Documentary from the world's archives
1,393–1,440 of 6,614 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
Mis Takes UK VHS 1985 Video
A collection of outtakes and live on air mistakes from various BBC programmes. Originally released in December 1985, this is a reissue from around November…
Internet Archive
Legends of Washington County, Maryland (1992 VHS)
A documentary about ghosts and legends from the Washington County, Maryland area. This video is being shared unofficially for archival and educational…
Internet Archive
Wildlife on One - S04E01 - Squirrel On My Shoulder (1979) x264 VHS
Another Wildlife on One episode, Narrated by David Attenborough. I'm quite happy to be able to share this one with everyone as the only copy available online…
Internet Archive
Hill Country Flyer (1993) VHS
A tribute to the Fabulous 786 - The Hill Country Flyer, an original documentary video, chronicles the fate of Engine 786. Old 786 was built in 1916 and rode…
Internet Archive
The Story Of Grand Canyon National Park
This is part of the Questar Video America's Great National Parks 3 VHS tape collection. This tape is about Grand Canyon National Park. Astounding! Its…
Internet Archive
FULL TILT BOOGIE MAKING OF FROM DUSK TIL DAWN VHS RIP
Full‑Tilt Boogie is a feature‑length behind‑the‑scenes documentary directed by Sarah Kelly that chronicles the production of Robert Rodriguez’s 1996 film From…
Internet Archive
Nature - S16E16 - The Wild Side of New York (June 14th 1998)
I’m happy to share with you this episode of Nature , which was missing online until today! This is episode 16 from season 16, The Wild Side of New York ,…
Internet Archive
World Steam Classics Vol 2 (1995) VHS
RAILS TO ARABIA: The Hedjaz Railway in Arabia was assured a place in history by the legendary exploits of Lawrence of Arabia. It was the lifeline of the old…
Internet Archive
Natural World - S13E06 - Ytene: The Ancient Forest (1995) - VHSRF
It is with great pleasure that I share with you a brand new transfer of this Natural World episode, Ytene: The Ancient Forest. This was the product of a…
Internet Archive
MYSTERIES OF THE UNKOWN PSYCHIC POWERS 1988 HBOVIDEO VHS RIP
VHS transfer of Mysteries of the Unknown: Psychic Powers (1988), preserved from an HBO Video home media release. This recording reflects the typical…
Internet Archive
Arsenal: End of Season Review 2000/01
Retail DVD transcode via MakeMKV. For archival purposes I've not converted this in any way from the original video, just stripped the DRM and repackaged the…
Internet Archive
Becoming American: The Chinese Experience - Gold Mountain Dreams [Program One] (2003) [VHS]
YouTube upload: https://youtu.be/LWJ4um9QhqI This is Program One of Four. Program Two is here: https://youtu.be/bHgwUX9VkXs Program Four is here:…
Internet Archive
A Invasão dos Canibais Catarinenses (Brasil, 2021, Gurcius Gewdner)
Fofocas da Canibal Filmes em um vídeo de Gurcius Gewdner super fofo e divertido. Canibal Filmes gossip in a super cute and fun video by Gurcius Gewdner.…
Internet Archive
Hurricane Rita: Disaster in Southeast Texas (2005 VHS from KFDM)
A documentary about Hurricane Rita in 2005; created by KFDM Channel 6 in Beaumont Texas.
