1923 Sir Thomas Lipton Honey Fitz Fitzgerald Shamrock Yacht Glass Negative OOAK For Sale

1923 Sir Thomas Lipton Honey Fitz Fitzgerald Shamrock Glass Negative OOAK

Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique gelatin silver glass negative captured in 1923: an extraordinary crossover of international sporting heritage and historic Boston political lore: America's Cup challenger Sir Thomas Lipton standing at the bow rail of his yacht alongside legendary former Boston Mayor John F. "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (grandfather of President John F. Kennedy), inspecting the carved nameboard of Shamrock.

Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve and historic newsroom index insert card bearing contemporary documentation:

• The Sleeve Inscriptions:

  Morgue Envelope: Name Sir Thomas Lipton / Order Mayor Fitz / 1923 / yachtsman

  Archive Insert Slip: Sir Thomas Lipton, Ex-Mayor Fitzgerald and party looking over the name Shamrock. 1923.

Historical & Political Significance:

Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton (1848–1931) was celebrated throughout the United States as much for his affable charisma as for his five America's Cup campaigns. During his 1923 visit to New England, Lipton was hosted by John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (1863–1950), the charismatic former Mayor of Boston, U.S. Congressman, and patriarch of the Kennedy political dynasty (maternal grandfather of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy).

Captured directly in-camera from the water or tender alongside, this remarkable news photograph documents the meeting of two iconic twentieth-century personalities. Lipton and Honey Fitz stand together at the rail of the yacht, leaning over the forward bulwark where the gold-leaf stars and carved name "SHAMROCK" trail down the clipper bow, with furled head sails, rigging, and coastal hillside homes framing the horizon.

Visual details preserved in the silver gelatin emulsion:

• The Historic Figures: Former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald standing in a three-piece suit at left, Sir Thomas Lipton holding his peaked yachting cap in his hand at center, and an accompanying guest/aide.

• The Yacht Bow: Clearly legible carved gilded hull lettering: "★ ★ ★ SHAMROCK" along the sheer line, with massive wooden bowsprit, bobstay chains, furled headsails, and standing rigging blocks.

• Harbor Setting: Calm coastal anchorage with distant waterfront buildings, houses, and trees along the shore.

• Tonal Fidelity: Rich continuous-tone silver gelatin tonal gradation capturing deep reflections across the dark hull, white sailcloth canvas folds, facial likenesses, and water data-path-to-node="19" style="padding-inline-start: 32px; font-family: "Google Sans Text", sans-serif !important; line-height: 1.15 !important; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important;">

• Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin press glass negative, exposed directly in-camera in 1923.

• Archive Ephemera: Accompanied by the original period tan kraft darkroom morgue filing envelope and inner newsroom index card.

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 the portraits of Lipton and Fitzgerald, the carved hull name, and maritime rigging. Authentic unexposed handling borders remain preserved along the outer glass rebate margins. Accompanied by the original period kraft morgue filing sleeve and index slip.

The glass plate negative measures 4 x 5In.
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