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1920s Quincy MA Atlantic Train Wreck Steam Locomotive Glass Negatives 2 OOAK
Pair of two (2) original antique gelatin silver glass plate camera negatives captured by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photographer Leslie Jones, documenting a major railroad wreck, derailment, and locomotive rollover in the Atlantic section of Quincy, Massachusetts.
Preserved directly within the historic press morgue of the Boston Herald-Traveler, these field negatives record the heavy physical destruction of a main-line disaster on the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad\'s busy Old Colony line just south of Boston.
The Original Morgue Sleeve Inscription:
Accompanied by the original vintage kraft darkroom filing envelope inscribed in period newsroom script:
Historical & Visual Content:
Plate 1 — High-Angle Yard Junction & Signal Tower: An elevated establishing overview looking over the multi-track mainline and rail yard. Derailed freight boxcars—including cars stenciled for the St. Louis Southwestern (\"Cotton Belt\") and Lehigh Valley—lie split and jackknifed across the interlocking switch tracks. The historic wooden two-story interlocking switch tower overlooks the wreckage as heavy wheel trucks are cleared from the running rails amid dozens of spectators.
Plate 2 — Overturned Steam Locomotive: A dramatic view focusing on the heavy steam locomotive derailed and pitched entirely onto its side down the embankment into roadside trees. Hundreds of local residents, summer commuters in straw boater hats, and track workers line the right-of-way examining the crushed cab and machinery.
Specifications:
Format: Pair of two (2) antique silver gelatin glass plate original camera negatives.
Dimensions: Standard 4 x 5 inches per plate.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage newsroom kraft darkroom filing envelope.
Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) physical antique glass plate negatives and their original filing envelope only. Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual reference to demonstrate how the negatives print. No physical paper photographs, modern prints, or reproduction prints are included.
Condition:Very Good antique condition. Both heavy glass plates are structurally sound, flat, and complete with no breaks, fractures, or cracks through the image areas. The gelatin silver emulsions remain sharp and rich in tone, preserving crisp focus across the boxcar lettering, locomotive ironwork, telegraph poles, and crowd figures. Display expected authentic period newsroom margin handling wear and minor edge frilling confined strictly to the outer rebate margins. Accompanied by the original inscribed newsroom envelope.
The glass plate negative measures 4 x 5In.
If you collect glass negatives, please check out our collection in our store. We are currently listing thousands of original glass photo negatives from this DJD collection through the remainder of the year. Follow our store, and feel free to reach out about any questions about the negatives in this collection.
Ships with extreme care in archival materials to ensure safe transit. Feel free to reach out with any requests or questions).
Combined shipping is available (with other glass negatives)
