Ringling Brothers Sarasota Florida-1948: Black And White Video Of An Acrobat

$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.

Black And White Video Of An Acrobat — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1948, this archival footage captures a high-wire acrobat performing under the tent of the Ringling Brothers circus in Sarasota, Florida. The black-and-white home movie shows the performer balancing on a tightrope, silhouetted against the tent's interior structure, with visible ropes and poles framing the scene. The grainy texture and soft focus reflect the vintage Super 8 aesthetic, offering a nostalgic glimpse into mid-20th century circus entertainment. The acrobat's movements are captured in a series of steady, observational shots, emphasizing the daring nature of the act.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Shot details: AerialInteriorBlack & white
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 124604430

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 Ringling Brothers Sarasota archive requests needing brief high-wire performance footage for documentary, museum, or educational edits.
Period detail: The tent poles, rigging, tightrope apparatus, and black-and-white 8mm look support the provided 1948 circus setting, though individual performers are seen only as small silhouettes.
Home-movie behavior: The clip carries a visitor-shot perspective, watching a distant acrobat through tent structure rather than staged production coverage.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include tent poles, high-wire rigging, ropes, trapeze-like supports, silhouetted performer shapes, and the dark edges of the 8mm frame.
Film character: Soft focus, heavy grain, high contrast, and slight handheld framing give the footage a physical home-movie texture from scanned 8mm film.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short circus insert, a memory beat, or a transition into mid-century entertainment or Sarasota circus material.
Historical context: The footage visually reflects public circus spectacle and audience-held filming practices, with the performance framed from below inside a tent.
Research note: People appear only as distant silhouettes, but likeness, copyright, and any circus-related permissions should still be reviewed separately.
Research search match: Matches searches for 1948 8mm circus footage, Ringling Brothers Sarasota home movie, black-and-white high-wire acrobat, and vintage circus tent rigging.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with the same reel, then other 1948 Sarasota or Ringling Brothers footage, then broader vintage circus and acrobat performance material.

Still Frames From This Clip

1948 Sarasota circus footage shows high-wire rigging and tent poles, with a small silhouetted performer form near the ropes. — High-wire rigging under the circus tent, framed through dark 8mm edges.

A distant acrobat silhouette appears among high-wire rigging inside the Ringling Brothers Sarasota circus tent in 1948 footage. — Distant acrobat silhouette among the high-wire structure.

Soft-focused 1948 8mm frame shows circus tent poles and high-wire rigging from below in Sarasota. — Soft-focus view of the circus rigging and poles.

Wide 1948 Sarasota circus frame shows high-wire apparatus, ropes, poles, and dark tent edges with performer details indistinct. — High-wire apparatus and tent structure near the end of the clip.

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