Ron Doerring Collection

[Doerring Collection Still]

Collection Items

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Transformation
Film
Transformation
circa 1960
Autumn Glory
Film
Autumn Glory
1945
This Is a Hobby?
Film
This Is a Hobby?
circa 1958
Nostalgia
Film
Nostalgia
circa 1962
 Anticipation
Film
Anticipation
circa 1953
Revolutionary War Fans Muster at Union Grove
Film
Revolutionary War Fans Muster at Union Grove
Midget Car and Motorcycle Races - State Fair Park; Joe Chitwood Auto Show
Film
Midget Car and Motorcycle Races - State Fair Park; Joe Chitwood Auto Show
1959
Bakery in Operation, A
Film
Bakery in Operation, A
circa 1947
C&NW Steamer Brings Colleen Moore to Racine, WI
Film
C&NW Steamer Brings Colleen Moore to Racine, WI
circa 1939
Durango/Silverton & Train;  Panning for Gold
Film
Durango/Silverton & Train; Panning for Gold
circa 1965
Dear Jim
Film
Dear Jim
1952
Driftins
Film
Driftins
1949
Meers Go South
Film
Meers Go South
Journey West #1
Film
Journey West #1
Oh Yeah?
Film
Oh Yeah?
circa 1964
Battle of the Bulge
Film
Battle of the Bulge
circa 1960
Susie Steps Out
Film
Susie Steps Out
1955
Tender Loving Care Of Your Films
Film
Tender Loving Care Of Your Films
circa 1963
Listen
Film
Listen
1960s
Abstract Patterns
Film
Abstract Patterns
circa 1949
Dancing Colors
Film
Dancing Colors
1968
Gift to Mother
Film
Gift to Mother
circa 1946
The Tokyo Olympics
Film
The Tokyo Olympics
1964
Here We Go Again
Film
Here We Go Again
1965
Nuffs Enough
Film
Nuffs Enough
circa 1960
Strategist, The
Film
Strategist, The
circa 1962
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Collection Identifier
C.2005-02
Extent of Collection
33 reels of 8mm film totaling 5,700 feet; 8 reels of 16mm film totaling 4,820 feet; 18 reels of 5" 1/4" audio totaling approximately 3,600 feet; 6 reels of Super 8mm film totaling 2,400 feet; 2 reels of 16mm with mag stripe soundtrack totaling 450 feet; 1 Audiocassette
Language Of Materials
English
Custodial History
These films were collected and stored by Ron Doerring prior to residing at CFA. Evelyn Kibar gave her and her husband John's films to Ron Doerring after John Kibar's death in September of 1991. Ron also purchased Society of Amateur Cinematographers (SAC) titles, after the SAC disposed of the films from their collection. In 2005, Ron gave the collection to Charles Tepperman to aid in his University of Chicago Department of Cinema and Media Studies graduate dissertation. Charles Tepperman donated the collection to CFA while completing this dissertation, titled Communicating a New Form of Knowledge: Tracing the Amatuer Cinema League and Its Films (1926-1954) (Cinema and Media Studies, Spring 2007).
Related Materials
Other Amateur Film Club films can be found in the Margaret Conneely Collection, J. Gerald Hooper Collection and the John & Marilyn Sanner Collection at Chicago Film Archives.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open to on-site access. Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Use Restrictions
CFA owns the copyrights to this collection.
Creators
Doerring, Ron (was created by)
Ron Doerring has been involved in professional and amateur filmmaking since 1949. He served in the United States Air Force from 1957-60 and worked as a motion picture cameraman. Stationed in the Philippines, Doerring shot film throughout Southeast Asia. After returning to the United States, Doerring worked as a newspaper photographer and later formed his own film production company, specializing in documentary films and television advertising. 

Doerring has been a member of numerous amateur motion picture and photography groups, including the Kenosha Movie Makers (also known as the Kenosha Movie and Slide Club and the Kenosha Camera Club), the Ra-Ciné Movie and Slide Club, the Society of Amateur Cinematographers, and the PSA-MPVD. He was a frequent participant, presenter and judge in Chicago area movie clubs, including the Metro Movie Club. His film, “The Wizard of Wazoo,” won the C.A.C.C.A. “Motion Picture of the Year” Margaret Conneely award in 1965. He began filming in widescreen formats in 1952, initially using VistaScope 8mm film and later B&H Cinemascope 16mm film. Doerring edited and published “WideScene USA,” the American Widescreen Association newsletter, and was an editor for the PSA-MPVD section of the PSA journal. He co-authored the book “Pirsch Fire Apparatus: A Pictorial History.”
Kibar, John & Evelyn (was created by)
John and Evelyn Kibar were a husband and wife amateur filmmaking team. They lived in Racine, Wisconsin and were members of amateur cinema groups including the Kenosha Movie Makers (also known as the Kenosha Movie and Slide Club and the Kenosha Camera Club), Society of Amateur Cinematographers, PSA, and Ra-Ciné Movie and Slide Club.

They began making films together in the 1930s, and were frequent visitors, presenters, judges and winners in both photographic slide and film competitions in Chicago and Milwaukee. The Kibars’ films were award-winning creative collaborations and often included audio accompanyment on tape. Detailed notes within the original cans suggest these audio tracks were to be played alongside their corresponding titles during projection. Their 1946 film "Autumn Glory," won an honorable mention in the Amateur Cinema League's annual “Ten Best Contest” that year.

John Kibar worked as a cake decorator in a bakery and taught classes in cake decorating around Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Kibars left their films to Ron Doerring after they passed away; he believes they had no living relatives.