Lyman Orig.
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Lyman Orig. is a silent structuralist film that explores the architectural landscape of Chicago, IL, juxtaposing them with advertisements from major corporations.
Credits
Camille Cook (filmmaker)
Complete catalog record
Date: circa 1968
Cfa collection: Camille Cook Collection
Notes: Film begins with an advertisement for the Illinois Bank of Chicago, followed by shots of neon signage in Downtown Chicago taken in the evening. An advertisement for Chevrolet is prominently featured, followed by a view of the cityscape during the daytime, with the camera focused on the Equitable Building at North Michigan Avenue. The Lake Point Tower at 505 N. Lake Shore Dr. is then shown, followed by an aerial view of the city.; There is another fade to black, then it becomes clear that the film is reverting to the nighttime landscape, with what seems to be the Kemper Building (featuring a neon ad for United Insurance) going in and out of focus in the night. Afterwards, it is daylight again, with shots of the aforementioned Lake Point Tower, quickly followed by glowing neon advertisements for products such as Butterfinger, Cadillac, and Hertz.; The montage continues, quickly jumping back to daytime shots of big signs for major corporations, such as Shell Oil and Beatrice Foods. The Pearson Hotel and the Chicago River are clearly depicted in this sequence, before the film ends by evoking to its opening shot featuring an ad for the Illinois Bank of Chicago.
Subjects: Architecture; Cityscapes; Advertising; Economics; Consumer goods; Consumers
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Chicago
Language: English
Cfa elements: Reversal Positives, 377 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/21378
Cfa collection: Camille Cook Collection
Notes: Film begins with an advertisement for the Illinois Bank of Chicago, followed by shots of neon signage in Downtown Chicago taken in the evening. An advertisement for Chevrolet is prominently featured, followed by a view of the cityscape during the daytime, with the camera focused on the Equitable Building at North Michigan Avenue. The Lake Point Tower at 505 N. Lake Shore Dr. is then shown, followed by an aerial view of the city.; There is another fade to black, then it becomes clear that the film is reverting to the nighttime landscape, with what seems to be the Kemper Building (featuring a neon ad for United Insurance) going in and out of focus in the night. Afterwards, it is daylight again, with shots of the aforementioned Lake Point Tower, quickly followed by glowing neon advertisements for products such as Butterfinger, Cadillac, and Hertz.; The montage continues, quickly jumping back to daytime shots of big signs for major corporations, such as Shell Oil and Beatrice Foods. The Pearson Hotel and the Chicago River are clearly depicted in this sequence, before the film ends by evoking to its opening shot featuring an ad for the Illinois Bank of Chicago.
Subjects: Architecture; Cityscapes; Advertising; Economics; Consumer goods; Consumers
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Chicago
Language: English
Cfa elements: Reversal Positives, 377 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/21378
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, creator, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:23