Welcome to CriticalPast.

One of the largest royalty-free archive footage collections in the world. All broadcast quality and available for immediate download in multiple HD frame rates and codecs, including full resolution screeners. Vintage stock footage and images licensed worldwide, in perpetuity, for all media.


CriticalPast serves the historic footage needs of news, television, and film professionals, and content creators around the world, 24 hours a day.


Specialties include World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, The Cold War, Worldwide Political Figures, Industrialization, Culture, Civil Rights, Transportation, Aviation and Space.