Looking for good 1920s, 30s and 40s Footage ASAP

Hi all,
I hope some of you know the answers to this.

Does anyone know where I can get video clips from the 1920s, 30s and 40s (black and white) showing how it was back then, footage of big band vids, dancing, city life, culture stuff. Basically videos that tell the story of what life was like back then. I'm guessing it would be stock, royalty free and maybe public domain videos. I need links to good websites....ALL you can throw at me because it's my job to find the actual individual clips for him to use. So I need all the help finding the best sites for this old, vintage footage as I can.

My boss is recording a new PBS special in a couple months and needs clips to edit together that will play on a large screen behind him while his band plays.
He knows he'll have to pay for the rights to use any of it that he uses in the show.

Any idea where I can find that type of stuff?

Thanks everyone for you help as usual

Mike D

archive.org

The Prelinger archives.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Corbis.com ... GettyImages.com ... thoughtequity.com


www.shanerosseditor.com

Listen to THE EDIT BAY Podcast on iTunes
[itunes.apple.com]

Prelinger is the schnizz. It's all public domain. Love the place.

Jude,

I agree that a lot of Prelinger appears to be public domain and that they have some great stuff. But I don't think that Prelinger guarantees that. The original poster might do well to find out what PBS requires in terms of delivery of legal docs. I've got a nasty feeling that Prelinger is not in a position to state unequivocally that any particular shot is PD.

I guess it depends on delivery requirements.

Sorry to be a wet rag or a damp squib or whatever it is. Just being cautious.

By the way, their early silent "stag movies" are kind of charming in a tacky way.

Best

Harry.

I'm pretty sure that all the materials are donated and declared Public domain, let me check..

Here's the full disclaimer

[www.prelinger.com]

Each film itself also has a notice of copyright standing on its own page. Of course, these are mostly ephemeral films, so the rules are different to fiction films.

Hi Jude,

Ah. I see. If you get anywhere with investigating, please report back. My concern would be the legal delivery requirements of "xxx" TV/Cable station and whether the Prelinger Archive blanket statement that the stuff is in P.D. stands up to scrutiny and is acceptable to the legal/business affairs phone monkeys.

Best wishes,

Harry.

There is a lot of stuff in Prelinger that, while no longer controlled by the works' creator, contains logos and trademark material that is still protected. A project I worked on a few years back ran into this using some old Coca Cola footage of the Philippines. It was ostensibly an "educational" film about the people of the Philippines but the Coke logo was everywhere on they stuff that was chosen and the lawyers wouldn't pass it.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Thank you all. I appreciate ALL your feedback and suggestions. Please keep them coming as I need to find a lot of stuff. Thanks again.
Mike D