Film opens with hazy aerial views of Chicago Illinois. Scene shifts to views from vehicle driving on Chicago highway. A road sign reads "Des Plaines River Rd exits 1/2 mile ahead." A Boeing 727 commercial airliner is seen overhead with wheels down as it descends to land. Some 1960s cars drive past. 1961 Ford C-Series truck driving. View back, of the airliner descending above the highway, and of truck and cars passing the camera vehicle. Overhead highway road sign reads "Chicago Downtown 15 Miles." View of the Chicago skyline of buildings on Lake Michigan waterfront. View from slow moving aircraft of the Wrigley Building; the Michigan Avenue Bridge across the Chicago River; and the Tribune Tower. Camera continues to pan to East and then at the Kemper Building with "United Insurance" written near its top. Camera then swirls downward to river and bridges directly below and then back up from street and down again, ending on avenue near building displaying two American flags.
Point of view shot out the front of a steam locomotive railroad train as it speeds along a track in western United States. Men stacking wood lumber for boat shipment beside a canal in the early 1900s. The mill and stacks of lumber seen across the canal. Miners at a coal mine ride an open car full of coal as it emerges from a mine in West Virginia, as seen from camera riding on same coal car. Glimpse, from a passing train, of a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Immigrants to the United States, from various European countries, at work in industrial production jobs. Men in factories; working at a power forge in a steel mill; Lumber operations: Men cutting down large trees with hand axes and sawing logs for timber in a forest, using large 2-man saws; Butchers moving sides of beef in a meat packing company. Women working in a metal parts factory (appears to be a sink faucet manufacturing company); women working in a textile spinning mill operation and stacking moving machine shelves with spools. A hose set up from a fire hydrant spraying water in a city street and children in bathing suits running underneath to play and cool off in hot summer weather. Montage of various still and moving images: Immigrant children in classrooms and in school yards. A woman instructing new adult immigrants in an English language instruction class. Immigrant workers engaged in skyscraper construction, high in the air without safety equipment. An iron worker perched atop a vertical steel beam with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. A woman posing on a horizontal bar. Men and women posing in the surf at a beach. People at beach watching as a group of men create a human pyramid on the sand. A little girl with her feet in the surf. Boys in a classroom, with two of them dirty from work and another boy sleeping with his head on his desk. Mothers and fathers at home asking about what the children learned in school. A young girl leading a group of school children in reciting the pledge of allegiance (pre-1950s version of the Pledge of Allegiance is heard recited by a group of children, without the "Under God" wording that was added in 1954). Still image of a young girl employed in a fabric mill (child labor).
Documentary tilted 'History of Aviation' depicts benefits to mankind brought by discovery of aviation. A group of travelers on horses and bullock carts, in hot and dusty deserts travels from California to New York. A railroad train runs on railroad between California and New York. Howard Hughes' Lockheed 14 Super Electra Special, Model 14-N2 ( NX18973) seen in aerial views over Manhattan Island, New York City, with New York City skyline and skyscrapers visible. (scene filmed on July 14, 1938). Animated map shows ship sail towards Europe. Brief, distant view of a tall mast traditional sailing ship at sea with full sails deployed. A more modern passenger cruise ship or ocean liner with four large stacks underway in the ocean towards Europe. Howard Hughes airplane takes off in New York, bound for Paris, France.
A United States Air Force C-47 aircraft (tail number 43-48765) is seen parked on a grass airfield, with its rear door open and entry ladder down. Camera zooms in on so-called jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) cylinders fastened underneath the aircraft. Closeup of the aircraft landing gear and tires. Closer view of the JATO cylinders, that appear to be twin 12AS-250 Junior JATO cylinders made by Aerojet Corporation.. Two Air Force officers approach and board the aircraft, which is being guarded by an armed Staff Sergeant. Camera pans across to the aircraft as the crew starts number 2 engine, as a fire guard with extinguisher stands by. A collection of military and other persons stands by vehicles in the background. The fire guard walks to number 1 engine which the crew starts. With both engines running smoothly, the pilot waves to the fire guard from his open cockpit window. Next, the aircraft is seen taxiing on the otherwise empty airfield. It turns near a large tree and commences a takeoff roll. The Jato bottles fire and the aircraft is launched into the air after a very short ground run, with smoke spurting from the JATO rocket cylinders. Another view of the Jato takeoff is seen as well.
Airmen and officials at the International Memorial for the twenty fifth anniversary of first powered flight in Dayton, Ohio. Group of dignitaries and airmen walk past the line of parked Curtis P-1 Hawk and Douglas M-2 aircraft. Two men sit in the original model of original Wright Flyer. Assistant Secretary McCracken places wreath on memorial of Wilbur Wright. Orville Wright and other people attending the ceremony pose for a photograph at Wright Field.
Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering with a map discuss their mission of Europe conquest, at Hitler's house in Berchtesgarten, Germany. German planes take off in numbers and bomb England during World War 2 Battle of Britain. British plane spotters in office. Danger alarm rings and anti aircraft guns in alert position. Civilians sleep on subways of London. German pilots in planes bomb British cities. Destruction in London by blitz bombing during Battle of Britain. Firemen fight fires in buildings. Fire fighters direct water hoses on blazing fires. High mast lights and anti aircraft guns on alert for German Luftwaffe bombers. Civilians, women and children crowded together sleeping in underground Leicester Square tube station serving as air raid shelter during blitzkrieg.
CRITICALPAST.COM: About Us | Contact Us | FAQs - How to Order | License Agreement | My Account | My Lightboxes | Shopping Cart | Advanced Search | Featured Collections | Website Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy ©2026 CriticalPast LLC.
License Agreement |
Terms & Conditions |
Privacy Policy
©2026 CriticalPast LLC.