Collections
CFA's collections contain professional and amateur films of all genres, including documentaries, experimental films, and home movies, depicting histories of Chicago, the Midwest and the world. Our online catalog contains thousands of digitized items from our collections along with descriptive catalog records.
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1925 – 1963
Though the Anti-Cruelty Society's film collection used to be more vast, the nine items in this collection are all that remains. This collection contains a cross between professionally produced educational shorts, as well as amateur film footage. The films feature imagery of petting zoos, animals getting check-ups at a Society clinic, animal training instructions, and the Anti-Cruelty Society's building on Grand Avenue circa 1940.
circa 1926 – 1985
This collection of home movies documents the lives of three generations of the Armstrong family, who lived and worked in Chicago during the 1920s - '40s, then moved to the suburbs in the post-war era. The films depict family vacations to Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin, alongside a few amateur horror films made by the younger generations during the 1980s.
1933 – 1979
A collection of 4 16mm films documenting the history of social movements from the Great Depression onwards, while also providing a vivid glimpse of life in Chicago during the 1930s through the late 1970s.
1942 – 1987
The entire Baker collection was shot by commercial artist Jack Baker on 8mm film between the 1940s and 80s, with the exception of one 16mm film of unknown origin. The collection consists of in-house industrial films Jack made for work and home movie footage he took of his wife and two kids. The films he made on the job consist of downtown Chicago scenes, an American Can Company plant and trips to Milwaukee, New Orleans, and New York City. The home movies include suburban construction, numerous children's birthday parties, a few Christmas celebrations, an adult Halloween party, a Cubs game and trips to the Indiana dunes and Wisconsin's Lake Geneva.
1932 – 2001
This collection of films was compiled by Jack Behrend who owned a camera equipment rental house and worked as a professional industrial filmmaker from the 1950s until the 1990s. Included in this collection are 13 reels of raw footage from an unfinished documentary of historical inns of America and time lapse footage of Grant Park, the Equitable Building and Lake Point Tower as they were being constructed. The collection includes industrial films about steel foundries, the making of railroad wheels and a film about the teachers' strike at Niles North in the 1970s. Also within this collection are films made by Gordon Weisenborn, a Chicago filmmaker who gave his films to Jack Behrend before his death. Behrend has donated the prints and rights of his films and those of Gordon Weisenborn to CFA. He has also donated 52 prints made by the National Film Board of Canada.
1931 – 1967
This collection of home movies was shot by Chicagoan Frank "Burt" Bryant and document his wife (Anne Geraldine McCabe Bryant), mother (Hilda Jernberg Bryant), children (Peter, Ricard, David and Judith) and their family travels. The Bryant family lived primarily in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, at 1726 W. Jarvis Avenue. All four of the Bryant children attended St. Jerome's Grammar School. The boys attended Loyola Academy for high school, while Judy attended St. Scholastica Academy. These family films include scenes of Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, as well as footage of the family's annual summer trip to Eagle Lake, Wisconsin, where the McCabe family owned a cottage.
1930 – 1989
The John T. and Jane D. Clark collection consists of home movies primarily shot by John T. Clark and his father, Herbert Clark, from 1930 - 1989. The films are of three generations of a Chicago Irish family in Oak Park & River Forest, Illinois and the Western shores of Michigan. They capture holiday gatherings, family reunions, the Lake Michigan shoreline, religious rituals, and social events as well as annual vacations to watering holes in Wisconsin and Michigan, especially Long Beach, IN; New Buffalo, MI; Palisades Park & South Haven, MI.
1902 – 2007
The Margaret Conneely Collection contains the films and papers of Margaret Conneely, a prolific and respected Chicago amateur filmmaker. The collection includes medical films she made as a cinematographer for Loyola University, story films she made with other local hobbyists and professional filmmakers, films made by other amateur filmmakers, such as Carl Frazier and Nora Rafferty, and commercial films that she collected. Four of her films have been preserved by the National Film Preservation Foundation and the New York Women in Film & Television sponsored Women's Film Preservation Fund. The papers include a wealth of correspondence between Conneely and other amateur filmmakers, documents and publications from amateur film and photography associations, as well as photographs of Conneely and other filmmakers.
1927 – 1966
This 16mm home movie collection documents the Cring family of St. Louis, Missouri. Highlights of the collection include its railroad footage, Brentwood High School football games, an entertaining teenage dance party and a rare glimpse of Charles Lindbergh at a Mexican bull fight. This collection is sponsored by Susan Hayes.
1929 – 1984
The John Dame Collection consists of 16mm and 8mm home movies shot by multiple generations of an Illinois family. Most of the home movies document life in the western Chicago suburb of Elmhurst, Illinois, including community parades, graduations, weddings and high school football games. The collection also contains extensive footage of global travel, sailing, and kayaking.
circa 1935 – 1975
The Robert & Theresa Davis collection primarily consists of travelogue films created by the Illinois-based husband and wife duo Robert & Theresa Davis. Places that are filmed include: Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand, Tunisia, Sicily and Yugoslavia. The collection also contains a few amateur short films and musical productions as well as a handful of educational films. Additionally, the collection contains extensive papers and ephemera, including scrapbooks, photos, maps and diaries that describe the Davis' career as filmmakers, lecturers and tour guides.
