on our mountain top meadows . . . great work! 

Mary Gregory, Cades Cove Descendant: Thank you for preserving our family’s history and sharing with the world.

David Standifer, Satisfied Customer / Cades Cove Visitor: I bought all of the Voices of Cades Cove DVD series. And I can tell you that if you're interested in the history of Cades Cove and the people that lived there, you need to get these videos. I've studied the history of Cades Cove since I was a child and have almost every book that's been written about it, and I learned something new from every DVD that I did not know and didn't read in a book. Kate Marshall Graphics did a magnificent job with these DVDs. They are in-depth and factual. The interviews from former residents of the Cove give you an insight that you could only get from someone that actually lived there. 

Lois Kaye Sparks Russell: Congratulations and thank you for the memories you are preserving.

Judy Myers Johns, Cades Cove Resident and Descendant, and retired Park Ranger (National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park): Not many of us can say we touched one, much less hundreds, of lives and left them better than you found them. You can.

"THE STORY OF WILDFLOWERS OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS" 

James Alexander Fowler, Wild Orchid Expert, Photographer & Author, "Wild Orchids of South Carolina” and “Orchids, Carnivorous Plants, and Other Wildflowers of the Green Swamp, North Carolina":

I must say that this is a wonderful video, covering many of the wildflowers one would find in the Southern Appalachians. Not only does it show the flowers in splendid detail, it goes into great depth about the ecology of the region. Conservation of these habitats is extremely important, and the video devotes time to explain old and new conservation ideas. One thing in particular that I like about the presentation is that it shows the flowers "live" and in their element of wind, sunlight and rain; not just still images with no personality. Kate Marshall Graphics has done a fine job of capturing the feeling of being out in the woods with these natural treasures, and you can feel her passion for nature through her video. I highly recommend this for all wildflower lovers; especially those who are interested in the "story" behind the wildflowers of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.  

Thomas E. Hemmerly, Ph.D., Professor of Biology at Middle Tennessee State University at Murfreesboro; Author, "Appalachian Wildflowers: An Ecological Guide to Flowering Plants from Quebec to Georgia" - Author, "Wildflowers of the Central South" - and Co-Author, "Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians" - Delightful! I like the way the interviews and flower shots are interwoven. And the movie shots of the flowers are so delightful - they should appeal to most anyone with an interest in any aspect of nature (or art).  Congratulations on an outstanding nature program!

Anonymous, Satisfied Customer: The Story of Wildflowers is beautifully done. The photography is stunning and the interviews by experts in the field are enlightening. There is scientific praise for the meticulous labeling of all flowers with the Latin as well as the common names. If you love the diversity of wildflowers in the Appalachians Mountains, you will not be disappointed!

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FOR ALL KMG WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARIES

E. Kim Delozier, Retired Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, 32 years (National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park), and Author, "Bear in the Back Seat, Adventures of a Wildlife Manager, Vol. 1" and "Bear in the Back Seat, Adventures of a Wildlife Manager, Volume 2" - 

The wildlife documentaries including bears created by Kate Marshall Graphics blend science-based facts with unique visual stories through their decades of great videography. It is obvious that they really love what they do. Many of these films highlight the important work that wildlife biologists and others do on a daily basis, and all of them share up-close and personal animal behavior that many people may never see out there. They let us look through their camera lens to see dramatic, comical, and private moments with bears, deer, birds and more. There is no 'A-i' here – it’s all ‘real.’ And I must say the little bear cubs are quite endearing. 

Field Biologist, Satisfied Customer: Beautiful! I'm a field biologist up here in New England who's working on restoring endemic species here, including wildflowers and pollinators, and was looking for something to remind me of the times spent down in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains and your videos are perfect.  Both scientific and beautiful! I felt like I was right back there again.  

I've watched several of your videos now (Wildflowers, Wings, Moments, Deer and Bears) and I think you have the perfect mix of ones with a lot of narration and ones with only a little narration, i.e., "just watching", and I'm with you, sometimes you just want to "watch." In your filming I hope you can make some more hodgepodge ones in the style of "Private Moments in Nature," if you can get enough footage. A little bit of everything, something for everyone.  Variety is nice, especially in nature videos!  

Live filming does, in fact, allow one to see more that a still photo does.  Specifically, I never realized or thought about how much more active pipevine swallowtails are, compared to other swallowtails when foraging.  Seems they're constantly flapping their wings no matter what flower they're at.  I know you already know this, but I wanted to confirm that as a viewer your DVD taught me that . . . and I'm a seasoned field biologist! And good job selecting the music for the pearl crescent.  It seems to flap its wings right in time with the beat!

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THE 6-Volume "SEASON OF THE BEAR" Documentary Mini-series

Jim Fowler, Co-Host of 144 Episodes of (the original) Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom  (LINK TO:  Celebrating Jim Fowler | Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom), and 2003 Recipient of the Lindbergh Award  - from a record of conversation (ROC) with Kate Marshall Graphics - All Bears:  What you have done here with this documentary series about bears is remarkable because, well, you just went hiking on your own and you just did it, just filmed bears in the wild, and produced it. It takes spunk! But be careful out there. I have seen first-hand the strength of a black bear. When you were filming me in Georgia and also acting as animal handler with me on and off stage, I knew what you were working on with wild bears, in your time off from your other jobs. What I have seen so far, hey - good job on these! You have found the key to reaching people - you aren't just educators, you are storytellers!

