Chicago Illinois-1957: Otters and Deer at Zoo

$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.

Year1957
Decade1950s
LocationChicago, Illinois, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD

$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.

Otters and Deer at Zoo — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1957, this vintage home movie captures a pair of otters and a deer in separate enclosures at a zoo in Chicago. The footage, viewed through wire mesh cages, shows the animals in a water-filled habitat under bright daylight. The grainy, slightly faded color and film scratches evoke a nostalgic mid-century feel. A child's silhouette appears in one frame, observing the animals, adding a personal, archival quality to the scene. This authentic 1950s wildlife footage is ideal for documentaries, historical projects, or nostalgic content.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Shot details: Exterior
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 124936082

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 2302 · 8mm · 3″ reel
Original reel label: tw ross
Reel-level year note: 1957
Reel-level location note: morton illinois
Date: 1957 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: Chicago, Illinois, 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

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: Supports 1950s documentary or education requests needing Chicago zoo animal footage with visitor-shot 8mm texture.
Period detail: The wire enclosures, bright daylight, and 8mm color stock may show mid-century zoo viewing conditions in Chicago.
Home-movie behavior: The clip carries an unstaged visitor perspective, including a brief view of a person watching animals through cage mesh.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include otters near water, a deer-like animal behind mesh, cage bars, sunlit water, concrete ledges, and a visitor silhouette.
Film character: Grain, contrasty exposure, soft focus, and dark mesh shadows give the short reel a physical 8mm home-movie character.
Edit role: An editor could use it as a zoo cutaway, animal insert, childhood-memory beat, or transition into mid-century public leisure scenes.
Historical context: The footage documents animals viewed through barred enclosures, offering visual context for family zoo visits without asserting institutional details.
Research note: People are visible in at least one frame, so likeness review may be needed separate from copyright and location/property considerations.
Research search match: Useful for searches such as 1957 Chicago zoo 8mm footage, vintage otters in enclosure, deer behind cage mesh, and 1950s home movie animals.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with the same reel, then other 1957 Chicago footage, then related mid-century zoo, wildlife, and family-outing material.

Still Frames From This Clip

1957 Chicago zoo footage appears to show two otters beside water, seen through a dark cage mesh. — Two otters rest near the edge of a water-filled enclosure behind wire mesh.

A deer-like animal rests inside a wire enclosure in this 1957 Chicago zoo home-movie frame. — A deer-like animal lies behind the cage mesh, lit by bright bands of daylight.

A visitor silhouette appears in the foreground while an animal rests behind mesh at a Chicago zoo in 1957. — A visitor watches the caged animal from close range, framed by the dark enclosure mesh.

The final frame shows a deer-like animal lying inside a barred zoo enclosure in 1957 Chicago footage. — The animal remains low in the enclosure as sunlight catches the cage bars and mesh.

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