Palm Desert California-1953: Salton Sea Sign at 241 Feet Below Sea Level

$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.

Year1953
Decade1950s
LocationPalm Desert, California, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD
Collection1953 California

$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.

Salton Sea Sign at 241 Feet Below Sea Level — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1953, this vintage home movie captures a weathered informational sign at the Salton Sea in Palm Desert, California. The sign details the sea's elevation at 241 feet below sea level and includes a map of the area. In the background, the calm blue waters of the Salton Sea stretch under a clear sky, with picnic tables and a thatched shelter visible on the sandy shore. The footage exhibits classic Super 8 grain and color saturation, offering authentic archival footage of mid-century California.

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: 123349992

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 1398 · 8mm · 6″ reel
Reel-level year note: 1953
Reel-level location note: california
Date: 1953 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: Palm Desert, California, 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

water
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Palm Desert California
8mm film
vintage home movie
1950s California
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informational sign
Super 8 footage
archival film
historical footage
1950s travel
desert landscape
California history
old film
retro footage
documentary clip
nostalgic footage
8mm home movie
vintage travel
1950s Americana

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1950s 8mm California travel footage for documentary or educational use needing a Salton Sea roadside sign and shoreline establishing detail.
Period detail: The weathered sign, simple map graphic, picnic tables, thatched shade structure, and saturated 8mm color support a mid-century visitor-stop view.
Home-movie behavior: The clip has a visitor-shot perspective, lingering on the informational sign while the Salton Sea and shore facilities sit in the background.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include the Salton Sea sign, below-sea-level text, regional map, blue water, sandy shore, picnic tables, and thatched shade canopy.
Film character: The footage shows dense 8mm grain, strong color saturation, gate shadows, and slight handheld framing that read as original home-movie texture.
Edit role: Editors could use it as an establishing insert, geographic cutaway, travel-memory beat, or transition into Salton Sea and desert-resort material.
Historical context: The scene documents a mid-century recreational shoreline stop where roadside interpretation, maps, and picnic structures frame the Salton Sea as a visitor destination.
Research note: No people or brands are visible, but clearance should still distinguish film copyright from any site, sign, or property considerations.
Research search match: Useful searches include 1950s 8mm Salton Sea sign, California desert home movie shoreline, and below sea level travel footage.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent reel shots, then other 1953 Palm Desert or Salton Sea footage, then broader California desert travel and roadside sign scenes.

Still Frames From This Clip

1953 8mm view of a Salton Sea sign noting 241 feet below sea level, with water and shore structures behind it. — Salton Sea below-sea-level sign with shoreline and blue water in the background.

1953 Palm Desert-area home-movie frame showing the Salton Sea sign, below-sea-level text, and calm water beyond the shore. — Centered view of the Salton Sea sign with calm water beyond the shore.

1953 8mm frame emphasizing the sign's regional map, with picnic tables, sandy ground, and the Salton Sea in the background. — The camera shifts toward the map portion of the Salton Sea sign near shore facilities.

1953 Palm Desert-area frame showing the map side of the Salton Sea sign, with thatched shade, picnic tables, and water behind it. — Map side of the Salton Sea sign with shoreline structures visible in the background.

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