The Archive

O'Neal Family Collection

Brothers Brian, Rick II, and Kamal O’Neal shot and created these films of their teenage years in and around their Hyde Park home. The collection includes experiments in stop-motion animation, basketball games, and a family road trip to Niagara Falls and Bar Harbor, ME. 8mm, Super 8mm. Silent. 1970s. 21 films.

Roberts Family Collection

This collection was shot primarily by Herman Roberts, his family and the staff of the Roberts Show Lounge. The films capture South Side nightlife from Englewood to Hyde Park, the Roberts Show Lounge in the '50s, rural Oklahoma, and Disneyland. 8mm, 16mm. Silent. 1950s. 34 films.

Len and Ben Mednick Collection

Ramon Williams Collection

Ramon Williams shot and created these films throughout Chicago and the American South. The collection features a number of historical figures and events, including Haile Selassie’s arrival in Chicago, Althea Gibson’s landmark US Nationals win, and several Bud Billiken parades. 8mm, 16mm. Sound, Silent. 1940-1975. 302 films.