1932 – 1970
The Russ and Sylvia Davis Collection contains 16mm film prints and elements produced by the couple's production company, IWF Inc. The majority are from a syndicated wrestling television show from the 1950s that included wrestlers such as Verne Gagne, Gorgeous George, and Lou Thesz. Russ was a pioneering TV personality in the Chicago broadcast area at WBKB-TV. Sylvia worked as president of their company and a producer on a number of Russ' shows.
circa 1943 – 1956
The Raymond and Jane Dean Collection consists of films made and collected by the Dean family of Rockford, IL. The films depict the family at leisure at home and on their farm, including hiking, golfing at the Sinnissippi Golf Course, and celebrating Christmas, Easter, and other holidays. Trips to nearby towns and locations include Belvidere, Edgebrook, Beloit (WI), Lake Geneva, and Auburn (IN), and at least one film depicts a 1943 game of the Rockford Peaches women's baseball team. Included with the collection is a spiral-bound notebook that describes some of the home movie reels in detail.
1937 – 1978
The Ron Doerring Collection contains numerous award-winning amateur films made in the Midwest by members of the Society of Amateur Cinematographers. The majority of the films in the collection were made by John and Evelyn Kibar, a husband and wife filmmaking team from Racine, Wisconsin. The Kibar’s films include travelogues, documents of historical reenactments, and polished, often humorous, amateur shorts. The collection also contains amateur works by other members of the Society of American Cinematographers including Billy Meers, Will Marshall, George Ives, Sidney Moritz and two experimental films by Sol Falon.
1933 – 1961
The David Drazin Collection contains both commercial prints that were created for the home market and home movies that were made at the Holy Family Academy school in Chicago between 1939 and 1946. The commercial films include educational films, a Dick Tracy cartoon, and Charlie Chaplin’s 1916 short “Behind the Screen.” The Holy Family Academy was an all-girls Catholic school on Chicago’s north side, and the home movies document nuns and young girls playing outside and on various outings in and around Chicago, as well as seasonal dance recitals.
1929 – 1953
The Richard J. Finnegan collection is a series of home movies, travelogues and amateur shorts shot by Chicago Sun-Times editor Richard J. Finnegan between 1929 and 1953. Many of the films in this collection creatively meld narrative inter-titles with non-fiction footage, and employ cinematic conventions such as slow motion and narrative-style editing. Subject matter spans trips to Yellowstone, Eureka, Bermuda and various parts of Northern and Southern California, personal films of notable events such as the 1929 Olympics in Los Angeles, and "classic" home movie family films of vacations, holidays and events, including birthday parties, baptisms, a wedding, Christmas and Halloween celebrations.
1949 – 1964
One half-hour long 8mm silent film made by amateur filmmaker Richard Guetl of Chicago. The film depicts life on William Freise's dairy farm in rural Palatine (now Schaumburg), Illinois.
1934 – 1978
The Glick-Berolzheimer Collection contains home movies by Diane Berolzheimer's father Jacob Glick from the mid 1930s through the early 1960s. It also includes home movies made by Diane and her husband Karl Berolzheimer from the mid 1950s through the mid 1970s. The home movies in this collection depict the leisure activities of the larger Glick/Berolzheimer family, rituals of Jewish life, and numerous fishing trips by Mr. Glick.
1951 – 1978
A collection of home movies documenting the Godman family of Chicago and Evanston, Illinois. The patriarch of the family, Carl Lawrence Godman, shot the majority of the collection. The films primarily feature his wife, Fay F. Godman, and their three sons, David, Andrew, and James. Collection highlights include a 1968 Chicago River boat tour, a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo as well as home movies Carl shot while serving in the Korean War.
1942 – 1980
Morton & Millie Goldsholl ran Goldsholl Design & Film Associates, one of Chicago’s leading graphic design studios in the 1950s through 1970s. The studio became recognized for their animations, progressive hiring practices and developing corporate branding packages for various companies. Their collection, donated to CFA in 2006 and 2010, contains commercials and industrial films that Goldsholl Associates made for their clients, experimental films and animations made by both Morton and Millie, unedited travel films shot by Morton and Millie and films (primarily animated) that the two collected over the years.
1931 – 1964
The David Gray Collection contains home movies shot by Uriel Hadley of St. Louis, Missouri. Highlights include footage shot at the Chicago World’s Fair (A Century of Progress International Exhibition) in 1933-34, the St. Louis Botanical Gardens and holiday celebrations with the family. Hadley worked for Eastman Kodak and he often shot these home movies on or with the latest technology being developed by the company.
1938 – 2001
The Julian Gromer Collection includes 15 travelogues and related papers by filmmaker Julian Gromer. The films depict his travels to Cuba, Nigeria, around Lake Michigan, Hawaii two months before Pearl Harbor, Canada, up the Amazon and Hudson rivers, and three films of cross-country cycling. Gromer was represented by the Redpath Bureau and co-owned Ralph Windoes Travelogues, Inc. His work is representative of post-World War II travelogue lectures that were exhibited in a variety of non-theatrical venues.
circa 1938 – 1973
These films contain folksingers performing at the Earl of Old Town in Chicago. It has been speculated that Ed Holstein is one of the singers.
1929 – 1978
Forty reels of home movies shot by two generations of the Hegberg family of Chicago. The 16mm films in this collection were shot by Reuben O. and Anna (Lindahl) Hegberg, depicting life in the Edgewater neighborhood in the 1930s and featuring remarkable black-and-white close-ups of family and friends. The 8mm films were shot by Reuben and Anna's son Dick.
