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 Robert R. Dockum collection contains the home movies of Robert ("Bob") Dockum (b. 1938), a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. The movies in this collection were made between 1965 and 1973 on 50-foot rolls of Super 8mm film. They include scenes of Bob's homecoming from the Vietnam War in 1968, family camping trips in Wisconsin, pony and tractor rides at Dockum's parents' farmhouse in Ohio, and the Butler County Fair. The individuals that appear in these films include Dockum; his first wife, Joanne; his parents and extended family members; and his children, Todd, J.R. and Leah.