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1929 Boston Christmas Shoppers 3 Glass Plate Negatives Traffic Kiosk OOAK
Set of three (3) matching, sequential, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negatives captured in December 1929 by legendary Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones. The shoot documents the ocean of holiday shoppers and vehicle traffic flooding the historic intersection of Washington and Winter Streets (Downtown Crossing) in Boston, Massachusetts, just two months after the Wall Street stock market crash.
Exposed by Jones in rapid succession from an elevated second-story window or balcony overlooking the intersection, these three plates capture progressive angles and moving crowd waves:
Plate 1 (Tighter Angle on Traffic Kiosk): Focuses on the ornate Boston Police raised wooden traffic signal kiosk, featuring the officer inside and prominent civic signage: "FOOT TRAFFIC CROSS ON RED & YELLOW LIGHTS" and "NO LEFT TURN". Shoppers in cloche hats, newsboy caps, and heavy winter coats pack the street from curb to curb under the department store awnings.
Plate 2 (Wide Angle Street View): Angled further south down Washington Street, showing the broader thoroughfare flanked by early commercial delivery vehicles, mounted/traffic police, storefront canopies, and prominent architectural signage including "THE C. E. HORN CO." and "GILCHRIST'S BASEMENT".
Plate 3 (Sequential Crowd Motion): Second close perspective on the traffic tower taken seconds apart from Plate 1, showing clear pedestrian movement, shifting faces, and altered traffic flow around the officer's booth.
The level of documentary clarity across all three exposures is exceptional:
Sharp, high-resolution views of period 1929 winter garments, fedoras, flat caps, and furs.
Classic Boston commercial architecture, street streetlamps, awnings, and intersection street-name signs (Winter St).
Rare architectural details of Boston's early municipal raised traffic-control booths.
Format: Three (3) heavy antique silver gelatin glass plate negatives, each measuring approximately 4x5 inches, exposed directly in Leslie Jones's press camera in December 1929.
Archive Sleeve Included: Accompanied by the original period tan kraft darkroom filing sleeve bearing contemporary handwritten newsroom notation: "XMas Shoppers / Dec 1929 / Boston".
Please Note: This listing is for the three (3) original antique glass plate negatives and the single period paper archive envelope only. Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual representation to illustrate the printed image. No physical paper photographs, modern prints, or paper reproductions are included with this purchase.
Condition: Very Good to Excellent antique condition across all three plates. The glass plates are solid, intact, and structurally sound with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter breaks. Emulsions display superb focal sharpness, rich mid-tone gradients, and excellent contrast throughout the crowds, buildings, and signs. Minor, authentic edge silver mirroring and handling marks along the extreme outer borders consistent with working 1929 press negatives. Accompanied by the original annotated kraft archive 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)