1924 – 2004
The Heidkamp Family Collection consists primarily of home movies shot by Herbert A. Heidkamp, a Chicago optometrist and realtor. The 16mm films were shot between ca. 1924 - 1956 and depict the life of the Heidkamp family in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. Events recorded include First Communions, May Day celebrations, and various weddings - almost all at Queen of Angels church on Sunnyside Ave. Heidkamp also filmed historic events in the city, including the 1928 Graf Zeppelin flyover from Grant Park and a 1939 Armistice Day parade, as well as footage of notable Chicago landmarks (Wrigley Building, Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory, etc.) over the decades.
The collection also contains a handful of collected commercial films (mostly German cartoons), home movies shot by Herbert's brother George, and 8mm and Super 8 home movies from the next generation of Heidkamps.
The collection also contains a handful of collected commercial films (mostly German cartoons), home movies shot by Herbert's brother George, and 8mm and Super 8 home movies from the next generation of Heidkamps.
circa 1939 – 1983
The Cynthia Holmberg Collection consists of 16mm home movies shot primarily by Henry Brooks, Cynthia’s father, and 8mm home movies shot by Cynthia’s husband Ron Holmberg. Ranging from the late 1930s to the mid-1960s, the 16mm films document Cynthia’s childhood and the life of a middle class family living in Chicago. The 8mm home movies document Ron and Cynthia Holmberg’s family and life in the suburbs of Chicago in the 1970s and early 80s. They include various locations around Chicago as well as family trips to Wisconsin, various U.S. National Parks, and Florida.
circa 1950 – 1989
This collection contains amateur travelogue films and audio reels made by J. Gerald Hooper. Hooper was a member of a local amatuer film club, whose name and location have yet to be identified.
1932 – 1968
The Ferd Isserman collection consists of 16mm home movies shot primarily in Chicago from the early 1930s through the late 1960s. Documenting leisure time, trips and holidays, highlights from the collection include family visits to the Chicago World’s Fair (A Century of Progress International Exposition) in 1933-34; a legion marching band and USO dedication in Chicago during WWII; the Republican National Convention in Chicago in 1932; the 20th Miss America pageant held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ in 1946; a trip to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1946-47; and Thanksgiving celebrations in the 1930s, 1940s and 1968.
circa 1940 – 1959
The Marion and Maurice Kaplan Collection contains home movies shot and compiled by Maurice Kaplan of Chicago, Illinois. Maurice shot 16mm films from the 1940s through 1950s. The collection depicts his travels to Hawaii, as member of the U.S. Army in World War II, and family weddings, other celebrations, and vacations at Glen, Michigan; Lincoln Park Zoo; Union Pier; and Lakeside.
1945 – 1979
The Kinnally collection consists of 16 reels of silent and sound super 8mm and silent 8mm films made and distributed by Chicago filmmaker Tim Kinally. They depict various air shows and re-enactments involving vintage planes and bombers. Included in the collection is a film called Liberators Over Europe: The Crossing of the Rhine March 24, 1945, which appears to be a re-enactment of a wartime crossing of the 44th Bomb Group of the 2nd Air Division of the 8th Airforce and their B-24 Bombers. These air shows take place throughout the United States. Also included in this collection are a number of promotional pamplets and flyers for Timkin Films, located in Tinley Park, and founded by Tim Kinally.
1935 – 1989
The Frank Koza Collection primarily consists of news footage Koza shot from the mid-1930s through the late 1980s. Based in Chicago, Koza worked as a cameraman for Telenews, Inc. and WLS-TV, for which he filmed local, national and international events. The materials include distributed newsreels, unreleased stories, production elements, and outtakes. The collection also contains home movies and other personal films Koza shot and collected.
1916 – 1970
The Charles E. Krosse Collection contains films produced and/or distributed by a Peoria film production company, C.L. Venard Productions, a company that became known for its educational films dealing with agricultural subject matter. It was donated to CFA by Charles E. Krosse, who previously worked in the Marketing division at Caterpillar.
The collection contains both 16mm and 35mm films, a number of which may also be titles that Venard employees collected. Included in the collection are promotional and in-house training films made for Caterpillar, a fundraising film made for the city of Peoria, some soft-core erotic shorts, animated shorts, silent film comedies, and home movies.
The collection contains both 16mm and 35mm films, a number of which may also be titles that Venard employees collected. Included in the collection are promotional and in-house training films made for Caterpillar, a fundraising film made for the city of Peoria, some soft-core erotic shorts, animated shorts, silent film comedies, and home movies.
circa 1940 – 1979
The Marion Kudlick collection contains home movies and amateur travelogue films shot by amateur filmmaker Marion Kudlick, Sr. Highlights include films shot in Chicago, Poland, western Europe and Mexico during the 1960s, family vacations in Florida, and Boy Scout activities.
1948 – 1962
This collection of home movies documents an unknown family at various Chicago neighborhood and downtown locations. The majority of the films document scenes shot at the outdoor pool and rooftop of the Lake Shore Club of Chicago, an 18-story luxury country club once located at 850 North Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago. Also of note are reels documenting the 1948-1949 Chicago Railroad Fair and the subsequent Chicago Fair of 1950, which both took place on Chicago's lakefront.
