Two Decades of Preserving History
South Side Home Movie Project at 20
Founded in 2005 by Dr. Jacqueline Stewart, the South Side Home Movie Project (SSHMP) is dedicated to collecting, preserving, digitizing, exhibiting, and researching the rich tapestry of home movies created by Chicago's South Side residents. More than just an archive, SSHMP empowers individuals and families to share their cherished memories and unique perspectives, creating an unparalleled visual record. We ensure the vibrant cultures and evolving narratives of the South Side are preserved for generations to come and celebrated as a vital thread in the history of the city of Chicago.
Today, SSHMP holds more than 1,200 reels of small-gauge film – 16mm, 8mm, and Super-8mm footage shot by South Siders spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s. As part of UChicago’s Arts + Public Life, the South Side Home Movie Project goes far beyond traditional archival boundaries, acting as a cultural steward that brings together a community of donors, students, artists, practitioners, and neighbors to explore a wide range of educational and creative reuse initiatives.
"Twenty years ago, the South Side Home Movie Project began with a simple yet profound vision: to ensure that the vivid, personal histories captured in home movies by South Side residents would be preserved and celebrated. Today, as we mark this incredible milestone, I am filled with immense gratitude for the families who have entrusted us with their precious memories, the partners who have amplified our reach, and the team that has tirelessly built this invaluable archive.
Together, we've created a living testament to the resilience, creativity, and everyday beauty of the South Side. We invite you to explore these stories and join us as we embark on our next two decades of discovery."
— Dr. Jacqueline Stewart, Founder and Director
In The Spotlight
Join us this summer, all the way through summer 2026, as we commemorate two decades of community-driven archiving and storytelling. All year long, we'll be celebrating our past achievements and looking forward to an even brighter future:
THE ACT OF RECORDING IS AN ACT OF LOVE
Logan Center for the Arts, July 11-Aug 24, 2025
Visit the exhibition at the Logan Center (915 E 60th St)
Learn more about the exhibition
Follow our stories on social media
Check back here for more upcoming programs!
PRESS HIGHLIGHTS:
Newcity Film - We Were There Together: Jacqueline Stewart on the Two Decades of South Side Home Movie Project
Chicago Reader - Golden memories for SSHMP’s 20th anniversary
Chicago Tribune - Column: 20 years ago, UChicago’s Jacqueline Stewart went hunting for home movies. She found pure Chicago history.
NBC 5 Chicago - New exhibit highlights home movies from Chicago's South Side
Impact
Over 1,200 reels of film collected from 45 South Side families
More than 106 hours of film digitized and preserved
112 public screenings and events held in the past decade
Our collections represent 7 decades of South Side history (1929-1986)
MILESTONES
2005
The South Side Home Movie Project is founded by Professor Jacqueline Stewart at the University of Chicago, with support from the Women’s Board and hosted at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture.
2007
SSHMP receives the first collections from Nicolas Osborne, Lynette Frazier, Jeanette Foreman, Susan Ellis, Harriette Moody and Linda Pitts.
2008
SSHMP conducts its first interviews with donors, including JoAnne Bloom, Lynette Frazier, the Maxwell family, and Dr. George Reed with his son Mark Reed.
2013
After a period at Northwestern University, the SSHMP, along with Professor Jacqueline Stewart, returns to the University of Chicago.
2015
Partnership with the Film Studies Center provides access to climate-controlled storage of preserved reels in the Logan Center Film Vault.
2016
Jeanette and Ghian Foreman donates the Jean Patton Family Collection of over 100 home movies, the largest at that time.
2018
A landmark year! SSHMP launches the SSHMP Digital Archive, making an ever-growing collection of South Side home movies accessible to the public. SSHMP clips gains national exposure, being included in an MSNBC Headliners documentary about Michelle Obama and featured in a live performance by musician and poet Jamila Woods. SSHMP also wins the Ray Edmondson Advocacy Award from the Association of Moving Image Archivists.
2019
South Side Home Movie Project joins Arts + Public Life, a significant move that integrated SSHMP into broader cultural preservation and public engagement efforts, especially with Jacqueline Stewart also serving as the faculty director of Arts + Public Life.
2020
SSHMP launches "Spinning Home Movies," a unique virtual series that invited local DJs to set silent home movies to music, offering a space for intergenerational dialogue and innovative public access to the collections during the Covid era.
2021
Over two years in development with scores of local donors, archivists, and designers in partnership with Span Studio, SSHMP’s award-winning new website with an updated digital archive is unveiled.
2022
SSHMP rolls out online Community Cataloging tools, enabling the public to add tags, comments, and memories directly to the film catalog
2023
Another big year! SSHMP receives the donation of the Ramon Williams Collection, over 300 films, the largest single collection SSHMP has received. SSHMP also debuts "What Home Movies Reveal: A Guide for Exploring the South Side Home Movie Project Archive," a curriculum for classrooms, teaching artists and student researchers interested in exploring the power of home movies as primary sources.
2024
SSHMP brings a vibrant celebration of South Side history to the 95th Bud Billiken® Parade, streaming rare footage from the newly digitized Ramon Williams Collection on a mobile screen, showing nostalgic scenes of the parade from the 1940s to the 1960s alongside fabric banners depicting scenes from the archive, crafted by the Teen Arts Council at Arts + Public Life.
Archival Highlights: A Glimpse into Our Collections
Discover the everyday extraordinary. Each collection in our archive is a window into the lives, traditions, and resilience of South Side families:
The 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 this footage of Althea Gibson at the 1957 US Clay Court Championships:
Alsup Smith Family Collection: A rich portrayal of Englewood family life in the 1970s and 80s, featuring rare sound footage and exciting concert scenes from 1979 Chicagofest.
Lynette Frazier Collection: Documents life in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, alongside extensive travels around the globe and visits to key sites in U.S. civil rights history. Here she travels with her family to the Bahamas:
Jean Patton Collection: Comprising over 100 reels, this collection intimately showcases Chatham family life and extensive international travels to places like Hong Kong from the 1940s to the 1970s.
Roberts Family Collection: A fascinating look at nightlife at the legendary Roberts Show Lounge, capturing events from Englewood to Hyde Park, rural Oklahoma, and even Disneyland.
Frederick Atkins Collection: Features family life in the East Side neighborhood from the 1950s to the 1980s, uniquely interspersed with delightful youth stop-motion animation and horror films:
