Da-Lite
Thomas Edison’s camera and George Eastman’s roll film made early cinema possible, but one key element was missing: a high-quality surface to display images.
In Chicago, as the motion picture industry took shape, 24-year-old Adele De Berri recognized the need for a specialized projection surface. She invented the Silver Screen and founded Da-Lite at a time when women in business faced significant barriers. Her innovation enabled sharper, brighter, more uniform images and helped motion pictures become a practical medium for entertainment and education.
Da-Lite has since survived the Great Depression, two World Wars, and multiple recessions, reflecting the strength of Adele’s vision and a lasting commitment to innovation and quality. More than 100 years later, we continue this legacy with an in-house team of chemists and materials experts who refine our screen formulations to match evolving projection technologies. From early film projectors to today’s high-resolution digital and laser systems—and whatever comes next—we remain focused on delivering the best possible viewing surface.