$149 flat license · royalty-free worldwide
Every clip is restored from the original film, not generated or filtered to look old. Browse the 1940s collection below and license anything you find royalty-free.
Stockfilm holds 10,563 clips filmed between 1940 and 1949, 7,373 of them licensable directly on this site at $149, scanned at 4K from 31 original home movie reels. 6,448 clips carry a city and 10,455 a country, across 20 countries; United States, France and India lead. Every clip page shows its year and the confidence level behind that date; a matched source reel appears where the catalog can pair the clip with a reel record by year and place, a candidate match rather than a digitization log, which about 46% of searchable clips currently carry. The 60 year and place collections below are the fastest way in; the tables list where and when the footage was shot.
- Clips
- 10,563
- Direct at $149
- 7,373
- Source reels
- 31
- Countries
- 20
- Cities
- 113
- Years
- 1940 to 1949
What people filmed in the 1940s
Subject counts come from the same keyword search the browse pages use, restricted to clips dated 1940 to 1949.
Where it was filmed
10,455 of the 10,563 clips carry a country and 6,448 a city. Each row links to the year and place collection for that place when one exists, otherwise to a search scoped to the 1940s.
| Country | Clips |
|---|---|
| United States | 7,604 |
| France | 665 |
| India | 421 |
| England | 350 |
| Egypt | 338 |
| Netherlands | 244 |
| Philippines | 182 |
| Canada | 181 |
| Ireland | 101 |
| Papua New Guinea | 83 |
| City | Clips |
|---|---|
| Middletown, United States | 682 |
| Paris, France | 439 |
| Harrisburg, United States | 325 |
| Washington, United States | 304 |
| San Francisco, United States | 263 |
| Sebring, United States | 217 |
| Cincinnatti, United States | 194 |
| Bombay, India | 177 |
| Skyline Drive, United States | 176 |
| Ringling Brothers Sarasota, United States | 174 |
Year by year
| Year | Clips | Direct | Collections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 357 | 284 | WashingtonCanada |
| 1941 | 662 | 486 | New YorkFloridaJoliet IllinoisTrenton New Jersey |
| 1942 | 420 | 290 | Sebring OhioNew HampshireUnion City New JerseyCliffside Park New JerseyBaltimore Maryland |
| 1943 | 474 | 299 | Skyline Drive VirginiaWashington Dc |
| 1944 | 793 | 485 | San Francisco CaliforniaPhilippinesKauai HawaiiLeyte Gulf PhilippinesPapua New GuineaBuffalo New York |
| 1945 | 388 | 275 | FranceElmwood Park IllinoisWashington DC |
| 1946 | 2,234 | 1,505 | EgyptNetherlandsAlaskaHarrisburg PennsylvaniaBombay IndiaNew Cumberland+11 more below |
| 1947 | 1,884 | 1,294 | New YorkParis FranceMiddletownIllinoisIndiaConnecticut+1 more below |
| 1948 | 1,454 | 978 | New YorkRingling Brothers Sarasota FloridaLong Island New YorkDenmarkIndianaWashington DC |
| 1949 | 1,897 | 1,477 | New YorkCaliforniaMassachusettsSeaside New JerseyIrelandNew Orleans Louisiana+2 more below |
Five highlights
The five 1940s collections with the most directly licensable clips, described by their own keywords.
1948 New York
1948 New York: 600 clips, 428 of them licensable directly, tagged boat, sea and ocean.
Top seller: NEW YORK-1948: Father And Son Playing On Stoop Together $149 · Editorial only
1947 Paris France
1947 Paris France: 439 clips, 319 of them licensable directly, tagged bridge, sports and cars.
Top seller: PARIS FRANCE-1947: Men, Women and Children Walking in a Crowded Street $149 · Editorial only
1946 Egypt
1946 Egypt: 338 clips, 228 of them licensable directly, tagged boat, ocean and sea.
Top seller: CAIRO EGYPT-1946: Ship At Sea Leaves Wake Behind It As It Powers Through The $149 · Commercial
1949 California
1949 California: 269 clips, 225 of them licensable directly, tagged animals, dog and wildlife.
Top seller: SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA USA-1949: An Intro Video To A Play Titled Of This And That $149 · Commercial
1946 Harrisburg Pennsylvania
1946 Harrisburg Pennsylvania: 194 clips, 194 of them licensable directly, tagged sports, football and baby.
Top seller: HARRISBURG PENNSYLVANIA USA-1975: Home Movie From Christmas 1946 Is Showing And $149 · Commercial
Formats and gauges
Every 1940s reel is Standard 8mm; Super 8 did not exist until 1965. Kodachrome 8mm had been on sale since 1936, so both black and white and color stock turn up in the same family's box. A 50 ft Standard 8 reel runs about three to four minutes at 16 frames per second, and most reels were shot over months, one short scene at a time.
Source reels behind the 1940s clips: 31 8mm. Every clip page links to its reel.
How to license 1940s footage
Every one of the 7,373 direct clips is $149 for a royalty-free, worldwide license with no expiry and no attribution required. Checkout delivers the 4K master file, and the clip page shows the source reel and date confidence before you buy. The licensing guide covers editorial, broadcast and commercial use in detail.
Frequently asked questions
How much 1940s footage does Stockfilm have?
10,563 clips filmed between 1940 and 1949. 7,373 of them can be licensed directly on this site at $149 each; the rest are listed through marketplace partners. The clips come from 31 original reels and the counts update as more reels are scanned.
Is 1940s footage in color or black and white?
Both. Of the 2,576 1940s clips whose keywords name a stock, 1,814 (70%) are tagged black and white and 762 (30%) color. Kodachrome 8mm has been on sale since 1936, so color and black and white stock overlap in this decade. Each clip page and preview shows the actual stock.
Was Super 8 used in the 1940s?
No. Super 8 launched in 1965, so 1940s home movies are Standard 8mm, the gauge introduced in 1932. Of the 31 source reels behind this decade, 31 are logged as 8mm.
Can I license 1940s footage for a documentary?
Yes. The 7,373 direct clips are $149 each for a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license that covers documentary, news, streaming and education, delivered as a 4K master. Commercial use (advertising, branded content, broadcast promotion) applies only to clips marked Commercial; clips marked Editorial only stay editorial. Each clip page shows its status, and the licensing guide lists the full terms. Read the licensing guide.
How do you know the year a 1940s clip was filmed?
The year comes from the source reel and from what is on the film, and each clip page shows a confidence level for its date rather than an absolute claim. 6,448 of the 10,563 1940s clips also carry a city. The archive integrity page explains the method. Read about archive integrity.
Which countries does the 1940s footage cover?
20 countries and 113 named cities. The largest are United States (7,604 clips), France (665 clips), India (421 clips), England (350 clips) and Egypt (338 clips). The tables above link every leading country and city to its own page.
How long are the 1940s clips?
Clips run from 5 to 35 seconds, with a median of 5 seconds. A 50 ft Standard 8 reel holds only three to four minutes at 16 frames per second, so home movies were shot as short scenes, and each clip is one of those scenes.
Which 1940s year has the most footage?
1946, with 2,234 clips, 1,505 of them licensable directly. The year by year table lists all ten years with their counts and links to the collections for each.