El Monte California-1937: Lion Resting In Its Cage At A 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.

Year1937
Decade1930s
LocationEl Monte, California, United States
Duration6s
Price$149 USD
Collection1937 El Monte 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.

Lion Resting In Its Cage At A Zoo — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1937, this vintage home movie captures a lion resting inside its enclosure at a zoo in El Monte, California. Viewed through a chain-link fence, the lion lies on the ground in a dappled, sunlit area, its massive form partially obscured by the diamond pattern of the wire mesh. The footage exhibits classic Super 8 grain, soft focus, and natural lighting, conveying a quiet, observational moment from a bygone era. The lion remains mostly still, occasionally shifting its position, offering a rare glimpse into early 20th-century zoo life and animal captivity. This archival clip is ideal for historical documentaries, nostalgic content, and studies of vintage wildlife footage.

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: 6s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 127253509

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 record not linked for this clip
Date: 1937 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: El Monte, California, 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

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Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1930s 8mm zoo footage for productions needing a quiet archival cutaway of a captive lion viewed from a visitor perspective.
Period detail: The chain-link enclosure, soft 8mm rendering, and visitor-side viewpoint support a 1930s zoo setting in El Monte, California, without showing identifiable signage.
Home-movie behavior: The camera watches patiently through the fence, preserving an unstaged home-movie observation of an animal mostly at rest.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a resting lion, chain-link fencing, sunlit ground, enclosure shadows, soft-focus edges, and dark film-frame borders.
Film character: The clip has dense monochrome grain, mild blur, uneven exposure, and contact-sheet softness that read as physical 8mm archival texture.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short insert, transition, or reflective cutaway about zoos, wildlife display, captivity, or 1930s leisure.
Historical context: The footage visually documents a period zoo encounter from outside the cage, emphasizing the barrier between visitor and captive animal.
Research note: No people, logos, or audible music are indicated, but users should still assess copyright status and any zoo or location-related permissions separately.
Research search match: Useful search matches include 1937 El Monte zoo lion footage, 1930s 8mm captive animal, vintage home movie zoo enclosure, and lion behind chain-link fence.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with the same reel, then other El Monte or 1937 California zoo footage, then broader vintage animal captivity or zoo visitor material.

Still Frames From This Clip

1937 El Monte zoo footage showing a lion resting on the ground behind chain-link fencing. — A resting lion is seen through the diamond pattern of the enclosure fence.

A captive lion lies mostly still behind the fence in this 1937 El Monte, California zoo view. — The fence pattern partially obscures the lion as it rests inside the enclosure.

The 8mm frame shows the lion still lying in the enclosure, viewed from outside the chain-link fence. — The home-movie camera keeps a steady visitor-side view of the resting lion.

A closer, darker 8mm view shows the lion's body behind overlapping chain-link fencing in the El Monte zoo enclosure. — The final frame brings the lion closer in view, with fence mesh crossing the foreground.

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