1919 – 1987
The LaRue Collection consists of films and film technology made and collected by two generations of Chicago-based motion picture engineers, Mervin W. LaRue Sr. and Jr. The elder LaRue filmed news subjects for Pathé in Canada before moving to Chicago to work for Bell & Howell and later establish a medical film business. His films include a mix of home movies from Toronto and Chicago, medical films depicting experiments in obstetrics and anesthesia, and Burton Holmes travelogues of Ethiopia, Bali, and Holland. A VHS copy of the film Those Roos Boys and Friends (1987), directed by Barbara Boyden, is included, featuring LaRue and his colleagues Charlie and Len Roos in Canada. The younger LaRue was also an engineer at Bell & Howell, as well as for Ampex in the 1960s. His films include home movies that show the family at home in then-unincorporated North Barrington, IL, celebrating birthdays and weddings, and traveling to Iowa and Colorado. Also included in the collection is a 16mm projector equipped with a lenticular lens to project Kodacolor.
1935 – 1985
A collection of home movies shot by three generations of the Lieb and Hootnick families between 1936 and 1985. They are largely shot around Chicago, where both families lived, capturing family events and holidays as well as public events and locations such as the Chicago Railroad Fair in the late 1940s and the Great America amusement park in the early 1980s. Highlights include a rare sound home movie circa 1951 and several films shot by David's son Daniel.
circa 1950 – 1988
Chicago Film Archives acquired this collection from the Lincoln Middle School in Park Ridge, Illinois. The collection consists of educational films made for primary and secondary school-age children. Film producers and distributors in this collection include BFA Educational Media, Coronet Instructional Films and Encyclopedia Britannica Films. Film subjects range from grammar, science and history to social manners and world cultures. Selected highlights listed from the collection include films that tie into Chicago and the Midwest.
1944 – 1970
Home movies documenting the Italian-American Marino family of Chicago, Illinois. The films were shot by Joseph and Sadie Marino and contain footage of their children (John and Joanne) and themselves.
1928 – 1978
The Marks-Stix Collection consists of primarily of home movies shot by Arnold and Frances Marks between the 1920s and 1940s, and by their son-in-law Lawrence C. Stix from the 1930s to the '60s. The Marks films contain footage of the family home in Hyde Park (including daughters Muriel and Louise Marks pushing their pet goat around in a baby carriage in 1933), the Grand Hotel in Mackinac on the weekend before the market crashed in 1929, and family visits in Elgin. The Stix films feature sausage making in New York in the '30s, vacations to Europe, and Lawrence and Muriel's daughters growing up in Lincoln Park. Also contains two student films made by Paul Muth (Jennifer Stix's husband) in the 1970s.
circa 1940 – 1975
Home movies and short films shot or collected by Chicago artist and muralist Don McIlvaine.
circa 1930 – 1988
These films were once part of Minnesota State's Memorial Library Collection. The collection includes shorts, features, and educational films whose subjects range from sexual behavior and drug experimentation to the history of dance and design.
circa 1953 – 1963
The Frank Miyamoto Collection consists of eight 8mm home movies taken by Frank Miyamoto and one collected 8mm film. Some of the films capture life with family in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, documenting how Japanese American families settled in Chicago post-WWII. Other films feature trips to visit family in California, travel to Springfield, Illinois and Canada, and various auto races in the Midwest.
1936 – 1997
The Morrison-Shearer collection is an extensive collection of dance films, most of which were shot by Helen Balfour Morrison. Sybil Shearer and Jerry Lev, a Shearer Company dancer, shot a small number of the films. Most films were shot in Northbrook, IL at Shearer’s dance studio and the surrounding environs that include the neighboring golf course, Green Acres Country Club. Some of the 8mm films were shot in New York City. The collection features solo performances by Sybil Shearer, Shearer with her dance company, interviews with Sybil Shearer and some rehearsal footage.
circa 1940 – 1960
The Peter A. Nikulin Collection mainly consists of prints and elements from Kling Studios, Inc., a Chicago-based advertising and film production company. The collection's strength is in mid-century television; it contains prints and elements from episodes of "TV Kitchen" (an early example of the cooking show genre), "The Adventures of Uncle Mistletoe" (a daily children's puppet show sponsored by Marshall Field), "Boxing from Rainbo," and "The Old American Barn Dance" (a televised version of the popular radio show). There are also a number of animated commercials for beer, ice cream, and ginger ale.
1926 – 1985
The Rod Nordberg Collection contains 16mm film prints and videotapes of documentary series and educational programs produced by Chicago’s public television station WTTW 11 and Rod Nordberg’s company Hollywood East in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. These include The Architecture of Chicago (1968-9), Metro!!! The School Without Walls (1970), Until I Die (1970) Earthkeeping (1972-3), and Making M*A*S*H (1981). The collection also features 16mm prints of student films from Columbia College, the Chicago Public High School for Metropolitan Studies (Metro), and University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (UICC), as well as 16mm Chicago home movies from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s collected by Nordberg.
circa 1942 – 1986
The John Nash Ott Collection spans decades of Ott’s prolific filmmaking hobby-turned-career, including episodes of his weekly 1950s television series How Does Your Garden Grow?, elements from his self-distributed educational films on a range of topics including the benefits of full-spectrum light, and Kodachrome time-lapse footage of flowers blooming that he brought with him for his lectures at garden clubs across the country.
