Ringling Brothers Sarasota Florida-1948: Acrobatic Performers On Ropes And Poles In Big Top Tent

$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.

Acrobatic Performers On Ropes And Poles In Big Top Tent — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1948, this archival footage captures a dramatic circus performance at the Ringling Brothers show in Sarasota, Florida. Silhouetted against a bright backdrop, performers execute acrobatic routines on a complex network of ropes and poles within the big top tent. The grainy, high-contrast black-and-white image reveals the intricate rigging and the dynamic movement of the circus artists, with one figure prominently balancing on a trapeze-like structure. The footage exudes the raw energy and spectacle of mid-century American circus life.

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: 124604425

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 documentary or educational edits needing circus performance atmosphere from visitor-shot 8mm footage.
Period detail: The silhouetted rigging, tent setting, and 1948 Sarasota metadata support a mid-century Ringling Brothers circus context.
Home-movie behavior: The camera watches from the audience area, emphasizing a spectator's view of performers moving high among ropes and poles.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include tent fabric, crisscrossed ropes, poles, suspended platforms, small performer silhouettes, and dark film-frame borders.
Film character: High-contrast black-and-white 8mm grain, soft focus, and uneven exposure give the clip a physical home-movie texture.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short circus insert, transition, or memory beat for mid-century entertainment and spectacle.
Historical context: The footage shows acrobatic performance as public entertainment, with human figures reduced to silhouettes against the big top light.
Research note: People are visible as silhouettes, so copyright, likeness, and venue context should be reviewed separately before reuse.
Research search match: Search phrases include 1948 Sarasota circus footage, Ringling Brothers big top acrobats, 8mm circus performers, and vintage trapeze rigging.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with the same reel, then other 1948 Sarasota Ringling material, then broader circus, acrobat, and big top footage.

Still Frames From This Clip

1948 Sarasota circus footage showing ropes, poles, and a performer silhouette inside the Ringling Brothers big top. — A performer appears among silhouetted ropes and poles inside the tent.

A silhouetted acrobat stands within the high rigging of a 1948 Sarasota Ringling Brothers tent scene. — A small performer silhouette is visible against the bright tent backdrop.

Soft 8mm frame of Ringling Brothers tent rigging in Sarasota, with performers or crew reduced to dark silhouettes. — Dense ropes and poles fill the frame during the circus act.

1948 Sarasota big top view with trapeze-like rigging, poles, and a performer silhouette in the lower portion. — The act continues beneath the tent roof among suspended lines and poles.

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