Internet Archive
1981 - The Police In Montserrat 1981 Documentary - The Duck Factory - The Four Seasons - Music Videos
Tape Supplied By: BoredVHSlova Digitized by: Windsinger Video size: 720x480 FPS: 59.94 Run Time: 02:03:18 Medium Type: VHS With No Commercials This comes from…
Internet Archive
Henry Moore (1984/1989)
Henry Moore VPI/AC Video Presents Henry Moore (VPI/AC Video, Inc., 1989; home video edition of 1984 film) © Copyright 1984 Temoins • Lysandra Films • FR3…
Internet Archive
San Francisco 1998 Part 1 of 3 (TV BROADCAST)
The SanFrancisco/Alcatraz 1998 Series Thank you for visiting my archive of San Francisco and Alcatraz! Production Notes: Video taken are recordings from a…
Internet Archive
Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life - Disney's Wonderful World Full Broadcast - April 26, 1981
From a Betamax tape, from user CAVE. Let's Complete the Disney Halloween TV Special Collection! I have re-run and syndicated airings to many of these, now I…
Internet Archive
THE NEW NORTH WITH FARLEY MOWAT 1987 NFBC
VHS rip of The New North with Farley Mowat (1987). From the National Film Board of Canada. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0227123/
Internet Archive
The Silent Hunger: Anorexia and Bulimia (1994)
This program answers two important questions: what are eating disorders, and what causes them? The program specifically examines anorexia nervosa, bulimia…
Internet Archive
BBC Arena: 'The Unforgettable Nat King Cole' (1988) Full VHS Tape Documentary)
Enjoy the smooth voice and cool rhythms of legendary American recording artist Nat “King” Cole with this music set, which includes popular hits like “Mona…
Internet Archive
48 Hours: JFK (February 5th, 1992)
*Some viewers may find parts of this video disturbing.* An edition of CBS's long-running news magazine that focused on the various theories behind the…
Internet Archive
Q.E.D. - Nuclear War A Guide To Armageddon - MP4
Q.E.D. - Nuclear War A Guide To Armageddon - MP4 Video Size: 320x240 Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum, Latin for "that which was to be demonstrated") was the…
Internet Archive
[Vintage VHS] Battlefield: The Battle of Stalingrad
Transferred from tape using the RF method. Videos processed with vhs-decode and hifi-decode. See: https://github.com/oyvindln/vhs-decode File types included…
Internet Archive
' Newcastle Upon Tyne' : A Journey Through Time' : Full Public Domain 1990s VHS Tape Documentary HD
'Newcastle Upon Tyne': 'A Journey Through Time': Full Public Domain 1990s VHS Tape HD. Take the ultimate walk down Memory Lane as we visit ‘Newcastle upon…
Internet Archive
Wildlife on One - S19E01 - Too Close For Comfort? (January 6th 1992) - VHSrf
Another day, another captivating episode of "Wildlife on One" impeccably narrated by the incomparable Sir David Attenborough! This time, we unveil a pristine…
Internet Archive
The Castles Of Scotland: Culzean and Inveraray (1995)
The Castles of Scotland: Culzean and Inveraray From the TV Series (REL Records LTD, 1995) Running Time: 1 Hour From the Acclaimed BBC Scotland Series The…
Internet Archive
DVD-6738 - Match of the Day (UK soccer game) - Never Mind the Buzzcocks - Dr. John - November 14, 2005
Recorded By: Mister T. Collection: The Mister T. DVD Collection Medium Type: DVD Uploaded Format: DVD ISO DVD-6738 - Match of the Day (UK soccer game) - Never…
Internet Archive
Das neue Kreiskrankenhaus. Ein Dokumentarfilm der Aalener Wochenschau
Dokumentation über den Neubau des Kreiskrankenhauses Aalen 1953-1955 Produziert von Emil Sperle für die Aalener Wochenschau Bestandsnachweis: Stadtarchiv…
Internet Archive
The Body Snatchers - David Attenborough - BBC Wildlife on One - 1987 - Full Documentary - 50fps
Full documentary, "The Body Snatchers", featuring David Attenborough. First broadcast on BBC One in 1987. Captured from a home recorded PAL VHS tape using…
Internet Archive
Indiana’s Game (1986)
Title: Indiana’s Game Year: 1986 Source: VHS Description: "Indiana’s Game" is a tribute to the rich history and cultural significance of basketball in…
Internet Archive
VHS Tape Recordings from 1996
Here is a brief of a documentary recorded from A&E around early 1996. No copyright infringement intended. This video was uploaded for archival purposes only.
