An elephant is held in a wooden sling over the ship deck as the lift begins.
1946 · Colombo, Sri Lanka
Still image · $49
This small preview is for browsing. Your licensed download is the full 4K image.
4K archival still image
The crane lift raises the elephant above the deck rail — Colombo, 1946
$49 USD Full 4K image license
You’re licensing the 4K image3,840 × 2,160 pixels · JPEG
Extracted from the film scan master, not enlarged from the 256px preview.
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- Full 4K · 3840 × 2160 pixels · JPEG
- Web preview
- 455 × 256 pixels
- Catalog year
- 1946
- Location
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Image
- Still 2 · 1.80s into the source clip
- License
- Commercial and editorial
Royalty-free license. Choose your usage, territory and term at checkout.
One full-resolution still image is included. The source video is licensed separately.
Read the licensing guideAbout this image
The elephant is hoisted clear of the deck in a wooden sling, with open water and the ship rail visible behind it.
The source is catalogued as 8mm home movie. This frame appears 1.80 seconds into the clip. Watch the source footage below to see the surrounding action.
Browsing preview455 × 256pixels · shown above
Licensed 4K image3840 × 2160pixels · JPEG download
About 71× as many pixels as the web preview. The master retains the original film’s grain, texture and condition.
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Other frames from this clip
The suspended elephant passes over the rail while crew watch from the deck.
1946 · Colombo, Sri Lanka
Still image · $49
The lift continues with the elephant suspended just above the rail line.
1946 · Colombo, Sri Lanka
Still image · $49
Source footage and archive context
Colombo Ceylon-1946: Elephant in Sling Lifted from Ship Deck
Watch the movement and surrounding scene in the source clip, or license the video separately.
Source format: 8mm home movie.
Browse the collection: 1940s collection.
Date documentation · estimated
Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual or technical evidence; no reel-level note is linked.
Location documentation · estimated
Catalog estimate based on source metadata and visual evidence such as signage, landmarks, or terrain; no reel-level note is linked.
Period detail
The ship deck, crane sling, faded 8mm color, and Colombo Ceylon metadata place the scene in a mid-1940s port setting, with no visible landmark or vessel name confirmed.
Film character
The clip has soft focus, muted color, gate edges, mild exposure variation, and small-gauge film grain that support its home-movie archival texture.
Historical context
The footage visually documents an elephant suspended above a ship deck in Colombo, showing animal handling intersecting with maritime equipment and port labor.
Research note
People are visible but not individually identifiable in these frames; copyright, likeness, animal-welfare sensitivity, and vessel or location permissions may still require review.
Image licensing questions
What resolution will I download?
Your license includes the 3840 × 2160-pixel JPEG in full 4K resolution. The 455 × 256-pixel image on this page is a browsing preview. The licensed image is extracted from the scan master, not enlarged from the preview.
What does the $49 still-image license include?
It covers this one still image. Commercial and editorial usage options are available. Choose the usage, territory and term at checkout. The source video is licensed separately.
Can I see the footage this image came from?
Yes. The source clip is “Colombo Ceylon-1946: Elephant in Sling Lifted from Ship Deck”. Its page includes the video preview and the archive’s source and licensing information.