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    As real New York seltzer goes down, its crisp bubbles stir up rich nostalgia

    For third-generation seltzer bottler Kenny Gomberg, the charm of authentic bottled seltzer is both the throat-biting tingle a pressurised glass bottle creates, and the memories it stirs up. Since his grandfather opened the seltzer factory in 1953, the seltzer delivery business has dropped off significantly due to grocery shelves stocked with big-brand fizzy water in plastic bottles. Indeed, Gomberg’s small operation is the only seltzer factory left in New York City. Still, he’s able to carve out a living serving up his crisp beverage – and some nostalgia – to elderly customers, and to a younger generation that prizes all things artisanal.

    Director: Jessica Edwards

    19 March 2015
    A man blowing soap bubbles with a dark background; the image is out of focus, highlighting the bubbles.

    videoBeauty and aesthetics

    Can bubbles unlock the secrets of life? Samsam Bubbleman thinks they can

    6 minutes

    A neon sign with text reading “HOT BIEGALS ALL NIGHT.” A red vertical sign is partially visible on the left side.

    videoFood and drink

    ‘The next best thing to a sexual fantasy’ – hanging out at London’s all-night bagel bakery

    10 minutes

    Spotted catfish peeking out from a green tube resting on the gravel at the bottom of a blue aquarium.

    videoSubcultures

    What do tropical fish make of the strange creatures who love them so?

    14 minutes

    A man with short hair holding a cigarette, wearing a sweater and shirt, with a calm expression against a green background.

    videoFilm and visual culture

    ‘From dream to reality!’ The 1960s spoof that marked the dawn of self-aware advertising

    9 minutes

    A hand placing a lid on a jar of homemade sauerkraut on a cluttered kitchen counter with cabbage and a grater.

    videoFood and drink

    Making sauerkraut is a spiritual matter for the ‘fermentation fetishist’ Sandor Katz

    12 minutes

    Man in a suit and bowler hat inspecting an item, with a red bus and a shield with three lions in the background.

    videoBiography and memoir

    Meet Haddon Salt – the would-have-been Colonel Sanders of fish and chips

    9 minutes

    Close-up mechanical parts with a yellow light in the centre; the background is dark and out of focus.

    videoDesign and fashion

    An exuberant Oscar-winning film on glass-blowing, automation and all that jazz

    10 minutes

    An elderly woman and a small dog standing in a large empty room with wooden floors and brick walls, illuminated by sunlight through windows.

    videoBiography and memoir

    An empire built on playing house: how imagination can change your situation

    15 minutes

    Graffiti painting of a clown face with red hair and a red smile on train doors with faded and colourful background designs.

    videoSubcultures

    New York City, 1986 – the grit, the graffiti, the glory

    18 minutes