Kansas City Missouri-1959: Elephant in Zoo Enclosure

$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.

Year1959
Decade1950s
LocationKansas City, Missouri, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD
Collection1959 Kansas City Missouri

$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.

Elephant in Zoo Enclosure — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1959, this vintage home movie captures a large elephant in a zoo enclosure in Kansas City, Missouri. The elephant moves slowly behind metal railings, its trunk occasionally raised as it explores its rocky, confined habitat. The footage exhibits a distinct greenish tint and film grain, characteristic of Super 8 home movies from the era. The animal appears subdued, reflecting the somber mood of captivity. This archival clip offers a nostalgic, historical glimpse into mid-century zoo life and animal care.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 123144857

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 record not linked for this clip
Date: 1959 Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Date evidence: Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual or technical evidence; no reel-level note is linked.
Location: Kansas City, Missouri, United States Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Location evidence: Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual evidence such as signage, landmarks, or terrain; no reel-level note is linked.
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.

Open Clip Documentation Record Request source information

Topics & Keywords

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1950s Kansas City zoo footage for productions needing a brief archival cutaway of an elephant in a mid-century enclosure.
Period detail: The metal railings, concrete paths, rocky habitat, and 8mm color cast may show mid-century zoo design and visitor-shot filming conditions.
Home-movie behavior: The clip has the feel of an unstaged visitor home movie, watching the elephant from outside the enclosure without people entering the frame.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a large elephant, metal barriers, concrete walkway, rocky ground, enclosure fencing, and dark film-frame borders.
Film character: The scan carries green-tinted color, soft focus, visible grain, minor specks, and a steady home-movie framing typical of small-gauge film.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short cutaway, reflective animal-captivity insert, or transitional beat in a sequence about historic zoos.
Historical context: The footage visually documents an elephant in a confined public zoo setting, offering social context for how animals were displayed to visitors.
Research note: No people, logos, or brands are visible, but copyright, location/property, and animal-welfare context should still be reviewed for intended use.
Research search match: Useful search matches include 1959 8mm Kansas City zoo elephant, vintage home movie zoo enclosure, and mid-century captive wildlife footage.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with same-reel zoo footage, then Kansas City or 1959 material, then broader mid-century zoo and animal-enclosure scenes.

Still Frames From This Clip

1959 Kansas City zoo home-movie frame showing an elephant behind metal railings in a rocky enclosure. — The elephant stands low behind the railings of a rocky zoo habitat.

1959 Kansas City zoo frame with the elephant near the right side, partly obscured by railings and rocky foreground. — The elephant moves near the edge of the enclosure behind the railings.

1959 Kansas City zoo home-movie frame showing the elephant close to the railings in a confined rocky area. — The elephant’s body fills much of the frame as it moves behind the barrier.

1959 Kansas City zoo frame showing the elephant from behind, with tail and rear legs visible inside the enclosure. — The elephant faces away from the camera within the rail-lined zoo habitat.

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