Film Studies: Selected Special Collections Research Center Resources
The following collections are accessible through finding aids in the Special Collections Research Center.
Finding aids that have been converted to digital form can be searched in the online finding aids database.
For more detailed information on holdings, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.
William Benton Papers
The papers of William Benton document his careers in advertising,
communications, media, higher education, and public office.
Encyclopaedia Britannica files contain information about EB films,
1939-73. Materials relating to the use of media at the University can
also be found in the Office of the Vice-President Records in the
University Archives.
Ernest W. Burgess Papers. Finding Aid
University of Chicago sociologist Ernest W. Burgess, a key figure in
the development of urban sociology, conducted research on local
communities, ethnic groups, marriage, juvenile delinquency, and the
family. The Burgess papers include his data and manuscripts on these
subjects as well as the research papers written by his students, with
whom he examined and recorded aspects of urban life such as gambling,
public dance halls, and movie theaters.
Chicago Foreign Language Press Survey Records, 1861-1936
Sponsored by the Chicago Public Library Omnibus Project, this project was conducted by the Illinois Works Projects Administration from 1936 to 1941. The purpose of the survey was to translate, transcribe, and index selected news articles that appeared in the foreign language press of Chicago. Bessie Louise Pierce, a faculty member in the University of Chicago History Department, was an advisor on the project. The collection consists of approximately 120,000 typewritten sheets of translations from newspapers of 22 foreign language communities of Chicago that were published from 1861 to 1936. Topics indexed in the collection include cinema in the ethnic communities of Chicago as well as other subjects ranging from art, music, and drama to education, social relations, family life, and politics.
Samuel Goldman Papers
A collection of 472 manuscript scripts for vaudeville skits of varying
lengths, along with some related materials such as stage directions and programs.
Samuel Goldman (d. 1945) was well-known as an actor, producer, and
writer in the 1920s and 1930s. Among the bits he wrote are "Slowly I
Turned" and "Who's On First." Many
of the skits parody films and famous film stars. Goldman never
published anything; although many of the pieces are copyrighted,
they were often pirated by other, more successful comedians. A
complete listing of the compositions by title is available.
Motion Picture Stills Collection
A collection of over 30,000 photographs documenting American films and
film personalities from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s; over 180scrapbooks containing ca. 10,000 magazine clippings of actors and
actresses; about 300 glass lantern slides of coming attractions;
folders containing approximately 200 scenes from Vitaphone films, and
approximately 150 marquee cards. Some of the stills appear to be
unique; others provide documentation for films that have been lost or
preserve previously
unknown shots of famous screen personalities. The finding aid the the collection is suuplemented by card files containing biographical and production data.
Playbills and Programs Collection, 1843-1979
A collection of 120 boxes, compiled from various sources, consisting
of a diverse body of materials falling under the general heading of
"public performance" in the 19th century. Approximately two-thirds of the items can be
designated as "playbills." For the 19th century, this category includes
posters, programs, and souvenir books; for the 20th century, the term
refers to Playbill or Showbill magazine. The remaining third consists
primarily of musical performance programs. There is a small amount of
material for lectures, memorials and tributes; a number of scrapbooks
are integrated according to region and content. There is some
material relating to movie programs, film stills, and radio broadcast
transcripts. Most of the collection is from Chicago, New York,
and Boston, but the collection spans the entire United States and a
few foreign countries (primarily England, France, and Germany). A
finding aid is available in the Special Collections Research Center.
Sheet Music Collection
Approximately 4,300 printed songs, folksongs, ballads, and piano music
scores from the late 18th to mid-20th century. The materials are
predominantly English and American, but the collection includes songs
of other countries. The majority of the collection consists of some
3,500 songs published and performed in England, arranged either by
lyricist or composer. A group of ca. 500 pieces of American popular
music from the early 20th century includes movie theme songs and songs
from musicals. A finding aid is
available in the Special Collections Research Center.
Theatrical Collections
American theatrical resources from the period 1830 to 1930 are
exceptionally strong. They include: over 300 Ethiopian or minstrel
dramas; and approximately 10,000 19th- and 20th-century acting
editions from theatrical agencies and Samuel French publications;
and manuscript, typescript, and mimeographed copies of unpublished plays.
The William Harlowe Briggs Collection of Dramatic Criticism contains reviews of more than 11,000 plays produced in the United States from 1895 to 1931, along with reviews of plays produced in London and Paris. The Napier Wilt Index of Chicago Theatrical Performances preserves a record of Chicago theatrical
performance from 1839 to 1955. Other theater holdings include the
Celia and Delia Austrian Collection, focusing on English theater to
1800; nearly 300 plays and editions of classical plays of the Italian
Renaissance; and nearly 1,000 18th- and 19th-century French theatrical
works.
University Archives Film Collection
A collection of 146 videotapes and 197 16- or 32-mm films relating to
the University of Chicago and its academic programs. Included are promotional films, films of
conferences and celebrations, profiles and interviews of University
faculty and administrators, and sports events. Many of the films were
produced by the University's Office of Radio and Television; others are copies of
commercial productions. A listing is available. The collection also
includes films, outtakes, and transcriptions relating to three films
made for the University of Chicago by Cally Curtis: "A Quiet War," "A
Very Special Place," and "A Special Kind of Person." Advance
arrangements need to be made with Special Collections Research Center staff for
viewing these films in the University's Film Studies Center.
University of Chicago Documentary Film Group Records
Founded as a University of Chicago student organization in 1941, the Documentary Film Group (Doc Films) has presented a wide range of films including documentaries, experimental films, and commercial releases. The collection includes programs from film showings, posters and other publicity materials, files on the Midwest Film Festival, articles on the history of Doc Films, photographs, scrapbooks, and issues of Focus, the Doc Films newsletter. Correspondence includes exchanges with Joseph von Sternberg, Anais Nin, Pauline Kael, Jean Renoir, and Samuel Fuller, among others.
Carl Van Vechten Photographs.
Call number: ff PS3543.A28Z8A4
Collection of 347 photographs by writer, critic, and photographer Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) dating from 1932 to 1939. Includes portraits of Tallulah Bankhead, Kitty Carlisle, Katherine Cornell, Lynn Fontaine, Mary Garden, Hedda Hopper, Jose Iturbi, Alfred Lunt, Diego Rivera, Gertrude Stein, Alfred Stieglitz, and Alice B. Toklas, among others.
Other Related Collections
- Archival Biographical Files. HTML Guide
- Archival Photographic Files. HTML Guide
- Archival Serials. HTML Guide
See also: Manuscript and archival collections related to Theater and Performing Arts and Poetry and Literature
For further information on collections of interest for film studies, please contact:
Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 E. 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
SpecialCollections@lib.uchicago.edu.