[Our Lady of the Angels] School Rebuilding
Identifier
F.2012-03-1713
Date Of Production
December 1 1959
Abstract
News footage of Our Lady of the Angels School being rebuilt after a devastating fire on December 1, 1958 that killed 92 students and 3 nuns. The ruins of the school were dismantled in 1959 and a new Our Lady of the Angels School, located at 3814 West Iowa Street, was constructed in compliance with the latest required fire safety standards. The three-story building opened in September 1960. Donations from around the world helped to fund the new construction.
Description
Begins with exterior footage of the partially-constructed school. There is a sign for Barry & Kay (Architects) and The Kinnare Corp. (Contractors). Workers lay concrete bricks and people enter the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels next door. Next are interior shots of the in-progress building, followed by scenes of children running on the sidewalk.
The rest of the film features an interview with Gerald Barry, Jr., one of the architects of the new building. They discuss Chicago's new ordinance requiring sprinkler systems throughout schools. Barry describes the fire safety features of the new building (including enclosed stairways, automatic sprinkler and alarm systems, and the use of fireproof coatings on doors instead of flammable paint and varnish), and lists the rooms that will have sprinklers. Barry describes the new school as "about the most fire-resistant structure [he] know[s] of" because it will be made from re-enforced concrete and other non-combustible materials, in addition to the new safety features. The roll of film runs out and Barry must restart his response. He reiterates that the new school will be "extremely safe."
At the end of the reel, the reporter indicates that it has been exactly one year since the deadly fire. He ends his report saying both "Now back to John Daly in New York" and "Now back to Don Goddard in New York," indicating the piece was likely shot for ABC News, where both men anchored news shows.
The rest of the film features an interview with Gerald Barry, Jr., one of the architects of the new building. They discuss Chicago's new ordinance requiring sprinkler systems throughout schools. Barry describes the fire safety features of the new building (including enclosed stairways, automatic sprinkler and alarm systems, and the use of fireproof coatings on doors instead of flammable paint and varnish), and lists the rooms that will have sprinklers. Barry describes the new school as "about the most fire-resistant structure [he] know[s] of" because it will be made from re-enforced concrete and other non-combustible materials, in addition to the new safety features. The roll of film runs out and Barry must restart his response. He reiterates that the new school will be "extremely safe."
At the end of the reel, the reporter indicates that it has been exactly one year since the deadly fire. He ends his report saying both "Now back to John Daly in New York" and "Now back to Don Goddard in New York," indicating the piece was likely shot for ABC News, where both men anchored news shows.
Run Time
7 min 38 sec
Format
16mm
Extent
275 feet
Color
B&W
Sound
Optical
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Element
Internegs
Genre
Form
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Sponsor/client
Main Credits
Koza, Frank (is filmmaker)
Participants And Performers
Barry, Gerald Jr. (is interviewee)
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