1922 – 1999
This collection documents the dance legacy and artistic circle of choreographer, Ruth Page, named by the Dance Heritage Coalition as one of America’s 100 Irreplaceable Dance Treasures. As the largest collection of moving image materials related to Ruth Page, this is a worthy complement to the vast manuscript collection that resides at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library and the Newberry Library in Chicago. The collection contains rehearsals and performances that date back to 1922 including footage of Rudolph Nureyev soon after his defection from the Soviet Union, Balinese dances filmed during Page’s 1928 Asian Tour, and performances of The Merry Widow on the Ed Sullivan Show. It also contains the original and master tapes of numerous interviews with dance critics such as Clive Barnes and John Martin, dancers such as Larry Long, Delores Lipinski, Anne Kisselgoff and Maria Tallchief, and a comprehensive series of interviews and oral histories with Page herself that date from 1957 through 1987. Among the dozens of Ruth Page ballets contained in this collection is an original 35mm nitrate print of Bolero danced in 1928 at Ravinia in Highland Park, IL. This collection is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
1940 – 2001
The Tom Palazzolo Collection consists of experimental films and documentaries, their elements, and outtakes made by Chicago-based filmmaker Tom Palazzolo, once called "Chicago's filmmaker laureate" by critic Roger Ebert. Although the subjects of his films vary widely, they are all united in their humanist depiction of those living on the margins of society. Included in the collection are well-known works like Jerry's (1976), featuring the explosive owner of a deli in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood and At Maxwell Street (1984), about the city's storied Maxwell Street market, as well as lesser-known films like Pigeon Lady (1966), Palazzolo's first film, and Rita on the Ropes (2001), the most recent film in the collection.
1937 – 1979
Spanning 5 decades and a wide range of subjects and styles, the Rhodes Patterson Collection documents the rapidly developing city of Chicago during the mid-century and the fascinating life of Rhodes Patterson, a designer, cinematographer, photographer and writer. Patterson’s diverse subject matter and style reflect the interconnected communities of industrial and graphic design, commercial and industrial film production, fine art, and architecture in Chicago during this period. Whether made “just for fun,” as documentation, or for commercial purposes, Patterson’s films reflect his humor, interest in art and design, imagination and creativity.
The collection includes footage of Mae West from 1938; numerous films Patterson shot while stationed as a WWII reconnaissance photographer on the Island of Tinian; the construction of the Marina City Towers, Playboy building and various skyscrapers in Chicago; films made during the early development of the Aspen Institute; commercial footage shot while Patterson was working at the Container Corporation of America; documentation of the construction of the Playboy West complex and grotto; early Playboy footage and burlesque films; footage of Lincoln Park, Lake Michigan and people on the streets of Chicago; and various home movies, commercial projects, and amateur and personal films.
The collection includes footage of Mae West from 1938; numerous films Patterson shot while stationed as a WWII reconnaissance photographer on the Island of Tinian; the construction of the Marina City Towers, Playboy building and various skyscrapers in Chicago; films made during the early development of the Aspen Institute; commercial footage shot while Patterson was working at the Container Corporation of America; documentation of the construction of the Playboy West complex and grotto; early Playboy footage and burlesque films; footage of Lincoln Park, Lake Michigan and people on the streets of Chicago; and various home movies, commercial projects, and amateur and personal films.
1940 – 1989
The William F. Paulin Collection contains home movies and amateur films primarily shot and edited by William F. Paulin between the late 1940s and late 1970s. They were largely shot around Stickney, Illinois, where Paulin lived for most of his life, and document the lives of multiple generations of his family. The films are notable for Paulin’s thoughtful compositions, creative title cards, and goofy sense of humor.
1940 – 1986
The Perser Family Collection contains home movies shot by William Ballert and his son-in-law Donald Alan Perser between 1940 and 1992. Most of the footage was shot around the family homes in Chicago, Northbrook, and Delavan, WI, as well trips to visit family in Toronto and Florida. Some of the home movies have sound. The collection also contains elements for "A Step in Time Saves Nine," an industrial film made by Donald Perser for Avon Cosmetics.
1950 – 1962
The filmmaker and the family (or families) depicted in the Howard Prouty Collection are currently unknown. The films were purchased by Howard Prouty at a Los Angeles garage sale in the Carthay Circle Neighborhood (6101 Del Valle Dr.). The majority films were shot in the Midwest from the late 1940s to the early 1960s, and were developed at various camera shops in the northern suburb of Waukegan, Illinois. The collection includes footage of weddings, birthdays, various Michigan boat trips, and most notably, footage from the Korean war and the Chicago's Railroad Fair of 1948-1949.
1954 – 1963
The bulk of this 16mm & 8mm home movie collection was shot in Dayton, Ohio in the 1950s and 60s, and includes trips to Kentucky's Cumberland Lake and scenes from Put In Bay along the coast of Ohio's Lake Erie. Mr. and Mrs. Quilling also took a trip to Chicago in 1954 for a National Restaurant Association show and brought a camera along with them. They shot footage of Soldier Field and the Buckingham Fountain while driving down Lake Shore Drive, and even shot scenes of the Chicago skyline atop the Drake Hotel.
circa 1938 – 1963
The Redlich Family Collection consists of home movies shot by two generations of Redlichs in the Chicago area. Rudolph "Red" Redlich Jr.'s films capture life on the North Side of Chicago in the 1930s and '40s, and include films of his bowling league, Eagle Sheet Metal Manufacturing Company's picnics, and extensive world travel. His son William's films focus on family life in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, as well as vacations around the U.S. in the 1950s and '60s.
1934 – 1996
The Monica Ross Collection contains home movies and commercially produced films made between 1936 and 1996. These films were purchased at estate sales in Chicago between around 1999 and 2019. They are from and mostly represent the North Side and northern suburbs of Chicago.
1943 – 1962
16mm home movie collection shot by Greg Rouleau, a magician and radio man from Wisconsin.
