Judith Paine McBrien Collection

Inclusive Dates
circa 1960 – 1998
Bulk Dates
1990 – 1998
Abstract
The Judith Paine McBrien Collection mostly consists of unedited 16mm documentary footage related to Chicago architecture and to the legacy and influence of Polish immigrants in the Chicago area. Much of the footage was shot for “Skyline: Chicago,” an award-winning 5-part series about Chicago’s history, development, and urban design that was broadcast on WTTW in the 1990s.
Description
Some of the footage features interviews conducted in 1964 by Polish-American radio and television personality Sig Sakowicz with local Polish-Americans community leaders; these films were most likely shot as a part of a piece Sakowicz was working on for local television broadcast. Highlights include interviews with Polish-American athletes at Comiskey Park and firefighters at the newly constructed Chicago Fire Academy, footage of a young couple on the steps of a church after their wedding, interior shots of medical and dental offices and an industrial factory, and exterior shots of a single-family housing development on Chicago’s Northwest side. 

The footage shot for "Skyline: Chicago" focuses on architecture in the Loop, specifically along Michigan Avenue and the riverfront, as well as in city parks and ethnic neighborhoods across Chicago.
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Collection Items

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Sig Commercial
Film
Sig Commercial
Polish Alliances
Film
Polish Alliances
circa 1964
1964 (circa): Polish Wedding
Film
1964 (circa): Polish Wedding
circa 1964
Skyline Chicago: "Michigan Ave" / "The Loop" 1991 - Roll 16
Film
Skyline Chicago: "Michigan Ave" / "The Loop" 1991 - Roll 16
October 15 – 17 1991
Neighborhoods 6/27-28/97 Rolls 1-4 [Orig Neg]
Film
Neighborhoods 6/27-28/97 Rolls 1-4 [Orig Neg]
June 27 – 28 1997
Neighborhoods #1 8/12-13/96 [Orig Neg]
Film
Neighborhoods #1 8/12-13/96 [Orig Neg]
August 12 – 13 1996
Neighborhoods 10/15/96 Rolls 1-2
Film
Neighborhoods 10/15/96 Rolls 1-2
October 15 1996
Neighborhoods 8-26-97 Rolls: 5-6
Film
Neighborhoods 8-26-97 Rolls: 5-6
August 26 1997
Neighborhoods 9/98
Film
Neighborhoods 9/98
September 1998
Neighborhoods 5/30 - 6/3 1998 Rolls 3, 4
Film
Neighborhoods 5/30 - 6/3 1998 Rolls 3, 4
May 30 – June 3 1998
Neighborhoods 10/14-16/98 Rolls 22-23-24
Film
Neighborhoods 10/14-16/98 Rolls 22-23-24
October 14 – 16 1998
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To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media
Collection Identifier
C.2012-02
Extent of Collection
96 reels of 16mm film totaling approximately 46,325 feet; 48 Betacam videocassettes
Language Of Materials
English
Subject
Architecture
Polish Americans
City planning
Custodial History
These film materials were created and stored by filmmaker Judith McBrien before donating them to CFA.
Creators
McBrien, Judith Paine (was created by)
Judith Paine McBrien is the director and producer of The Archimedia Workshop and the director of the Daniel Burnham Film Project. She is the director of “Make No Little Plans: Daniel Burnham and the American City,” a film exploring the life of the visionary architect and city planner Daniel Burnham.

For over 15 years McBrien has written, directed and produced programs about architecture, history and urban design for public television broadcast, as well as for arts and environmental organizations including the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Institute of Architects, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, and the Urban Land Institute. At Perspectives Media, she produced the award-winning 5-part series “Skyline: Chicago” for public television broadcast about Chicago’s history, development, and urban design. In 2000 she wrote and produced a Centerpiece Chicago Story, “Daniel Burnham: The Power of Dreams,” for Chicago public television station WTTW.

McBrien holds a master's degree in architectural history from Columbia University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Gene Siskel Film Center at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.