New York USA-1938: Old Short Clip Of A City Skyline From Across The River

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

Year1938
Decade1930s
LocationNew York, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use

$149 USD flat · royalty-free worldwide · 4K restored master (MP4)

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Stockfilm licenses the rights identified in the applicable agreement. Additional use-specific review may be required. See the Licensing Guide and Archive Integrity.

Old Short Clip Of A City Skyline From Across The River — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1938, this vintage home movie captures a hazy, atmospheric view of the New York City skyline from across a river. The grainy, monochrome footage shows a distant cityscape with silhouetted skyscrapers under a pale sky, with a small boat visible on the water. The image is marked by film wear, dust, and scratches, giving it an authentic archival quality. This short clip evokes a sense of nostalgia and historical perspective, ideal for documentaries, editorial content, or retro-themed projects.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Shot details: Black & white
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 123038480

Rights & Clearance

$149 · Commercial Direct license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

No recognizable people, logos, or music are flagged. Lower-risk for commercial use, subject to your own review.

People visible: No
Logos / trademarks: No
Audible music: No

Flags come from automated catalog metadata, not a legal opinion. The source is an original 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie reel. For high-stakes commercial use, request a full rights review.

Source & Documentation

Source reel: Reel 1921 · 8mm · 3″ reel
Original reel label: vacation,rutledge,marble quary
Reel-level year note: 1938
Reel-level location note: elyria ohio,gordham new york
Date: 1938 Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Date evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level note shows the same year, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Location: New York, United States Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Location evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level location note is linked, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Licensing route: Direct license available from Stockfilm

Confidence labels are defined on Archive Integrity. Fields without a recorded value are shown as not recorded rather than assumed.

View source reel context Open Clip Documentation Record Request source information

Topics & Keywords

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: Brief 1930s New York skyline footage for documentaries or exhibits needing an establishing view of the city from across the water.
Period detail: The distant skyscraper silhouettes and 8mm home-movie format support a late-1930s urban skyline context without identifying individual landmarks from these hazy frames.
Home-movie behavior: The clip has a visitor-shot perspective, holding on the skyline from across the river rather than staging action or following people.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a pale sky, hazy river foreground, distant skyscraper skyline, dark film borders, light exposure shifts, dust, and scratches.
Film character: Soft focus, fine grain, washed highlights, gate edges, and surface marks give the scan a physical 8mm home-movie texture.
Edit role: An editor could use it as a short establishing insert, transition, or memory beat for prewar New York or urban waterfront material.
Historical context: The view places New York's vertical skyline across open water, showing the city as a distant mass rather than a street-level scene.
Research note: No people, faces, brands, or music are indicated, but skyline and copyright status should still be reviewed for the intended use.
Research search match: Useful for searches such as 1930s New York skyline 8mm, vintage city across river, hazy skyscrapers, and home movie waterfront view.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent shots from the same reel, then other 1938 New York exteriors, then broader skyline, river, and city travel footage.

Still Frames From This Clip

1938 New York skyline appears faintly across the water, framed by dark 8mm film borders and visible dust. — A pale, hazy skyline sits beyond the river in an 8mm frame.

A soft 1938 New York skyline view shows distant high-rises across the river with heavy haze and film wear. — Distant skyscrapers appear through haze across the waterfront.

The skyline remains low and faint across the river, with scratches, dust, and soft exposure from the 8mm source. — A subdued skyline is visible through grain and surface marks.

A final hazy 1938 New York skyline frame shows the city across the river, softened by exposure and physical film texture. — The clip ends on the skyline as a faint band beyond the river.

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