Elevated and aerial views of downtown city of Chicago skyline in mid 1950s, including skyscrapers and various buildings. View of the O'Leary house landmark from which the Great Fire of Chicago is believed to have originated. Views of still images showing damaged buildings due to the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Aerial view of the buildings. The buildings damaged by the fire. View of 1950s fire fighters demonstrating use of old manual pumper cart for fighting fires. The house of Mrs. O' Leary is set on fire to make space for a new boulevard being built in the area . Smoke rises from the building. Cars drive past on the street in front of the house while it is on fire with smoke pouring from windows.
Elements of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet designated “Formosa Strait Force” (Task Force 72), sent by President Harry S. Truman to keep peace between Formosa (Republic of China or Taiwan) and Mainland China (People’s Republic of China), in 1950. The U.S. Navy Destroyer Maddox (DD 731) underway. Views aboard the flagship of the Formosa Patrol, the light cruiser, USS Juneau (CL 119) as sailors respond to a drill. Two are seen entering one of the USS Juneau's gun turrets housing a Mark 12, 5-inch/38 caliber gun. Glimpse of the closed turret with single gun barrel seen at the front. Gun crew maneuvering one of the USS Juneau's quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns. Sailors arranging shells for the USS Juneau's guns. Officers on deck pointing at other ships and observing them through binoculars. Glimpse of two landing craft (possibly Landing Craft Infantry) underway.
Working American women at home using modern conveniences in the post war era. American woman puts meat loaf in oven. Man screws a towel rack into place. Housewife at oven as daughter comes in kitchen, talks to mother, then leaves. Girl and boy children in 1950s era family set dinner table. Sign 'Fellowship House YWCA'. Girl walks up path towards house. Girl irons dress. Other girl enters and she crosses room and sits on sofa. A man’s photograph is displayed behind the girl ironing clothes. College banners from Columbia, NYU and Fordham decorate the living room. Girl files her nails. A framed college graduation photo on display. Woman walks up path into house. Father sits in easy chair as she walks in and kisses him on forehead. Woman enters kitchen and takes cookie from jar. She walks to mother at sink and kisses her. Woman inserts eggbeater attachment to Mixmaster mixer, pushes button and eggbeater spins. A woman sits on her desk. Woman reads her family’s monthly bills before writing checks. A music appreciation group comprised of young people listen to music in a living room. A man talks to a woman knitting. Music record spins on vinyl LP phonograph record player. Couple sits on couch. Girl strokes a kitten in lap. Kitten jumps up. View of a living room console radio and a man seated in the same room reading the newspaper. Woman knits. View of a Movie theater marquee. Girl and boy in front of theater ticket box office. Boy steps to movie theater box office ticket window then takes the girl’s hand as they walk in. Girl reads in bed, puts book away, turns out radio, light and goes to sleep. Husband and wife are asleep. Wife turns in her sleep.
Documentary titled 'Woven into the life of America', on manufacture of various types of garments by the Burlington Mills in North Carolina, United States. View of the Statue of Liberty and of New York City Manhattan Island skyline from the New York Harbor. A boat underway at harbor. Aerial view of tall buildings and skyscrapers of New York City. Streets of busy New York City, with pedestrians in 1950s fashions walking on sidewalks of New York City, and some shopping. Trendy clothes are displayed in a shop's window. A model wearing a night gown. A bride being dressed. A receptionist at the reception counter of the Burlington Mills. Employees at work on loom machines.
Manufacture of spun rayon fabric at the Burlington Mills in North Carolina. A worker loads cotton-looking, rayon fiber in to a machine. Rolls of fiber are loaded into a carding machine. Fluffy strands are combined into a single uniform strand. Exteriors of the plant. View of manufactured garment. Shows people wearing latest fashion clothes made up of Burlington Mill's fabric . Man and woman on a balcony with woman in a dress and man in a grey suit. Vintage 1950s suburban American family scene with family members together in a living room, including husband, wife, boy, girl, and a separate scene with a teenage girl wearing a scarf in her hair. Woman in the rain holding an umbrella.
Homecoming of the USS Valley Forge (CV-45) in San Diego, California. Wives of the sailors wave as USS prepares to tie up at quay wall. Mayor of San Diego Joshua H. Bean speaks. Consul of Sweden, Waldo Homburg speaks. Consul of Norway speaks. Flags of both those nations and State flag of California are seen. Vice Admiral Sprague speaks. Miss California stand with flowers and waves. Spectators in the background. A band plays. (Presence of the Scandinavian representatives may be related to the cooperation of USS Valley Forge and other U.S. Naval vessels, during production of the motion picture "Windjammer" about the voyage of the Norwegian training vessel, Christian Radich.) Note: Korean war demands required the USS Valley Forge to resupply and sail again on December 6, 1950.