Ringling Brothers Sarasota Florida-1948: Circus Performers and Elephants in Costume

$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.

Year1948
Decade1940s
LocationRingling Brothers Sarasota, Florida, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD
Collection1948 Ringling Brothers Sarasota Florida

$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.

Circus Performers and Elephants in Costume — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1948, this archival footage captures a Ringling Brothers circus performance in Sarasota, Florida. The grainy black-and-white images show performers in elaborate costumes and animals, including elephants, within the circus tent. The footage features a mix of wide shots and close-ups, with visible film grain and scratches, conveying the authentic look of a vintage home movie. The atmosphere is lively and nostalgic, showcasing the spectacle of mid-century circus entertainment.

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: 124604216

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.

Editorial use is the safest path. For commercial use, a clearance review is recommended for the flags below.

People visible: Yes
Minors 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: 1948 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: Ringling Brothers Sarasota, Florida, 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: Useful for 1940s circus or midway performance requests needing brief 8mm home-movie views of costumed performers, animals, and audience-facing spectacle.
Period detail: The clip may show mid-century circus presentation details, including full costume, tented or screened performance space, and animal act props seen through grainy 8mm photography.
Home-movie behavior: The value is a visitor-shot viewpoint with partial obstructions, soft focus, and fleeting glimpses that feel like a spectator recording a live circus act.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include costumed performers, a large animal figure or elephant-like act, tent or cage-like framing, audience heads, bright outdoor or tent light, and heavy film grain.
Film character: The footage has high-contrast black-and-white 8mm texture with soft focus, scratches, uneven exposure, handheld framing, and brief flashes of overexposed detail.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short insert, memory beat, or transitional cutaway for circus attendance, animal performance, or mid-century entertainment sequences.
Historical context: The visuals place viewers inside a period circus environment where human performers and animals appear as part of the same staged spectacle.
Research note: People are visible and likeness review may be needed; metadata names Ringling Brothers Sarasota, while copyright, trademark, and animal-performance context should be assessed separately.
Research search match: Researcher matches include 1948 8mm circus home movie, Sarasota Ringling Brothers performance, costumed circus performers, elephant act footage, and vintage circus audience view.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent frames from the same reel, then other Sarasota 1948 circus footage, then broader 1940s circus, animal act, and spectator-shot entertainment material.

Still Frames From This Clip

1948 Sarasota circus footage showing a dark silhouetted figure behind a patterned tent or screen-like structure. — A shadowed circus figure appears behind the tent or screen framing.

A costumed circus figure appears close to the camera while a spectator partly blocks the right side of the 8mm frame. — A close, partially obstructed view catches a costumed circus figure during the act.

Soft, blurred 8mm frame from the circus performance with indistinct movement and bright blown highlights. — Motion and soft focus obscure the act, leaving a textured impression of the performance.

A bright 1948 Sarasota circus view shows a costumed performer or animal act beyond spectator heads in the foreground. — Audience heads frame a bright glimpse of the costumed circus act.

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