1920 Sir Thomas Lipton Famous Yachtsman America Eagle Glass Negative OOAK For Sale

1920 Sir Thomas Lipton Famous Yachtsman America Eagle Glass Negative OOAK

Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique gelatin silver glass negative captured in June 1920: an extraordinary photographic artifact of America's Cup lore and international maritime history: celebrated challenger Sir Thomas Lipton, documented as the "Famous Yachtsman," posing on deck while cradling his prized good-luck mascot—the original carved Federal eagle from the historic 1851 schooner yacht America.

Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing contemporary newsroom documentation:

• The Sleeve Inscription:

  Name: Sir Thomas Lipton

  Order: Famous Yachtsman

Historical & Sporting Significance:

Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton (1848–1931) remains the most famous challenger in the history of the America's Cup, mounting five gallant campaigns representing the Royal Ulster Yacht Club under the green burgee of his Shamrock cutters. In June 1920, preparations reached a fever pitch in New York and New England waters as Lipton readied Shamrock IV for the first post-WWI cup matches against the defender Resolute.

This camera-original newsroom field plate captures an intimate alternate portrait from his June 1920 photoshoot aboard his yacht tender. Posed beside the ship's steam funnel, Lipton looks down admiringly upon the carved American eagle sternboard carving directly associated with the yacht America, the legendary vessel that won the Royal Yacht Squadron's "Hundred Guinea Cup" off Cowes in 1851.

Visual details preserved in the silver gelatin emulsion:

• Sir Thomas Lipton: Shown in a downward-gazing pose wearing his iconic yachting peaked cap, dotted silk bow tie, high stiff collar, and dark wool double-breasted pea coat.

• The Carved Federal Eagle: Held forward in both hands, showing deep sculptural wing feathers, an outstretched beak, and carved talons clasping the stars-and-stripes shield and arrows.

• Maritime Background: The curved riveted plates of the ship's ventilator/funnel and open wooden tread companionway ladder on deck.

• Tonal Fidelity: Rich continuous-tone silver gelatin gradation rendering crisp fabric textures, wood grain in the carved eagle, and delicate specular highlights across his white mustache.

Specifications:

• Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin press glass negative, exposed directly in-camera in June 1920.

• Archive Ephemera: Accompanied by the original period tan kraft darkroom morgue filing envelope.

Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass negative and its period paper archive sleeve only. Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual representation to show what finished photographs print like. No physical paper photograph, modern print, or paper product of any kind is included with this purchase.

Condition:

Very Good to Excellent antique condition. The heavy glass plate is structurally sound, stable, and completely intact with no cracks, fractures, breaks, or chips through the glass body. The silver gelatin emulsion is remarkably clean, sharp, and firmly adhered across the composition, retaining needle-sharp optical focus on Lipton's face and the hand-carved eagle. Authentic unexposed handling borders remain preserved along the outer glass rebate margins. Accompanied by the original period kraft morgue filing 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)