Shotgun Law
PUBLIC DOMAIN FYI
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Public Domain

Seven Ages of an Alligator

1913 · Selig Polyscope Company

Documentary footage showing the alligator in several stages of growth, from babyhood to a ripe old age; a film taken at an alligator farm in California. In early 1913 as Thanhouser staff and crews were setting up a facility in Los Angeles, cameraman Carl Louis Gregory was taking documentary footage, from which four “split reel” short subjects were created: A MILLION BIRDS, filmed at California pigeon and ostrich farms; LOS ANGELES THE BEAUTIFUL (two different version with the same title), showing scenic attractions; and SEVEN AGES OF AN ALLIGATOR, filmed at an alligator farm. Released together, HIS UNCLE'S WIVES and SEVEN AGES OF AN ALLIGATOR filled up one 1,000-foot “split reel.” (Fandor)

Confidence
100
— Legal Reasoning —

Why this status applies

The film 'Seven Ages of an Alligator' was released in the United States in December 1913 by the Selig Polyscope Company. It is an early silent short documentary/educational film. Under the United States copyright law, any work published before January 1, 1928, is definitively in the public domain. This film was released approximately 110 years ago, far exceeding the maximum possible protection term for works of this era. At the time of its release, the maximum copyright term (including the renewal period) would have been 56 years, which would have expired in 1969 regardless of renewal status. Since the release date precedes the 1928 cutoff, no further search of the Catalog of Copyright Entries or the Stanford Renewal Database is required to confirm its status as public domain. The film is currently held in archival collections such as the Library of Congress.
— Cited Sources —

Supporting facts

  • Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division
  • The Moving Picture World, Vol. 18 (1913)
  • AFI Catalog of Feature Films (1893-1993)
  • Hurst, Richard Maurice. Film Superlist: 20,000 Motion Pictures in the U.S. Public Domain (1894-1939)

Research summary based on cited sources, not legal advice. Always consult a qualified copyright attorney before commercial use.