New York City New York-1940: Upward Tilt Along a Skyscraper Above City Rooftops

Catalog date: estimated · Catalog location: estimated. Review source evidence · Request a source quality check

$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.

Year1940
Decade1940s
LocationNew York City, New York, United States
Duration9s
Price$149 USD
Collection1940 · New York City, New York, United States
StatusStockfilm Exclusive

$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.

From the same film reel

1940 · New York & New York City · Reel d20b5c2c contains 10 published Stockfilm-exclusive clips. Watch them in reel order and review the available reel documentation.

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Same year and place1940 · New York City, New York, United StatesExplore footage →Across the archiveFilmed in 1940Explore the year →Across the yearsNew York City, New York, United StatesExplore the place →

What is in this clip

urban architecture
skyscraper scale
city travel
landmark observation
historic skyline
amateur filmmaking

Shot type: wide
Camera: tilt · handheld · Upward-looking view across rooftops
Setting: outdoor · Dense urban skyline with masonry buildings and rooftop structures
Time and weather: Daytime · Indeterminate · Clear sky
Lighting: Direct daylight with strong building shadows
People: 0 · No people are discernible.
Landmarks: Empire State Building
Objects: rooftop water tank · masonry facades · windows · rooflines · rooftop chimneys · skyscraper setbacks
Colors: muted blue · cream · brown · gray · black
Master dimensions: 3840 × 2160
Audio: Silent
Date confidence: Low
Location confidence: High

Moments in the footage

Select a time to watch that moment in the preview.

Older rooftops and a water tank fill the foreground below the Empire State Building.
The upward tilt gives more space to the tower's vertical facade.
The foreground rooflines sink toward the bottom of the frame.
The upper setbacks enter the view as the tilt continues.

Upward Tilt Along a Skyscraper Above City Rooftops — Clip Details

Manhattan, New York City, circa 1940 home movie footage shows the Empire State Building rising behind a cluster of shorter buildings. The view begins with masonry facades, rooftop structures and a cylindrical water tank beneath a blue sky. A gradual upward tilt follows the tower's vertical facade toward its upper setbacks, pushing the foreground roofs out of view. Soft color, deep shadows and scattered film marks remain visible throughout.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Shot details: Wide shot
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 9s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 800002960

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: 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: 1940 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: New York City, New York, 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: Supports documentary requests for Manhattan landmark views and amateur urban travel footage circa 1940.
Period detail: A rooftop water tank, older masonry facades and the Empire State Building provide architectural period texture without establishing a precise filming date.
Home-movie behavior: The gradual upward tilt records a visitor following the skyscraper's height from surrounding rooftops toward its upper setbacks.
What appears in frame: The view contains a tall ribbed facade, stepped upper stories, a cylindrical water tank, masonry rooflines, rows of windows and blue sky.
Film character: Soft color, visible grain, scattered dust marks and slight handheld movement give the projected-film capture its archival texture.
Edit role: Functions as a short establishing shot or an upward-moving transition into a sequence about Manhattan architecture.
Historical context: The Empire State Building opened in 1931, and its tower visibly dominates the lower masonry buildings in this view.
Research note: No people or readable brands are discernible; architectural property is visible, and film copyright is separate from any applicable property permissions.
Research search match: Matches searches for Empire State Building upward tilts, Manhattan rooftop home movies and New York color footage circa 1940.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with this reel's Manhattan rooftops, mounted officers and shopping street, then with New York views circa 1940 and other visitor-shot skyscraper studies.

Still Frames From This Clip

Manhattan, circa 1940: the Empire State Building rises behind older masonry rooftops and a cylindrical water tank. — The opening composition places older rooftops and a water tank beneath the Empire State Building.
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New York City, circa 1940: the Empire State Building's vertical facade rises above a cream mid-rise as the camera tilts upward. — The upward tilt gives more of the frame to the tower and sky.
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Midtown Manhattan, circa 1940: the Empire State Building fills the center while foreground rooftops approach the lower edge. — The tower occupies more of the composition midway through the upward movement.
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Manhattan, circa 1940: the upward view emphasizes the Empire State Building's tall facade and a setback above the foreground roofs. — A higher framing follows the skyscraper toward its upper setbacks.
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