1946 – 1982
The John and Marilyn Sanner collection contains 16mm, 8mm and Super 8mm amateur and home movie films. John and Marilyn Sanner were members of the Metro Movie Club, a local amateur filmmaking club (1940s-1980s), during the later years of the organization (1972-1987). John Sanner of Deerfield, Illinois shot the majority of the films in this collection. He shot both amateur films and home movies, including footage of Deerfield High School football games, the Chicago snow blizzard of 1979, a behind-the-scenes look at a Metro Movie Club production and a short documentary about the arrival of a Vietnamese family to Deerfield by way of a refuge camp in Hong Kong. The collection also includes films made by John's brother Richard Sanner, who taught at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and established the audiovisual department at the University of Hawaii in 1957. Richard's films include home movies from the Sanner home in Iowa, as well as footage depicting the eruption of Kilauea volcano in 1960.
1941 – 1971
This 8mm. home movie collection documents the Sanzi family of Detroit, Michigan. The majority of the collection consists of footage from family vacations within the United States and Canada.
circa 1942 – 1958
Collection of 16mm and 8mm home movies shot around Ottawa, Illinois by school superintendent MacRae Shannon.
1958 – 1966
The Charles Dee Sharp collection consists of five 16mm films, including a short Christmas themed narrative film, two promotional films for the Illinois Institute of Technology and two short documentary films, one about a Kibbutz in Israel titled The Kibbutz, and another about Russia after Stalin, titled The Iron Curtain Lands: The Post-Stalin Period. All films are Cameras International productions. All films are written and directed by Charles Dee Sharp, except for Symbolic Control, which is written and directed by David A. Tapper for the IIT.
1930 – 2008
Collection of over 5800 films, videos, and audio elements related to C.L. Venard Productions, a Peoria, Illinois-based producer of industrial films, mainly related to agriculture. Venard ran a production studio, distributed films made by others, and did work for hire for companies like Caterpillar. The collection was donated to CFA by Gary Smith, who worked in production for the organization for many years before purchasing the company from Venard in 1967.
1936 – 1970
This home movie collection consists of 8mm home movies shot between the years 1936-1970. The majority of the films were shot in Chicago. The few exceptions include a visit to Stillman Valley, Illinois, a bike club trip to Beloit, Wisconsin, a honeymoon to Paris & London and a visit to a horse track. The Chicago reels depict railways, neighborhood street and stoop scenes, multiple weddings, interior domestic scenes, a funeral and soda shop interiors.
1950 – 1985
The Society of the Divine Word is an international congregation of male Catholic missionaries based in Techny, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The Society was founded in 1875 to preach in countries with insufficient or no foundation of Catholicism and to provide support to communities where the local Church is not yet viable. CFA acquired this collection in 2006 when the Robert M. Myers archives of the Society of the Divine Word deaccessioned a number of 16mm films that were not made by SDW in their collection. The collection consists predominantly of sermon films. According to the archivist at the Society of the Divine Word, these films were probably used in the classroom or for entertainment for students. It is unclear whether these works were produced in Chicago.
1913 – 1966
The Soucie Collection is comprised of 85 reels of 8mm acetate films, an issue of the Sam Campbell Special newsletter sponsored by the Chicago and North Western Railway, and the original inventories created by the filmmaker. These films are amateur travel films of classic American festivals, rituals, amusement parks, parades, Civil War re-enactments, national parks, industrial shows, railroad fairs and Native American tribal ceremonies.
1945 – 1987
Chicago Film Archives acquired this collection from the Southern Illinois University library, located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The library deaccessioned their entire 16mm film collection in 2007, and CFA selected sixty-three films from over 3,000 titles. These works span across genres, from experimental shorts to feature documentaries to educational and instructional films. The McGraw-Hill Book Company and the Encyclopedia Britannica distributed a substantial number of these films, and others are still currently in distribution by the National Film Board of Canada, California Newsreel, and Maysles Films. Highlights of this collection include works by Millie Goldsholl (another CFA collection), the documentary Coalmining Women, about the history of women in the United States Coalmining Industry, and Skater Dater, an amusing educational film assessing male rivalry and teen sexual awareness.
1947 – 2000
The films in this collection were made and collected by Chicago photojournalist, critic and filmmaker Bill Stamets. The bulk of the collection consists of Super 8 films and footage shot by Stamets in the 1970s and 1980s. They depict political events primarily in the city of Chicago, including former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington's two election campaigns, inaugurations, and time in office; numerous street protests and marches; and cultural festivals around the city.
1935 – 1984
The Sunquist home movie collection (16mm and S8mm) features the Sunquist family who resided in Illinois from the 1930s-80. The collection contains reels of birthdays, weddings, Christmas and other celebrations, as well as numerous reels of family holidays. In addition there is documentation of "Worth Day Parades" in Worth, Illinois, footage of the "Carl Sandburg Band", and travel films of various domestic and international destinations. Included are trips to Cheyenne, Miami, Yellowstone, Alaska, Colorado Springs, Michigan, Sweden, France, Italy and Germany.
1942 – 1982
This collection of home movies was shot by Illinoisans Barbara Suster and her nephew John Edward III (Rip) Suster in the Chicago area between the 1950s and early 1980s.
1948 – 1982
The David Szabo Collection is mainly comprised of films and ephemera from David Szabo's time as a student at Columbia College in the late 1960s and his time as a freelance editor and partner of the Szabo-Tohtz editing company in the 1970s and 1980s. Included are distributed prints that are unclear as to Szabo's involvement, 16mm films and intermediate materials Szabo worked on during his time at Columbia College, advertisements he worked on as an editor in the 1970s and 1980s, and 8mm home movies dating from 1948-1963.
