Armstrong Family Collection
Inclusive Dates
circa 1926 – 1985
Preservation Sponsor
The Armstrong Family
Abstract
This collection of home movies documents the lives of three generations of the Armstrong family, who lived and worked in Chicago during the 1920s - '40s, then moved to the suburbs in the post-war era. The films depict family vacations to Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin, alongside a few amateur horror films made by the younger generations during the 1980s.
Description
The earliest films in the collection, dating to 1926-1954, were shot by John O. and Florence Armstrong. These early films depict family life in Chicago, including a visit to the 1926 Eucharistic Congress, as well as travel across the United States.
Another batch of films in the collection were made during the 1960s - '80s by Donald L. Armstrong, John's son, mostly around Wheaton, IL and on family trips. Some of the Super-8 films from the '80s were made by Donald's children, brothers Michael and William Armstrong, including several amateur horror films made in and around their home in Wheaton.
Another batch of films in the collection were made during the 1960s - '80s by Donald L. Armstrong, John's son, mostly around Wheaton, IL and on family trips. Some of the Super-8 films from the '80s were made by Donald's children, brothers Michael and William Armstrong, including several amateur horror films made in and around their home in Wheaton.
Collection Items
![1928 ca: [Hunting Trip]](https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/media/cfa/images/5/6/77383_ca_object_representations_media_5654_large.jpg)
![1930 ca: [Kids & Puppies]](https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/media/cfa/images/5/6/43508_ca_object_representations_media_5683_large.jpg)
To request more information about the items in this collection, please contact the archive at
info@chicagofilmarchives.org.
Items with Viewable Media
- 1926 ca: Golf and Jack and Nancy
- 1926 ca: New York, McHenry
- 1926 ca: Roger and Trip to New York
- 1926: Eucharistic Congress, Colorado, Jack
- 1926: First Film Taken
- 1927 ca: Janet Married
- 1927 ca: Janet Wedding, Michigan
- 1928 ca: [Hunting Trip]
- 1928 ca: Jack, Roger, Grandpa Wilson
- 1928 ca: Michigan and McHenry, Labor Day
- 1929 ca: Delevan; Dad, Fred, Ruth
- 1929: Wreck
- 1930 ca: Big Don, Little Don, Florida
- 1930 ca: Florida, Donald
- 1930 ca: [Kids & Puppies]
- 1931: Albert at McHenry, Jack's 8th Birthday
- 1931 ca: Children, Ted, Mary, Jack
- 1932 ca: Michigan - Grand Mere Beach
- 1933: Colorado, Don's Place
- 1935: Colorado
- 1936: Lake Geneva, So Dakota and Colo[rado]
- 1937: Sun Valley
- 1937: Trailer Trip
- 1938 March: Children and Florence
- 1939: Colorado
- 1940-'41: Florida 1941 Charleston Williamsburg, Ithaca-Cornell, McHenry, Colorado and Bruce Christmas 1940
- 1940: Colorado
- 1940: Florida
- 1940: Florida, Colorado
- 1940: Turkey Run, Sturges Farm
- 1941 Oct: Illinois River Cruise
- 1942: 19th Century Club; Bruce, Don, Roger
- 1942 ca: Train to Cal. Hal-O'Faregty
- 1943 ca: McHenry, Keith and wife, Jack and Jim
- 1943 June-September: Jack Burlingame, Colorado, Grand Canyon, California
- 1946 ca: [Landscape]
- 1946: Ormond, Florida
- 1947 ca: [River Cruise?]
- 1947 ca: River Cruise and William's Bay, Winter
- 1947: Mississippi River Cruise, Harold Anderson
- 1947?: [Ships]
- 1949: River Cruise
- 1950: Ozarks
- 1951-'52: Lake Geneva Regatta
- 1952 August: Lake Geneva Cathy
- 1952: Don's Graduation
- 1952: Grandma's Birthday, McHenry, Don's Graduation
- 1952: Lake Geneva Sailing
- 1953 ca: Ann and Water Fall, Rose Garden, Salem
- 1953 ca: Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Ink Pots, Old Faithful
- 1953 ca: East Glacier, Glacier Lake McDonald, Bears
- 1953 ca: Jeff Park
- 1953 June: Betty-Don-Anne-Bruce-Staten Island
- 1953: McHenry; Gram-Don Betty-Ann, Jack, Barb, Cathy, Ruth and Joe's
- 1953: Pemoquid Point, Maine and McHenry
- 1954 ca: Don Uniform, Christmas, Cathy, Lake Geneva, North Carolina
- 1954: Don-Betty, Ann, Spokane
- 1954: Foot-Ball, Elgin-Harvard
- 1954: Jack-Barb-John-Cathy, Foot-Ball, Elgin-Mundelein
- 1954: Yellowstone, Lake Geneva, Johnny
- 1956 ca: Last Film
- 1958 ca: Christmas, Ann, Don, Etc.
