A giraffe looks out through the wire mesh of its enclosure, circa 1949.
1949 · United States
Still image · $49
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4K archival still image
Chewing, the giraffe swings its ears back behind the fence, 1949
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- Catalog year
- 1949
- Location
- United States
- Image
- Still 3 · 2.64s into the source clip
- License
- Commercial and editorial
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One full-resolution still image is included. The source video is licensed separately.
Read the licensing guideAbout this image
Giraffe chewing with its mouth open behind a wire zoo fence, low-angle 8mm home movie, United States circa 1949.
The source is catalogued as 8mm home movie. This frame appears 2.64 seconds into the clip. Watch the source footage below to see the surrounding action.
Browsing preview346 × 256pixels · shown above
Licensed 4K image3840 × 2160pixels · JPEG download
About 94× 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 giraffe lifts its head and stretches its neck to the right.
1949 · United States
Still image · $49
At the end of the shot the giraffe dips its head toward the mesh.
1949 · United States
Still image · $49
Source footage and archive context
United States-1949: Giraffe Chewing Behind a Wire Zoo Fence, Seen From Below
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
Little in the frame dates it on its own, but the welded wire enclosure and soft 8mm colour may show a zoo of the late 1940s, consistent with the family clothing elsewhere in the section.
Film character
Muted 8mm colour with a pinkish cast in the sky, fine grain, light dust specks and a tilted handheld frame give the shot an authentic amateur texture.
Historical context
The clip shows visitors viewing a large animal across close metal fencing, the kind of barrier common in mid-century American zoos, recorded on home colour film available to families since 1936.
Research note
No people, logos or readable signs appear, but the zoo is unidentified and the film's copyright status rests with the archive, so check licensing terms before commercial use.
Image licensing questions
What resolution will I download?
Your license includes the 3840 × 2160-pixel JPEG in full 4K resolution. The 346 × 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 “United States-1949: Giraffe Chewing Behind a Wire Zoo Fence, Seen From Below”. Its page includes the video preview and the archive’s source and licensing information.