1915 Circus Street Parade Elephants Howdah Necco Glass Negatives (2) OOAK For Sale

1915 Circus Street Parade Elephants Howdah Necco Glass Negatives (2) OOAK

Spectacular pair of two (2) original antique gelatin silver glass plate camera negatives captured in 1915, documenting a massive street parade of the traveling circus marching past early storefronts, electric streetcar rails, and packed crowds of spectators.

Preserved directly within the historic press morgue of the Boston Herald-Traveler, these rare street exposures capture the golden age of American circus parades before modern traffic congestion forced circus movements off city streets.

The Original Morgue Sleeve Inscription:

Accompanied by the original vintage red-edge newspaper darkroom filing sleeve:

• Pen Inscription: "Ancient Times in Modern Times / 1915"

• Pencil Inscription: "Circus parade"

Historical & Visual Content:

Before circuses moved exclusively indoors or stayed confined to rail yards, the morning downtown parade was the main advertising draw to pull thousands of ticket buyers to the lot:

• Plate 1 — Ceremonial Howdah & Boston Commercial Signage: A striking profile of a massive bull elephant draped in an embroidered, fringed ceremonial blanket, carrying a domed royal howdah with an elaborate crest. Above the crowd, sharp commercial storefront signage anchors the streetscape, including a large painted arch for Boston confectionery giant "LENOX CHOCOLATES / NECCO" (New England Confectionery Co.), a striped awning for "COSTA BROS.", and "CO. - MILLINERY". Notice the distinct field numbering (V I I I) scratched by hand into the emulsion at the upper left.

• Plate 2 — Paired Elephants & Millinery Shopfront: A low-angle action shot of two massive elephants striding in tandem along the streetcar tracks, guided by a turbaned handler seated forward on the neck. Behind them, spectators in straw boaters, bowlers, and tailored wool coats pack the sidewalk, with women leaning out of the second-story sash windows above the storefront of "F. S. & A. H. LAVERS CO. - data-path-to-node="21">

• Format: Pair of two (2) antique silver gelatin glass plate original camera negatives.

• Dimensions: Standard 4 x 5 inches per plate.

• Archive Ephemera Included: Original vintage red-edged newspaper darkroom filing sleeve with 1915 handwritten notations.

• Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) physical glass plate negatives and the original inscribed sleeve 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 with this purchase.

Condition:

Very Good antique condition. Both heavy glass plates are structurally sound and intact with no cracks, breaks, or structural fractures. The gelatin silver emulsions are exceptionally clean, deep, and stable, capturing needle-sharp focus across the intricate embroidery of the parade blankets, the elephant skin texture, and the period storefront lettering. Shows authentic, minor period darkroom handling frilling confined strictly to the outer rebate margins away from the central image frame. Accompanied by the original 1915 inscribed newspaper sleeve.

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)