1939-1941
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A home movie compiling many short scenes of the family at holiday gatherings and other social activities. Many shots of Chicago life. Some scenes in the rural areas with many family members may take place in Kentucky.
Credits
Henry Brooks (filmmaker); Cynthia Holmberg (participant)
Complete catalog record
Cfa collection: Cynthia Holmberg Collection
Notes: The film begins with a scene of Cynthia's birthday and she blows out candles on her cake. Then there are some shots of the holidays, seeing the Christmas tree, dinner, and then the family sitting around talking. There are more scenes of the family at Lake Michigan and at Buckingham Fountain. Then we see the family at a picnic in a forested park. There is a short scene of car racing at Soldier Field. There are then shots of the family in a rural area, including shots of children in a garden and a man practicing his golf swing. The film returns to the city, with shots of a ship that appears to be the USS Wilmington and a car race and rodeo at Soldier Field. Family members are shown in a colorful flower garden. The film continues with shots of Christmas from a different year. Cynthia plays with dolls and a marionette puppet near a Christmas tree. This is followed by a sequence of many shots showing Cynthia dancing and dressed in different costumes. The film ends with several shots of various family members spending time outdoors.
Subjects: Boats and Boating; Family recreation; Families; Holidays; Birthdays; Picnics; City and town life; Gardens
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Chicago
Cfa elements: Reversal Positives, 400 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/9318
Notes: The film begins with a scene of Cynthia's birthday and she blows out candles on her cake. Then there are some shots of the holidays, seeing the Christmas tree, dinner, and then the family sitting around talking. There are more scenes of the family at Lake Michigan and at Buckingham Fountain. Then we see the family at a picnic in a forested park. There is a short scene of car racing at Soldier Field. There are then shots of the family in a rural area, including shots of children in a garden and a man practicing his golf swing. The film returns to the city, with shots of a ship that appears to be the USS Wilmington and a car race and rodeo at Soldier Field. Family members are shown in a colorful flower garden. The film continues with shots of Christmas from a different year. Cynthia plays with dolls and a marionette puppet near a Christmas tree. This is followed by a sequence of many shots showing Cynthia dancing and dressed in different costumes. The film ends with several shots of various family members spending time outdoors.
Subjects: Boats and Boating; Family recreation; Families; Holidays; Birthdays; Picnics; City and town life; Gardens
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Chicago
Cfa elements: Reversal Positives, 400 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/9318
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, creator, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:11