Atlas Educational Film Company

Atlas Educational Film Company was a film production business in Chicago, Illinois. It had a production studio at 1111 South Boulevard in Oak Park, ^[1] a former theater building designed by E. E. Roberts. It is still standing. ^[2] Addresses for the company were also listed as 3 Wabash Avenue ^[3] and 63 East Adams Street. Atlas was also a dealer of portable projectors, slides, and offered a catalog of educational slides and films. ^{[4] [5]}

C. A. Rehm was the company's secretary and a film was contracted for the building of his model home. ^[6]

History

In 1914 it was reported to be part of Atlas School Supply and offered "motion picture services" to schools and colleges. It advertised projector sales as well as educational films and slides. ^[3] In 1914 it was using 35 mm film. ^[7]

In 1918, the company was contracted to film a demonstration tour of power trucks. ^[8]

One of their movie soundtracks, titled "Radio magic", was recorded on wax cylinder by Victor Records. ^[9]

The Cleveland Public Library has a publication from the company titled Answers from Atlas. ^[10] The Smithsonian Institution holds a collection of trade catalogs issued by the company. ^[11]

Filmography

• Lost Colony (1921) by Elizabeth Grimball, about early colonists ^[12]
• All Around with the Cameraman (1921) ^[13]
• Along the Green Bay Trail (1922), directed by George Frederic Wheeler, scenario by A. VanPatten, extant ^[14]
• Enemies of Youth (1925)
• My Home Town (1925), appears to be a film promoting Beloit that was part of a business promotion campaign in the city
• Making Blue Prints
• Elisha and the Shunnamite , portraying a biblical story ^[15]
• The Drill Press ^[16]
• Bar Work; Magnesium Part 1, United States Office of Education training video about use of a turret lathe ^[17]
• Bar Work; Magnesium Part 2, film about lathing magnesium ^[18]
• Bar Work; Part 3 (1945) ^[19]
• First Impressions, Navy Department training video on new employee orientation best practices ^[20]
• Discipline (1943), U.S. Navy training video ^[21]
• North Carolina Pictorial History ^[22]
• Student Flyer (1944) ^[23]
• Whenever You Eat (1949), extant ^[24]
• 500,000 to 1 (1954), extant film documenting the battle against bugs and promoting insecticide ^[25]

References

1. "Opportunities in the Motion Picture Industry: And how to Qualify for Positions in Its Many Branches". Photoplay Research Society, Bureau of Vocational Guidance. June 13, 1922 – via Google Books.
2. Inklebarger, Timothy (January 26, 2016). "Former theater building is back on the market". Oak Park.
3. "The American School Board Journal". Bruce Publishing Company. June 13, 1914 – via Google Books.
4. "Stock Photo - Moving Picture Age (1920) . em, and let us tell you about projectors andfilms for educators. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT American Type Founders Company 300 Communipaw Ave. JERSEY CITY". Alamy.
5. "The High School". June 13, 1923 – via Google Books.
6. "Chicago Commerce". The Association. June 13, 1922 – via Google Books.
7. "Film gauges". www.nfsa.gov.au. July 8, 2010.
8. "Tractor World". June 13, 1918 – via Google Books.
9. "Atlas Educational Film Co., The - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
10. "Answers from Atlas". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
11. "Trade catalogs on educational slides and equipment". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
12. "North Carolina pictorial history | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org.
13. "Educational Film Magazine: The International Authority of the Non-theatrical Motion Picture Field". Non-theatrical film publishers, Incorporated. December 18, 1921 – via Google Books.
14. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2RQsv-UonHg&pp=ygUgIkF0bGFzIEVkdWNhdGlvbmFsIEZpbG0gQ29tcGFueSLYBgk%3D
15. Education, University of Oklahoma University Extension Division Dept of Visual (June 13, 1922). "Visual Education". The University. – via Google Books.
16. "The Drill press | WorldCat.org" . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
17. "Bar work: Magnesium ; part l : Setting up bar mechamism and roller turner | WorldCat.org" . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
18. "Bar work magnesium". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
19. "Catalog of Copyright Entries. Part 1. [C] Group 3. Dramatic Composition and Motion Pictures. New Series". 1945.
20. "First impressions". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
21. "Giving orders". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
22. "North Carolina pictorial history". WorldCat.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
23. "Student flyer | WorldCat.org" . Retrieved September 10, 2023.
24. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JioyWL5PvNw&pp=ygUgIkF0bGFzIEVkdWNhdGlvbmFsIEZpbG0gQ29tcGFueSLYBhg%3D
25. Rick Prelinger. "the field guide to Sponsored Films" (PDF). filmpreservation.org. Retrieved September 10, 2023.