Prelinger Archives
4,417–4,464 of 10,346 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.
Where these films come from, and who sees what
Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.
Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.
| Little Ones | Films for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool. |
|---|---|
| Kids | Cartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature. |
| Tweens | Documentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures. |
| Teens | Everything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower. |
| Adult | Sexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage. |
Internet Archive
[Vietnam War Compilation]
Content warning: This film contains graphic still images of violent death and disfigurement of children. Compilation of found footage of the Vietnam War,…
Internet Archive
Battle Is In Our Hands, The
Internet Archive
[Untitled: Cooking Demonstration]
Shows a woman cooking a ham and a man showing decorative techniques of carving vegetables.
Internet Archive
Bomber
Internet Archive
Sunbeam Bread Commercial #2
0736 PA8910 Sunbeam Bread TV Commercials "John Engel, 1953-1957"; was PA-3992
Internet Archive
Coast to Coast in 48 Hours
Internet Archive
Refreshing Look
Internet Archive
[Television Commercials]
Ivory Soap, Comet cleanser, Top Job; Tide; Epic Coffee, Crisco, Johnson's Family Hairspray; Cascade, Skeletal Entry
Internet Archive
Ponds Angel Skin Creme Commercial
Internet Archive
Sensation Seekers, The
great shipwreck sequence
Internet Archive
Magic of the Atom: The Atomic Zoo, The
"The Atomic Zoo"Skeletal Entry
Internet Archive
[Home movie: 098948: Michigan scenes late 1960s]
Home movie scenes of Michigan buildings, roads, a gas station under construction, and the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King filmed off television. Also…
Internet Archive
Home Movie: 97471: St. Louis Area Family, Reel 3
Viewing notes state: Lincoln’s tomb (?) and log cabin (?) Ox ride and covered wagon Girl dances by a tree Man hams it up Mom shows leg Roof of car has a…
Internet Archive
Live and Let Live
Film about how to drive safely and avoid car accidents. Includes stop motion animation that illustrates common driving mistakes and driving best practices.…
Internet Archive
[Gould: can unknown]
13:49:49:05 VS car race on wood board track in 1920s to 1930s 13:50:08:02 CU race car drive filling up old fashioned race car with oil pouring from a tank…
Internet Archive
Winged Pageantry
"One of nature's greatest spectacles is to behold the countless thousands of birds that abandon the freedom of the open sea and migrate to their place of…
Internet Archive
George Eliot
Consists mostly of scenes from Silas Marner.
Internet Archive
Over Sapphire Seas
Internet Archive
Did You Hear What I Said?
Internet Archive
[Gould can 5157-B.1]
California governor-elect James Rolph sworn in as new governor. Parade in Sacramento. General festivities and crowds as he takes his oath of office.
Internet Archive
[Untitled: San Francisco Waterfront and City: ca. 1930s-1940s]
ferry Boats, Golden Gate, Pan of North Beach, Coit Tower, ferry Building, Street scenes of San Francisco and buildings, presidio, sea cliff
Internet Archive
Three Feet in Heaven
War Dog Flick, receives honorable Discharge. Film about K9 department of US Army and Flick's transition back to family life. [Short clip at end of reel, image…
Internet Archive
[Gould can 5483.5: Kinograms Newsreel]
Foals at New York horse breeding farm for future champions / "Zev" turf hero of 1923
Internet Archive
Color Me Red
Fire safety film featuring a suburban family with two young sons whose house is destroyed by fire. Promotes EDITH, a fire safety protocol. Probably produced…
Internet Archive
[Bell of Nevada]
many stock shots to be logged. begins with Nevada-Utah state line footage from "A Continent is Bridges" (1940)
Internet Archive
This Is Color
Internet Archive
Unisphere: Biggest World on Earth, The
Designing and building the symbol of the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Internet Archive
Saint Paul Police Detectives and Their Work: A Color Chartoon
Internet Archive
Home Movies: PA000184: Large Bureaucratic Office
Home movies, including footage of a large office, possibly a government department.
Internet Archive
Taliesin-West
Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's Arizona house and studio.
Internet Archive
Vista Stock Shots: Stores and Shops
excellent footage shot in and around San Francisco
Internet Archive
Soundie - Lullaby of Broadway
The Mel-Tones
Internet Archive
[Untitled: Anywhere But Here]
Teenagers c. 1970s wanting to leave home and boredom
Internet Archive
Wise Use of Credit, The
0646 PA8673 Wise Use of Credit, The
Internet Archive
New York Is a Christmas Wonderland
Christmas lights at night, parade, show window displays
Internet Archive
General Personal Hygiene (Science of Life series, Reel 12)
Part of a longer series; The Science of Life. Reel XII describes personal hygiene routines such as drinking water, bathing, brushing teeth and hair, exercise,…
Internet Archive
Spills and Thrills (The Sport Parade)
Skeletal Entry
Internet Archive
Kit Carson Over the Great Divide
Internet Archive
Home Movie: 97489: Unidentified
To come.
Internet Archive
Fluids in Weightlessness
Internet Archive
Making A Difference By Making The Grade
Internet Archive
Connecticut
Internet Archive
White Ammunition
How milk is made, transported and processed.
Internet Archive
Hidden Harvest
contains film within film: "Animal Checkers"
Internet Archive
Persia Faces Today
An Orientalist tour of Iran filmed by the Lawrence Thaw Asiatic Expedition for Esso, Inc. featuring garden imagery, and architecture. A step-by-step…
Internet Archive
Enemies of the Southern Pine
Production by C.W. Barrell. Photography by Walter Pritchard.
Internet Archive
[Home movie: 098901: Michigan family 1952 domestic scenes and road trip to Washington, DC, and to Florida]
From a Michigan family of older adults: A 1952 reel with backyard hangout time including a new car, a beer party and dancing a jig, and then a road trip with…
Internet Archive
Holding His Own
One of the "Jerry" series of comedy shorts. Some good shots to be logged.