Long Beach California-1937: Oil Pumpjack Operating At Industrial Site

$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
LocationLong Beach, California, United States
Duration6s
Price$149 USD
Collection1937 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.

Oil Pumpjack Operating At Industrial Site — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1937, this archival footage captures a working oil pumpjack at an industrial site in Long Beach, California. The black-and-white home movie shows the rhythmic up-and-down motion of the pumping unit against a backdrop of metal scaffolding and storage tanks. The grainy texture and soft focus are characteristic of vintage Super 8 film, offering a nostalgic glimpse into mid-20th century American industry. The camera remains stationary, focusing on the mechanical operation of the oil rig, with surrounding structures and equipment visible in the background. This authentic industrial footage is ideal for documentaries, historical projects, and retro-themed content.

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: 127254533

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: Long Beach, 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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1937
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Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1930s industrial archive footage for documentary or educational projects needing a brief Long Beach oil production cutaway.
Period detail: The visible pumpjack, lattice steelwork, tanks, and black-and-white 8mm texture support the 1937 Long Beach industrial setting in the metadata.
Home-movie behavior: The fixed viewpoint feels like a visitor or amateur filmer observing machinery at work rather than a staged industrial film setup.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a pumpjack beam and counterweight, metal scaffolding, railings, tanks or cylindrical structures, pipes, and industrial yard surfaces.
Film character: The clip has soft 8mm focus, pronounced grain, uneven exposure, and slight frame-edge darkening that read as authentic physical-film texture.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short insert, industrial transition, or establishing cutaway for oil extraction and Depression-era California industry.
Historical context: The footage shows oil-field machinery embedded in a built industrial environment, suggesting everyday infrastructure around Long Beach petroleum work.
Research note: No people, logos, or readable brands are visible, but users should still review copyright status and any location or property implications separately.
Research search match: Useful search matches include 1930s Long Beach oil pumpjack, 8mm industrial footage, California oil field home movie, and vintage pumping unit.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent shots from the same reel, then other 1937 Long Beach material, then broader 1930s oil, machinery, or industrial labor context.

Still Frames From This Clip

1937 Long Beach oil pumpjack scene with a pumping unit, platform railings, scaffolding, and tank structures in black-and-white 8mm footage. — Pumpjack mechanism operating within a dense industrial yard.

Black-and-white 8mm frame of a Long Beach oil pumpjack with its counterweight low near a platform and lattice supports behind it. — The pumping unit moves against tanks, pipes, and scaffolding.

1937 Long Beach industrial frame showing the pumpjack counterweight and walking beam among railings, scaffolding, and tank surfaces. — The pumpjack mechanism fills the lower frame as steelwork rises behind it.

Black-and-white 8mm view of the Long Beach pumpjack at a different stroke position, surrounded by railings, tanks, and steel tower framing. — The pumping unit continues its cycle within the industrial site.

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