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1921 Boston Fire Dept Engine 50 Charlestown Apparatus Glass Negative OOAK
Spectacular, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative captured in October 1921 by celebrated Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones, documenting the firefighters and evolving machinery of Engine Company 50 outside their brick firehouse on the cobblestone streets of Charlestown, Massachusetts.
Framed from an elevated street vantage point, this exceptional industrial and municipal documentary image captures \"three generations of fire apparatus\" side-by-side during the transitional motorization era of the Boston Fire Department:
The foreground features a modern 1920s motorized pumper/hose wagon lettered \"BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT / ENGINE 50\", accompanied by eight company firemen and officers lined up in uniform coats, badges, suspenders, and work caps.
Positioned directly behind is a gleaming horse-era steam fire engine (Amoskeag/American LaFrance style steam pumper) with its upright boiler, brass bell, and spoke wheels.
Parked further up the cobblestone hill are the company\'s horse-drawn and early motorized ladder wagons, framed against Charlestown\'s historic Federal and Victorian rowhouse streetscape.
Highlights the striking brick station architecture of Engine 50, featuring arched engine bays, second-story awnings, decorative window pediments, and wrought-iron balconies.
The negative exhibits benchmark first-generation sharpness, expansive focal range, and rich silver tonal gradation:
Pin-sharp mechanical clarity across the boiler rivets, spoke wheels, ladder racks, lanterns, and brass fixtures.
Individual firefighter portraits with discernible uniform buttons, facial features, and company caps.
Direct camera-original gelatin silver exposure retaining deep shadow detail in the brickwork and bright highlights across the street.
Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin glass plate negative, measuring approximately 4x5 inches, exposed directly in Leslie Jones\'s press camera in October 1921.
Archive Sleeve Included: Accompanied by the original period tan kraft darkroom filing sleeve bearing contemporary newsroom calligraphy in vintage black ink:
\"Engine 50 Charlestown has 3 generations of fire apparatus. Oct. 1921.\"
Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass plate 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 a finished photograph prints 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, or perimeter breaks. The emulsion is remarkably crisp, clean, and well preserved with superb contrast throughout the fire apparatus, company crew, firehouse facade, and uphill streetscape. Displays standard authentic edge silver mirroring and minor perimeter handling marks along the extreme outer borders consistent with an authentic 1921 working newspaper press negative. Accompanied by the original annotated kraft archive 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)