A.F. Carter, Satisfied Customer:  . . .  All Bears - If you are curious about the lives of black bears or if you just enjoy awe inspiring photography of wilderness and wildlife, you will enjoy these DVDs! Most of us aren't fortunate to experience the opportunity of observing black bears in their natural habitats, but Kate Marshall Graphics has provided us with a rich, close-up look at this powerful, amazing animal. KMG offers fantastic photography and interesting information that increases awareness.

Paul Davidson, Executive Director, Black Bear Conservation Coalition, Louisiana:  . . .  Bear 1 - It is obvious that many hours were spent in the field to catch bears being bears in their natural environment. The photography is superb!

Frank van Manen, Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Ph.D.:  . . .  Bear 2 - It's great . . . I really like the footage of the cubs in the den and the interactions with the mom. The bears feeding high in trees and the female feeding the acorns to the cub was also really interesting. I have never seen that on film before!

Paul Davidson, Executive Director, Black Bear Conservation Coalition, Louisiana:  . . . Bear 2 - This is the most comprehensive wildlife video I have seen. The time and effort that went into the making of this program brought out facts about black bears that I have never before seen in video or read in books. It is truly fascinating for both children and adults. It is also obviously a real labor of love.

John Derych, Satisfied Customer: ". . . Bear 3 - It's no wonder you won awards for this excellent film, Season of the Bear, Volume 3: True Bear Stories. First off, the video footage is top notch- clear, crisp and perfect color. All the stories do show how humans indeed want to help bears, but I particularly liked the Cherry bear and Sea bear stories. The Cherry Bear story showed how resourceful a black bear can be, in biting part of the tree branch in order to bend the branch with all the cherries on it so the bear could eat them. Your video footage was so clear that one can see how a black bear basically takes a bunch of cherries in his mouth and pulls them off in one quick motion of the mouth. The average person would never see this in the wild. The Sea Bear story was so personal. Even though the bear was tranquilized, I got the impression the bear actually knew he was being saved. 

What I especially like about Chapter 3 is that it is filled with true accounts of bear stories - there is no sensationalism, there is nothing left to the human mind to imagine. Together with interviews, filmed footage and still photos you present a true and honest account of the lives of various bears. Interspersed throughout the video, you have tactfully placed numerous bear facts to teach bear enthusiasts the correct and safe way in which humans and bears can exist together. Just like the previous chapters in this series it brings the home viewer right into the world of the black bear. I applaud your efforts and hard work and sincerely wish you continued success. 

M.F., Satisfied Customer:  . . . Bear 4 - This video is 3+ hours of pure educational information regarding black bears. It's great for students and adults alike. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know everything there is to know about these amazing animals which live right outside our door. It would be the perfect video for teachers who are teaching about black bears as well. 

H.T.W., Satisfied Customer . . . Bear 4 - I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 hours. The bear photography was great. But what was so different was the part where the bear biologists talked about what led them to that line of work and what it was like to do that job. 

Anonymous, Satisfied Customer:  . . . Bear 5 - First rate. Did not know a thing about sun bears, pandas, or sloth bears until I got this video to add to my collection of wildlife DVDs. Very interesting.

C.M., Satisfied Customer:  . . . Bear 6 - On the edge of my seat during the Yellowstone and Yosemite black bear video stories, especially loved watching the Grizzlies at Katmai and the Kodiak bear families fishing in Alaska, and the Polar Bear underwater camera views ON the actual bear! Great!

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"PRIVATE MOMENTS IN NATURE"

L.H., Satisfied Customer:  . . . Moments - This is a breath of fresh air that soothes the soul.  It is absolutely magical and invites you into the peace of Nature. This one spoke to my heart. 

Anonymous, Satisfied Customer:  . . . Moments - Private Moments in Nature is a breath of fresh air that soothes the soul.  It is absolutely magical and invites you into the peace of nature.  I highly recommend all KMG DVDs - they are all interesting and educational, but this one spoke to my heart.  

R.L., Satisfied Customer: . . . Moments - Loved this! About the dung beetle, hey I was really rooting for the little guy!

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"PAINTED WINGS & FEATHERED THINGS IN THE SMOKIES"

T.D., Satisfied Customer: . . . Wings - Love, Love, Love the Pileated Woodpeckers! Good Job!

M.H., Satisfied Customer: . . . Wings - The bears were my favorites for so long, but now I am hooked on this one! What a lovely film!

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"THE WHITETAILS OF CADES COVE"

B.R., Satisfied Customer:  . . . Deer - "The Whitetails of Cades Cove" puts me right there in Cades Cove, one of my very favorite places to visit. If you have ever sat and loved watching

the deer in Cades Cove, get this! It even has deer in snow which I have never seen.

Victor Bozano, Satisfied Customer:  . . .  Deer - If you love Whitetails in Cades Cove - This video is for you. Beautiful video! Almost like being at Cades Cove itself with a ringside seat (but without all the waiting!). I visit Cades Cove often, and primarily to watch the deer. I may have very well seen several of the stars of this video. Thanks for making the video. Loved the music during the sparring sessions also!

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OTHER

 L. Holland:  . . . My book arrived in beautiful condition.  Thank you so much for your time and assistance in obtaining this very special volume.  I hope your day is blessed! 

Ben Gentry:  . . . Thanks! I just received my order. I am very pleased with its awesomeness! Thank you for providing such quality products.  

G. Martin:  . . .  Thank you for the quick processing and updates. Package [gift] wrapping looks good.  I appreciate your assistance.