1939 – 1983
Chicago Film Archives has received two lots of films from the Warren Thompson Collection. The first lot consists of 2 reels of 16mm amateur films that document 35 years of city life in Chicago and trips to Mackinac Island in Michigan shot from 1955 to 1965. In February of 2011, CFA received 21 more reels of 16mm Thompson films that document domestic and international travel from 1939 to 1981. They include footage from Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok, the Caribbean, the St. Lawrence River, New England, the west, the Wisconsin Dells, and the Smokey Mountains. One reel is named "Fjord Mail Boat".
1941 – 1955
The Otto E. Wagenknect Collection consists of 8mm films shot by Otto between the years 1941 and 1955 while a resident of the Wildwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Many of the films feature his then-wife Mary Theml Wagenknecht and his daughter Karin Wagenknecht (Cox) at home and during their travels. Many reels feature home-made titles which Otto created with his Quixet Magnetic Titling Set.
1947 – 1953
This collection of thirty-four 16mm "physique" or erotic films were donated to Chicago Film Archives by Chicago realtor Stephen Waters in 2010, who received the films from a former client. Because these films are essentially orphaned, their provenance and custodial history can only be approximated. However, it is likely that the films would have been shown in coin-operated Panoram Jukeboxes created by the Chicago-based Mills Novelty Company in 1939, which played closed-loop 16mm silent and sound films and were placed in numerous locations including train and bus stations. Jukeboxes exhibiting adult movies or “peep shows” would most likely have been found in penny arcades that were prominent in the Illinois Central Railway Station at the time. Some of the films may have also been distributed on the home-projection market. The films feature nude or barely clothed women and range from bedroom and interior scenes or created sets where these women undress in a variety of scenarios, to a series of films where the women model poses that are supposedly made for artists to study the human figure.
1950 – 1972
This collection contains the home movies of the Wilczynski family. They lived on the south side of Chicago and ran a bakery. Some of the highlights of the collection are the Baháʼí Temple in Wilmette, Illinois, Chicago's Riverview amusement park, the Chicago Flower and Garden show, family weddings, Niagara Falls, and 1952 Chicago subway scenes.
1959 – 1963
This home movie collection was donated by the Wilmette Historical Museum in 2009 and documents the Grove Family from this northern suburb. The four reels were shot by Axel Grove between 1959-1963 and include footage of the Brookfield Zoo, O’Hare International Airport, the Morton Arboretum, Adventure Island Amusement Park, a trip to Wilmette’s beaches, a child’s tennis lesson and a very entertaining living room puppet show.
1946 – 1986
The Wittman Family Collection consists of 104 8mm and Super-8 home movies shot between 1946 and 1986 by Erna, Elmer, Walter, and Norma Wittman of Chicago. Rev. Walter Wittman was the long-time pastor at St. Simon’s Lutheran Church in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, then at Calvary Lutheran Church in West Lawn.
1947 – 1953
Home movies shot by insurance man, Homer L. Young. The majority of the films were shot in Ohio and Indiana, except for handful of films that document vacations throughout the United States. Also included in the collection are short newsreels, animations and comedies collected by Homer throughout the years.
1957 – 1981
The Dominic and Natalie Zulpo Family and Friends Collection contains home movies shot and compiled by Dominic and Natalie Zulpo of Carpentersville, Illinois. From the 1950s to 1970s, the Zulpos recorded on 8mm and Super 8 their family celebrations, special occasions, and travels to Arkansas, Florida, California, and Europe.
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Collections in Progress
Our staff is always working to expand CFA's catalog by researching, describing, and digitizing new collections. Here are the collections that are currently in progress.
A collection of 129 16mm films, mainly educational titles.
Materials related to the work of experimental filmmaker and Chicago high school teacher Eleanor Binstock.
Elements associated with film Pause of the Clock, produced in the 1990s and completed digitally in 2015.
1923 – 1977
The Deutsch Family Collection contains one 35mm film depicting the 1923 wedding of Henrietta Glick and Melvin B. Deutsch in Chicago, as well as several reels of Super-8 shot by Lauren Deutsch in the late 1970s.
13 reels of 16mm adult films rescued from the Oak Theater in Chicago, at Armitage Ave and Western Ave, as it was being cleared out for renovation.
52 reels of 16mm home movies and collected films from the Beverly and South Shore areas of Chicago, shot and collected by Chester Faust.
Two 16mm films about Fred Flom, of Menasha, Wisconsin, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam from 1966 to 1973.
Collection of over 60 reels of 16mm home movies, most shot by William J. Grede, the grandfather of Chicago-based filmmaker and writer Scott Jacobs, who donated this collection.
Collection of 8mm home movies and slides shot by Evelyn Greene of her travels.
12 cans of 35mm negatives in cans from National Film Archives - Public Archives Canada.
Collection includes 9.5mm equipment and commercial films as well as 8mm home movies from the 1940s and 1950s.
Collection of films produced by Guzik as part of his work for various companies during the late 1970s.
Collection of 13 home movies from the mid-1950s, most of which were shot by Judith Hembree's father.
Films made by, worked on, or collected by documentary filmmaker Judy Hoffman.
3 reels of family outings; 1 reel, Bar Mitzvah party, Albany Park, 1956; 1 reel, Carnival, 1956 at the University of Illinois, Champaign.
