1920s Boston Police Machine Gun Model T Car Pemberton Sq Glass Negative OOAK For Sale

1920s Boston Police Machine Gun Model T Car Pemberton Sq Glass Negative OOAK

Sensational original antique gelatin silver glass plate camera negative capturing armed Boston Police officers and detectives manning an open Ford Model T pursuit car mounted with a rear-seat machine gun outside Old Police Headquarters in Pemberton Square.

Preserved directly within the historic press morgue of the Boston Herald-Traveler, this remarkable field exposure documents the militarization of municipal police vehicles during the Red Scare era, staged specifically to deter radical labor and anarchist demonstrations ahead of the annual May 1st (May Day) rallies.

The Original Morgue Sleeve Inscription:

Accompanied by the original newspaper darkroom filing sleeve bearing the photographer's embossed newsroom mark and period hand notations:

• Photographer Stamp: "PHOTO BY LESLIE R. JONES / BOSTON HERALD-TRAVELER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER"

• Primary Inscription: "Machine Guns mounted on rear seat of auto, maned by Boston Police ready to preserve law & order on May 1."

• Location Notations: "Pemberton Sq at the old Police Headquarters years ago (~Current Gov't Center)"

Historical & Geographical Context:

• The Location: Shot directly in Pemberton Square, facing the curved brick facade and ornate iron railings of Boston Police Headquarters (Station 1 / Central Administration). Located directly adjacent to Scollay Square and the Suffolk County Courthouse, this entire historic square was later demolished in the 1960s to create modern Government Center.

• The Machine Gun Automobile: A stripped Ford Model T open touring car modified as a rapid-response riot pursuit vehicle. Mounted securely over the rear tonneau is a high-powered machine gun / automatic rifle manned by a uniformed patrolman, ready to traverse the perimeter of the car.

• The Officers: Four Boston patrolmen in early high-collared tunics, eight-point peaked service caps, and pinned breast shields flank the vehicle alongside a plainclothes detective in a fedora and three-piece suit gripping the steering wheel.

Specifications:

• Format: Antique silver gelatin glass plate original camera negative.

• Dimensions: Standard 4 x 5 inches.

• Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original stamped and inscribed vintage newsroom kraft darkroom filing sleeve.

• Please Note: This listing is for the single (1) physical antique glass plate negative and its original inscribed 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 negative prints. No physical paper photograph, modern print, or reproduction print is included.

Condition:

Very Good antique condition. The heavy glass plate is structurally sound and intact with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter breaks. The gelatin silver emulsion is rich, deep, and remarkably sharp, capturing crisp detail across the wooden artillery wheels, the radiator shell, the mechanical gun assembly, and the officers' facial expressions. Authentic period newsroom handling wear is confined strictly to the extreme outer margin edges well clear of the vehicle and figures. Accompanied by the original stamped and inscribed newsroom sleeve.

The glass plate negative measures 4 x 5In.
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