Allen Family Films, 1944, 1951-1960s, undated
Held by The Filson Historical Society
Creator: Allen family
Title: Films, 1944, 1951-1960s, undated
Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Collections Department.
Size of Collection: 40 reels of 8mm film
Location Number: 014PC16.1, 2a-40
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of 40 reels of 8mm home movies from the 1940s to 1960s created by Louisville, Kentucky, married couple Charles Mengel Allen (1916-2000) and Betty Anne Allen (1921-2013). These films depict family gatherings, summer lake vacations at Castle Park resort in Michigan, and local festivals and fairs. Much of the film is focused on the Allens’ two children Charles Dwight Allen (1951- ) and Angela Allen (1952- ), and other family members. Footage of Louisville events include a 1959 horse race at Churchill Downs and the Kentucky State Fair in 1956 and 1961. Charles M. Allen was interested in railroads, and some of the footage includes trains and railways.
The films are arranged chronologically by creation date, followed by undated films.
Conditions of Access and Use:
Film must be digitized to access. Please contact Collections Department staff for more information.
Related Collections:
Mengel-Allen family added photograph collection [014PC16]. Unprocessed.
Related Collections at Other Repositories:
Charles M. Allen papers, 1948-2001, bulk 1961-1998, University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center, Lexington, Kentucky.
Charles M. Allen railroad collection, Identifier: 2002_045-UA, University of Louisville Archives and Special Collections, Louisville, Kentucky.
Biographical Note
Charles Mengel Allen (1916-2000) was born in Louisville and served as chief judge for the Western Kentucky District Court from 1979 to 2000. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University in 1941 and a law degree from the University of Louisville in 1943. He spent a year from 1945 to 1946 in Tucson, Arizona as a teacher, but soon moved back to Louisville and became a private practice attorney. He married Betty Anne Cardwell Allen in 1949. He also served as a Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge from 1961 to 1971.
Betty Anne Cardwell Allen (1921-2013) was born in 1921 in Central City, Kentucky, but grew up in Louisville. She attended the Louisville Collegiate School, where she received the Speed Medal for academic achievement. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Louisville and then went on to teach elementary school. She met her husband Charles Mengel Allen at a party and the pair later married in 1949. She gave birth to Charles Dwight Allen in June 1951 and Angela Allen in 1952. She was a longtime member of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church at Harrods Creek. She had an interest in nutrition and championed organic and healthy foods as early as the 1960s.
Sources:
“Betty Allen,” Pearson Funeral Home, 2013, https://www.pearsonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/betty-allen-63571/obituary
Federal Judicial Center, “Allen, Charles Mengel,” History of the Federal Judiciary, accessed September 4, 2024, https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/allen-charles-mengel
Jane Idema, “Castle Park… A Resort in the Romantic Tradition,” 1979, as transcribed by Martha Laughna in 2019, https://castlepark.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Castle-Park-by-Aunt-Jane.pdf
University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center, “Charles M. Allen papers,” accessed September 4, 2024, https://exploreuk.uky.edu/fa/findingaid/?id=xt7t4b2x6v1v
Film List
014PC16.1: Family, 1944
Children playing in a yard, family, and a snow day. Some footage is black and white.
014PC16.2a: Christmas, 1951 December
Baby Charles Dwight Allen at Christmas.
014PC16.3: Christmas, 1952 December
Family gathering and children.
014PC16.4: Family, 1953-1954
Family trip to a lake and surrounding scenery, likely a vacation to Castle Park. Children playing in a yard, indoor and outdoor shots of a family gathering.
014PC16.5: Family, 1955
Children playing outside in different locations. Outdoor gathering, presumably a ball game. Shots of fall foliage and an indoor family gathering.
014PC16.6: Children, Birthday, 1956 June
Charles Dwight Allen’s fifth birthday party with shots of party guests.
014PC16.7: Castle Park, Michigan, 1956
Vacation footage of family at the beach, playing in sand and with an inner tube. Kids playing in the yard.