- 1958?: [Military]
- 1958: North Carolina
- 1968: Homecoming
- 1968: Pentwater
- 1969: Pentwater
- 1969: Pentwater
- 1970 Park-Boat
- 1970 Pentwater
- 1980 ca: Beaufort, South Carolina - Fripp Island
- 1981: EAA '81
- 1982: Florida
- 1982: Florida
- 1985: Florida
- 1986: Carrie, Katie
- Animal
- Another Heart Breaks
- Arkansas and Green Lake
- Aunt Barb and Others
- Aunt Joan and Uncle Bruce's
- Ballerina
- Beafort, S.C. Fripp Island
- Bedford
- Bedford Monster
- The Big Green House on the Corner
- Bill as Teenager
- Cape Cod- Aunt Barb
- Cape Cod, Barb
- Captiva First Time
- Carrie
- Carrie and Laura or Katie in Green Lake
- Carrie at 10 Months
- Dog Sled Races on Green Lake
- Don and Betty with Baby Girl- Meg
- Doug's Second Birthday
- Dull Florida Footage
- Florida
- Florida
- Football (Don)
- Football Lake
- Frank's Dog
- Green Lake
- Green Lake, Andy, Don Jr.
- Hawaii
- I'm Not Alone
- ILYA
- Lake Rascal
- Lake Rascal
- Lake Summer
- Mechanical Terror
- Meg, North Side Park
- Meg's First Communion
- Mike and Frank, Green Lake
- Mike and Steve Hancock
- Mike in Gymnastics
- Neenah, Fon du Lac, Et Cetera
- Pentwater
- Pentwater
- Pentwater
- Quest for Snow
- Rascal to Chi
- Return of Agent X!!
- The Selfish Giant
- The Selfish Giant - Five Peas in a Pod (Audio)
- Sheer Lunacy
- Skating Stunts
- Someone is in my House
- Someone is in my House!
- The Story of Handel's Messiah
- The Story of Handel's Messiah (Audio)
- The Story of the Nutcracker
- The Story of the Nutcracker (Audio)
- Summer Lake
- Through Mountains to Beaufort, South Carolina
- [untitled]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- [Untitled Home Movie]
- The Vengence of Agent X
- The Visitor
- VW Camping Van. Original Rascal
- Wheaton North Band
- WWII Part 2
Collection Identifier
C.2017-02
Extent of Collection
64 reels of 16mm totaling approx. 6600 feet; 43 reels of Super 8 totaling approx. 2390 feet; 30 reels of 8mm totaling approx. 2000 feet; 3 reels of filmstrips totaling approx. 15 feet; 3 12" vinyl records.
Language Of Materials
English
Custodial History
The collection was donated to CFA in 2017 by Leigh Armstrong, who helped store her husband's archive (Michael Armstrong) for many years.
Access Restrictions
Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives for on-site access. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.
Use Restrictions
Chicago Film Archives holds the copyright for the films in this collection.
Creators
Armstrong, John O.
(was created by)
John Oswald Armstrong was born in Chicago in 1897 to John Armstrong and Minnie Elizabeth Blum. John Sr. had founded Armstrong Bros Tool Company with his brothers in 1890; after returning from World War I, John Jr. started working as a manufacturer at the family business in 1919, eventually becoming vice president in the 1940s and president in 1966. He married Florence Wilson in the 1920s and they had four children (John H. "Jack", Roger, Donald, and Bruce). He passed away in 1969 in Oak Park.
Armstrong, Florence Wilson
(was created by)
Florence Wilson was born in 1900 in Nebraska. She married John O. Armstrong of Chicago in the early 1920s, and the two raised four boys: John H. "Jack," Roger, Donald, and Bruce. She passed away in 1966.
Armstrong, Donald L.
(was created by)
Donald Lennox Armstrong was born in 1930 to John O. Armstrong and Florence Wilson. He grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois, where he met his future wife Betty Wuerfel while they were in high school. After a stint as an officer in the Navy, he went to work for family business Armstrong-Blum Mfg. Co., which manufactured metal cutting saws and saw blades at 5800 W. Bloomingdale Ave., eventually rising to the level of company president. Donald and Betty settled in Wheaton, Illinois, where they raised seven children: Ann, Donald Jr., Douglas, Meg, Andrew, William, and Michael. Donald passed away in 2019.
Armstrong, William
(was created by)
Armstrong, Michael
(was created by)
Wuerfel, Lillian
(was created by)