Internet Archive
1984.01.07 - MTV - Recording of H2O - We Got it Made S01E14 - 1984.01.13 - The New Show S01E02
Tape Supplied By: BoredVHSlova Digitized by: Windsinger Video size: 720x480 FPS: 59.94 Run Time: 02:03:28 Medium Type: VHS With Some Commercials This comes…
Internet Archive
David L. Wolper Presents: Day Of Infamy (A&E 27 July 1996)
David L. Wolper Presents: Day of Infamy Narrator: Richard Basehart (Arts & Entertainment Network, 25 July 1996; 1963) Running Time: 48 Minutes VHS dub edition…
Internet Archive
VHS Tape - News Programming from WHAS,WFLD & KGO-TV, Documentary
VHS Tape - News Programming from WHAS,WFLD & KGO-TV, Documentary With Commercials Video Size: 720x480 Length: 3:16:30 VHS Tape supplied by CosmicWheelz and…
Internet Archive
Barbados - TravelView International 1997/1998 Edition (1996) [VHS]
YouTube upload: https://youtu.be/LoVWru9Xm0M DVDs can be ordered here: https://travelview.com/products/dvds-for-travelers/…
Internet Archive
Dion (1988)
This documentary was produced by the [Greek] Ministry of Culture Archaeological Receipts Fund ( Τ.Α.Π.) in 1988. It is in English. DESCRIPTION FOR VHS BACK…
Internet Archive
Jennie Wade of Gettysburg (1999 VHS)
A documentary about Jennie Wade, the only civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. Part of The Unknown Civil War series. This video is being shared…
Internet Archive
' Remembering Patsy Cline' ( 1993)
First-time airing for ten rare television appearances by country legend Patsy Cline, augmented by home movie clips, excerpts from her letters and interviews…
Internet Archive
Women Are Researchers
A short promotional and informational video about women in the biomedical sciences. It features an introduction by Gates McFadden. Description from Box: As…
Internet Archive
Rocky Mountain National Park: Rooftop Of The Continent (1990)
Title: Rocky Mountain National Park: Rooftop of the Continent Year: 1990 Source: VHS Description: Rocky Mountain National Park: Rooftop of the Continent…
Internet Archive
THE MAKING OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES BEFIND THE SHELLS 1991 VHS RIP
The Making of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Behind the Shells (1991) is a behind the scenes documentary special that gives fans an inside look at how the…
Internet Archive
VHS Tape - Two Episodes of Battlestar Galactica - WMFE - Great Railway Journeys of the World, East Enders
VHS Tape - Two Episodes of Battlestar Galactica - WMFE - Great Railway Journeys of the World, East Enders Without Commercials Video Size: 720x480 Length:…
Internet Archive
Finley-Holiday Films Video Library: Bryce, Zion, & The North Rim of The Grand Canyon
Finley-Holiday Films Video Library: Bryce, Zion, & The North Rim of The Grand Canyon A VHS rip of the Finley Holiday tour of the grand canyon. Enjoy the best…
Internet Archive
group host shows/Uso japan!/NHK announcement/war documentaries/nhk nature docs/news. Recorded on VHS
This tape features group host shows (group of famous people doing things), medical quiz shows, USO japan!, NHK announcement, war documentary, Nature…
Internet Archive
Out of the Wilderness: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (1993)
Out of the Wilderness: The Life of Abraham Lincoln (TN Releasing, 1993) Running Time: 1 Hour, 12 Minutes Out of the Wilderness: The Life of Abraham Lincoln…
Internet Archive
1980.00.00 - Miscellaneous Music Videos, All You Need Is Love The Story of Popular Music, 20-20 Fleetwood Mac, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with Elton John, QUBE Sight on Sound
1980.00.00 - Miscellaneous Music Videos, All You Need Is Love The Story of Popular Music, 20-20 Fleetwood Mac, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson with…
Internet Archive
To Fly! (1976) [VHS]
YouTube upload: https://youtu.be/rAc7IrTT4PM A film presentation first shown at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Made Possible by…