38 reels of 8mm home movies shot by Sydney Katz, primarily of family birthday parties, weddings, holidays, and vacations.
Collection of 71 8mm home movies.
36 reels of 8mm and Super 8 home movies shot in the Chicago, Albuquerque, and Milwaukee areas.
Collection of predominantly industrial films worked on by Charles S. C. Lee, who worked in film production in Chicago from the 1960s – 1980s.
Five 8mm home movies shot in Chicago between 1958 and 1962.
About a dozen rolls of 16mm film, mainly comprising unedited footage shot during the 1966 football season, as well as 16mm kinescopes of the Vince Lombardi Show and the George Halas Show.
Home movies on 8mm and Super 8 film.
1929 – 1976
Films and audiotapes depicting and recording activities of the Neighborhood Boys & Girls Club. Originally, these films started as a donation but later became a donation to the CFA. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago (BGCC) is a nonprofit organization that provides a safe and supportive environment for children and teens in Chicago. They have various programs focused on education, character development, health and wellness, and leadership. BGCC wants to empower young people to reach the best version of themselves. The organization offers after-school activities and sports teams, mentorships, and resources to help build critical social and emotional skills, achieve academic success, and grow into responsible, caring citizens. BGCC plays a vital role in fostering positive youth development in Chicago's diverse neighborhoods.
There are many films filmed in different decades. Some are in black and white film and some are in color film. The films mostly depict sports games like baseball and football. There are a few films that depict field days that show track races among children. A few of the most recent films show many different performances at a church. It shows people in costumes singing, dancing, and acting.
There are many films filmed in different decades. Some are in black and white film and some are in color film. The films mostly depict sports games like baseball and football. There are a few films that depict field days that show track races among children. A few of the most recent films show many different performances at a church. It shows people in costumes singing, dancing, and acting.
A collection of independent/student films made in the late 1960s and early 1970s in and around Chicago, Park Ridge, and Niles, Illinois.
This collection, donated by Northwestern University, is mainly comprised of 16mm films. These include prints of feature film classics formerly used in film studies instruction at Northwestern University, a collection of films made by Chicago filmmaker Helene Fischer, and a collection of films made by Wilding Studios (a Chicago-based maker of educational and industrial films).
Collection consisting mainly of 16mm elements of films made by or in collaboration with Robert Orr, both during his high school years and his professional career.
Collection of 4 16mm home movies.
47 reels of 8mm home movies found in a dumpster and donated to CFA. Reel labels indicate that the films depict visits to Europe as well as to Crivitz, Wisconsin.
13 reels of 16mm film from Dr. Herbert Ratner, who was health commissioner of Oak Park, IL, from 1949 to 1974.
This collection of 8mm and 16mm films, and some audio tapes, belonged to Dr. Martin Ross of Lincolnwood, IL. He was an avid traveler and photographer, and often shot 8mm and 16mm film on his trips in addition to slides and snapshots. He shot all of the films which are home movies and travelogues.
2 reels of 16mm film about urban planning in Chicago, produced by the City of Chicago Department of Urban Renewal.
circa 1955 – 1974
Multiple 8mm and Super 8 films taken by Caroline Wenz Rubin in the 1950s-'70s in Chicago, lL; Perrysburg, OH; Yellow Springs, OH; Newton, MA; Washington, DC; and various other locations. Collection includes one or more short movies filmed by Betsy Rubin, then a high school student. Most films are family or travel documentary in nature; a few are filmed stories or plays, including one stop-action short film.
Collection of 8mm and Super 8 home movies.
Collection of over 200 16mm films, predominantly home movies shot by Arthur Senior of Homewood, Illinois.
The Jerzy “George” Skwarek collection consists of 80 films (including one 16mm, thirteen Regular 8mm, and sixty-five Super-8mm) taken by Jerzy “George” Skwarek. The films document travels with friends and clients of Polish travel agencies, mainly in the United States, including Florida, California, Texas, Arizona, North and South Carolina, and Peru. Among Skwarek’s captured friends is the famous Polish actress and singer Kalina Jędrusik. The Midwest is portrayed in films from Chicago and Wisconsin, as well as in documentation of his visits with friends to the Ponderosa Sun Club and Naked City in Roselawn, Indiana.
The collection also includes home movies from the early 1950s of an unknown moviemaker and family. These include trips to Saugatuck in Michigan, Starved Rock State Park, Illinois, Florida, Bermuda, and Mexico. Additionally, Skwarek’s collection consists of short commercial pornographic films, including Wet & Wild, which was likely directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. in 1973.
The collection also includes home movies from the early 1950s of an unknown moviemaker and family. These include trips to Saugatuck in Michigan, Starved Rock State Park, Illinois, Florida, Bermuda, and Mexico. Additionally, Skwarek’s collection consists of short commercial pornographic films, including Wet & Wild, which was likely directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. in 1973.
Collection of 31 reels of 16mm home movies from a Michigan family.
Three reels of film found in the church when they were clearing out old things.
A collection of educational films, newsreels, and student films.
Films, videos, and audio tapes related to the organization's activities.
Materials documenting street cars in Chicago, including films, mini DV tapes, and paper materials.
1998
16mm and 35mm materials documenting the demolition of the Lakefront Properties by the Chicago Housing Authority. These buildings were located in the North Kenwood / Oakland neighborhood of Chicago near 39th Street.
Collection of 8mm home movies.