South Side Home Movie Project
The Archive
SSHMP's Digital Archive is a globally accessible online portal and searchable catalog of our entire collection of over 700 digitized home movies shot by residents of Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods from 1929-1982.
SPOTLIGHT: Ramon Williams at the Bud Billiken
Ramon Williams, a Black IBEW electrician and film hobbyist, was an early adopter of amateur filmmaking and invested in documenting the Bronzeville community in which he lived, a historic district with a rich legacy of early 20th-century Black history and culture. Williams shot at least 21 films depicting the Bud Billiken Parade, capturing the historic celebration of African-American culture from 1940-1960.
Check out these stunning, one-of-a-kind movies along with the remainder of this 302 film treasure trove by exploring the Ramon Williams Collection. And learn more about the Ramon Williams Collection through our minisite on the process.
explore the Ramon Williams Collection Visit the ArchiveEvents and News
Jul. 11 2025
Exhibition: The Act of Recording is an Act of Love: The South Side Home Movie Project
View Event
View All Events and News
Creative Reuse
We invite community members to reuse our collections in creative ways, and to bring a contemporary lens to the scenes and histories they represent. Activating archival films brings them back into the public sphere and to their original intent, as memories captured to be viewed, shared, cherished and re-interpreted.
SPOTLIGHT: Spinning Home Movies
Launched as an effort to connect with our communities virtually in spring 2020, the ongoing Spinning Home Movies series has emerged as a new paradigm for meaningful artist/archive partnerships and for robust community engagement. Each episode features a 20-30 minute set of home movie footage, curated and sound-tracked by Chicago DJs, musicians and performing artists, followed by a live discussion, “The Rewind,” where the production team, guest artists and film donors dig deeper into the episode’s themes. Find complete details, artist info, featured collections and more for each episode at the link below.
See all spinning home movies episodes Creative Reuse + LicensingHome Movie Community
Home movie donors are the heart of the Project. New donors join a community of families who have entrusted us with their historic records, and who actively participate in the life of the archive. We honor and celebrate their stories, ensuring that donors' voices continue to shape our understanding of the histories we hold.
SPOTLIGHT:
Ellis and Susan McClelland Oral History Recording
Home movie donors are invited to record an oral history with family members who recall the stories behind the films. On February 17, 2008, Susan McClelland sat down with her father Ellis McClelland and SSHMP director Jacqueline Stewart to record an interview about the McClelland family's life and home movies. Watch the interview here, and click below to visit their Collection.
explore the Ellis McClelland CollectionResearch and Education
Home movies provide a unique visual record that enriches our understanding of culture, history, and aesthetics. Through our research practices and educational partnerships, we hope to study, describe and share this unique resource with new audiences and new generations.
SPOTLIGHT: Teen Arts Council Collaboration
High school students in APL's Teen Arts Council explored SSHMP's digital archive to learn about preserving and archiving South Side Chicago history. The teens created video collages connecting moments in time across families through everyday events, and video essays highlighting home movie moments in imaginative new ways. Watch "The History of Vacations" by Aranya A., and read more about this project on the Research & Education page.
Explore Research & Education Opportunities