014PC16.8: Children, Children at Miss Cowan’s, 1956
Children outside and shots of daffodils.
014PC16.9: Children at fair, 1956
Shots of trains, children on Kentucky State Fair rides, and a cat.
014PC16.10: State fair, Children, 1956 September
Children at the Kentucky State Fair.
014PC16.11: Persimmon Festival with Kids, Mitchell, Indiana, 1956
Footage of a festival including family, amusement park rides, and summer foliage.
014PC16.12: Christmas, 1956 December
Children opening presents at a family Christmas celebration. Shots of Christmas decorations.
014PC16.13: Family-Winter, 1956 Winter
Children playing in the snow, swinging, and riding a bike. A small-time baseball game and spring flowers.
014PC16.14: Middletown, 1957 Fall
Family and kids playing, cars, and fall foliage.
014PC16.15: Children, 1957 Winter
Children dancing indoors.
014PC16.16: Christmas, 1957
Family Christmas gathering.
014PC16.17: Angela’s 6th birthday, 1958
A party where kids are playing and dressing up as pirates.
014PC16.18: Castle Park, Michigan, 1958
A family vacation, including shots at a beach, swimming pool, baseball game, and theme park.
014PC16.19: Fair, 1958 June
Family at a fair, riding a pony, holding a kitten and playing at a playground.
014PC16.20: Easter egg hunt, 1958
Family participating in an Easter egg hunt and swans swimming on a lake.
014PC16.21: Angela’s 7th birthday, 1959
Kids playing at a party and guests sitting around outside.
014PC16.22: Churchill Downs, 1959
A horse race at Churchill Downs and trains.
014PC16.23: May Day, 1959 May
Children playing at a playground and a Maypole celebration.
014PC16.24: Castle Park, Michigan, 1960 Summer
Children playing at a beach and riding horses.
014PC16.25: Labor Day and children swimming, 1960
Vacation footage of children playing tennis, family at the beach, and a zoo trip with shots of different animals and a snake demonstration.
014PC16.26: Children, 1960
Children and family at a playground and an outdoor gathering. Shots of a puppy and a pony.
014PC16.27: Anchorage Christmas dinner, 1960 December
Shots of people indoors and having dinner.
014PC16.28: Baseball World Series, 1961
World Series Baseball game.
014PC16.29: Children, 1961
A child and a dog competing in a dog show.
014PC16.30: Kentucky State Fair, 1961
Shots of children, livestock and fair rides.
014PC16.31: Angela’s 10th birthday, 1961
A birthday party with shots of kids attending. Footage of trains.
014PC16.32: Blue Grass Farms, 1961 September
Footage of farm scenery, family, and trains.
014PC16.33: Basketball, 1962 Winter
Winter activities including visiting Santa, playing in snow, and ice skating. Additional footage of people, and children playing with a ball.
014PC16.34: School, 1963
A horse race and riding lessons.
014PC16.35: LCDS, 1964
Family outside and children playing baseball. Footage of a stadium baseball game. Potentially relates to Louisville Country Day School.
014PC16.36: Football, 1964
Small-time football game, trains, and scenery.
014PC16.37: Castle Park, 1965
Family at the beach and playing tennis.
014PC16.38: Trains, dogs, and tennis, undated
Assorted footage depicting trains, dogs playing, and tennis.
014PC16.39: Swimming, undated
Family at a swimming pool and playing tennis. Likely at Castle Park.
014PC16.40: Tennis, 1960s or early 1970s
Family playing tennis. Likely at Castle Park.
Subject Headings
Allen, Betty Anne Cardwell, 1921-2013.
Allen, Charles M., 1916-2000.
Animals – 20th century.
Birthday parties – 20th century.
Children – 20th century.
Christmas – Kentucky – Louisville.
Churchill Downs (Louisville, Ky. : Racetrack).
Horse racing – 20th century.
Kentucky State Fair.
May Day – 20th century.
Michigan, Lake.
Sports – 20th century.