One of a series of films in the Eastman Kodak Film Library, this silent, tinted film “Shark Fishing” shows shark hunting circa the early 1930s. The Eastman Kodak Film Library, also known as the Kodascope Library, offered more than 500 dramatic, educational and documentary films for loan, rent and for sale. This particular film was probably shot in Mexico or the Gulf of California, although the exact location is unclear because the film is missing the main titles.

This film begins with images of fishermen fixing nets (:27) and then setting sail in a small fishing boat (:30). At (:59) they fish for bait, which they will use to catch sharks. At (1:19) they deploy their nets and show off a spotted eagle ray (1:24) and salt water crayfish (1:47), a porpoise, as well as some barracuda including what appears to be baby or juvenile sharks (2:08). At (3:26) an adult shark that has been caught in the net is shown off. At (4:30) the harvested bait is cut up, and at (5:17) they begin trawling for sharks. (Note: A trawl is a large net that is pulled through the water column or along the seabed. This fishing gear is typically used to catch fish or shrimp. Trawling is frowned upon in the modern world because it is a very indiscriminate form of fishing.) At (5:55) a shark is pulled from the water. At (6:46) a shark’s mouth is shown clearly, with the multiple rows of teeth visible. At (7:58) seven distinct rows of teeth are shown off. At (8:10), the cleaning and skinning of an adult shark is shown. At (9:47), shark fins are shown being harvested and dried as food. At (10:50) shark skin leather is seen being processed and tanned, and used for fashion, shoes, luggage and other purposes.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com