Washington DC-1948: Swan Gliding Across Calm Lake Toward Other Swans

$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
LocationWashington, DC, United States
Duration6s
Price$149 USD
Collection1946 Washington DC

$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.

Swan Gliding Across Calm Lake Toward Other Swans — Clip Details

Shot on 8mm film in 1948, this vintage home movie captures a serene lakeside scene in Washington DC. A single white swan glides slowly across the calm water, its reflection rippling beneath. Lush green willow trees and dense forest line the far shore, creating a tranquil natural setting. The footage exhibits classic Super 8 grain, soft focus, and warm color tones characteristic of mid-century amateur film. The camera remains steady, observing the swan's peaceful journey across the lake. This archival clip evokes nostalgia and offers authentic period footage for documentaries, historical projects, or vintage-themed content.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 6s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 127728558

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: 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: Washington, DC, 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: 1940s Washington DC home-movie lake footage for productions needing a quiet wildlife cutaway, period nature insert, or reflective archival transition.
Period detail: The scene may show a public park lake in Washington DC, with white swans on calm water and mature willow trees as the main visible period clues rather than architecture or signage.
Home-movie behavior: The camera watches patiently from shore as swans drift across the lake, giving the clip an unstaged visitor-shot quality with no visible people directing the action.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include white swans, calm lake water, soft reflections, a wooded shoreline, drooping willow branches, shrubbery, and bright patches of bank.
Film character: The 8mm film has soft focus, visible grain, gentle color fading, and slight exposure bloom that give the lake scene a mid-century home-movie texture.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a contemplative cutaway, memory beat, nature transition, or quiet establishing insert within a Washington DC or 1940s sequence.
Historical context: The footage offers a non-urban view of Washington DC leisure scenery, emphasizing parkland, water, and wildlife rather than civic buildings or public events.
Research note: No people, logos, or private property are visible, but copyright, archive license terms, and location-specific use should still be reviewed before publication.
Research search match: Useful searches include 1948 Washington DC 8mm swans on lake, 1940s home movie park lake wildlife, and vintage film willow trees water birds.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with neighboring shots from the same reel, then with 1948 Washington DC park footage, then with other vintage lake, swan, and quiet nature scenes.

Still Frames From This Clip

1948 Washington DC 8mm frame showing a white swan on calm lake water below dense willow trees and shoreline greenery. — A single swan glides across the lake near a shaded willow-lined bank.

1948 Washington DC 8mm frame with white swans spread across calm water beside dense trees and willow branches. — Swans drift at different distances across the lake near the tree-lined shore.

1948 Washington DC 8mm frame showing multiple swans on reflective lake water with willows and shrubbery behind them. — Multiple swans pass through the frame against a green, wooded lakeside background.

1948 Washington DC 8mm frame showing swans on a lake near a bright shoreline opening surrounded by dense park trees. — Swans gather near a brighter section of shoreline in the wooded park lake scene.

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