Armstrong Family Collection
Inclusive Dates
circa 1926 – 1985
Bulk Dates
1926 – 1985
Preservation Sponsor
The Armstrong Family
Abstract
This collection of home movies documents the lives 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.
Description
The earliest films in the collection, dating to 1926-1954, were made by John O. Armstrong, who lived in and around Chicago during that time, and owned a large manufacturing company by the name of Armstrong Blum.
Another batch of films in the collection were made during the 1960s and 70s by Donald L. Armstrong, John's son. Films shot during the 1980s onwards were most likely captured by brothers Michael and William Armstrong, including the amateur horror films made in and around their home in Wheaton, Illinois.
Another batch of films in the collection were made during the 1960s and 70s by Donald L. Armstrong, John's son. Films shot during the 1980s onwards were most likely captured by brothers Michael and William Armstrong, including the amateur horror films made in and around their home in Wheaton, Illinois.
Collection Items
Film
The Big Green House on the Corner
circa 1982
Film
Beaufort, South Carolina - Fripp Island
circa 1980
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at
info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
- 19th Century Club Bruce Don Roger 1942
- '86 Carrie, Katie
- 1970 Park-Boat
- 1970 Pentwater
- 1982 Florida
- Albert at McHenry, Jack's 8th Birthday
- Animal
- Ann and Water Fall, Rose Garden, Salem
- Another Heart Breaks
- Arkansas and Green Lake
- Aunt Barb and Others
- Aunt Joan and Uncle Bruce's
- Ballerina
- Beafort, S.C. Fripp Island
- Beaufort, South Carolina - Fripp Island
- Bedford
- Bedford Monster
- Betty-Don-Anne-Bruce-Staten Island June 1953
- Big Don, Little Don, Florida
- The Big Green House on the Corner
- Bill as Teenager
- Cape Cod- Aunt Barb
- Cape Cod, Barb
- Captiva First Time
- Carrie
- Carrie and Laura or Katie in Green Lake
- Carrie at 10 Months
- Children and Florence March 1938
- Children, Ted, Mary, Jack
- Christmas, Ann, Don, Etc.
- Colorado 1935
- Colorado 1939
- Colorado 1940
- Colorado, Don's Place
- Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Ink Pots, Old Faithful
- Delevan. Dad, Fred, Ruth
- Dog Sled Races on Green Lake
- Don and Betty with Baby Girl- Meg
- Don-Betty, Anne, Spokane 1954
- Don's Graduation 1952
- Don Uniform, Christmas, Cathy, Lake Geneva, North Carolina
- Doug's Second Birthday
- Dull Florida Footage
- EAA '81
- East Glacier, Glacier Lake McDonald, Bears
- Eucharistic Congress, Colorado, Jack
- First Film Taken
- Florida
- Florida
- Florida '82
- Florida '85
- Florida 1940
- Florida 1941 Charleston Williamsburg, Ithaca-Cornell, McHenry, Colorado and Bruce Christmas 1940
- Florida, Colorado 1940
- Florida, Donald
- Foot-Ball, Elgin-Harvard 1954
- Football (Don)
- Football Lake
- Frank's Dog
- Golf and Jack and Nancy
- Grandma's Birthday, McHenry 1952, Don's Graduation
- Green Lake
- Green Lake, Andy, Don Jr.
- Hawaii
- Homecoming 1968
- I'm Not Alone
- Illinois River Cruise October 1941
- ILYA
- Jack-Barb-John-Cathy, Foot-Ball, Elgin-Mundelein 1954
- Jack Burlingame, Colorado, Grand Canyon, California June-September 1943
- Jack, Roger, Grandpa Wilson
- Janet Married
- Janet Wedding, Michigan
- Jeff Park
- Lake Geneva Cathy August- 1952
- Lake Geneva Regatta 1951-52
- Lake Geneva Sailing 1952
- Lake Geneva So Dakota and Colo 1936
- Lake Rascal
- Lake Rascal
- Lake Summer
- Last Film
- McHenry 1953 Gram-Don Betty-Ann, Jack, Barb, Cathy, Ruth and Joe's
- McHenry, Keith and wife, Jack and Jim
- Mechanical Terror
- Meg, North Side Park
- Meg's First Communion
- Michigan and McHenry, Labor Day
- Michigan. Grand Mere Beach
- Mike and Frank, Green Lake
- Mike and Steve Hancock
- Mike in Gymnastics
- Mississippi River Cruise, Harold Anderson 1947
- Neenah, Fon du Lac, Et Cetera
- New York, McHenry
- North Carolina '58
- Ormond Florida 1946
- Ozarks 1950
- Pemoquid Point, Maine 1953
- Pentwater
- Pentwater
- Pentwater
- Pentwater 1968
- Pentwater 1969
- Pentwater 1969
- Quest for Snow
- Rascal to Chi
- Return of Agent X!!
- River Cruise 1949
- River Cruise and William's Bay, Winter
- Roger and Trip to New York
- The Selfish Giant
- The Selfish Giant - Five Peas in a Pod (Audio)
- Sheer Lunacy
- Skating Stunts
- Someone is in my House
- Someone's in my House!
- The Story of Handel's Messiah
- The Story of Handel's Messiah (Audio)
- The Story of the Nutcracker
- The Story of the Nutcracker (Audio)
- Summer Lake
- Sun Valley 1937
- Through Mountains to Beaufort, South Carolina
- Trailer Trip 1937
- Train to Cal. Hal-O'Faregty
- Turkey Run 1940 Sturges Farm
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [untitled]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- The Vengence of Agent X
- The Visitor
- VW Camping Van. Original Rascal
- Wheaton North Band
- Wreck
- WWII Part 2
- Yellowstone, Lake Geneva , Johnny 1954
Collection Identifier
C.2017-02
Extent of Collection
64 reels of 16mm totaling approx. 6600 feet; 43 reels of Super 8 totaling approx. 2390 feet; 30 reels of 8mm totaling approx. 2000 feet; 3 reels of filmstrips totaling approx. 15 feet; 3 12" vinyl records.
Language Of Materials
English
Subject
Custodial History
The collection was donated to CFA in 2017 by Leigh Armstrong, who helped store her husband's archive (Michael Armstrong) for many years.
Access Restrictions
Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives for on-site access. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Use Restrictions
Chicago Film Archives holds the copyright for the films in this collection.