1929 Harvard Crew Ice Cutting Charles River Anderson Bridge Glass Negative OOAK For Sale

1929 Harvard Crew Ice Cutting Charles River Anderson Bridge Glass Negative OOAK

Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique gelatin silver glass negative captured on March 6, 1929: a compelling documentary view of Harvard University rowing traditions and early Boston river maintenance: workmen with long pike poles and spectators in wool coats standing on the snowy bank of the Charles River near the Larz Anderson Bridge, directing a wooden work dory cutting through thick river ice to open the water for the Harvard crew.

Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve with complete contemporary newsroom documentation:

• The Sleeve Inscription:

  Name: Cutting ice on the Charles River

  Remarks: at Larz Anderson Bridge so the

  Order Finished: Harvard Crews can get out 3-6-29

Historical & Sporting Significance:

Each spring, preparation for collegiate rowing regattas on the Charles River depended entirely on weather and river thaw. In early March 1929, with cold weather locking the river in solid ice around Harvard\'s Weld and Newell Boathouses, manual crews were deployed to break up the frozen surface.

This field exposure captures the shore-side operation just below the Larz Anderson Bridge. From the sloping riverbank, two men in working caps and high rubber boots coordinate with two spectators in heavy winter overcoats and fedoras, watching a two-man dory out on the water break apart jagged ice shelves. Across the river, the open esplanade, bare trees, and park benches of the Cambridge bank line the horizon.

Visual details preserved in the silver gelatin emulsion:

• The Riverbank Figures: Four men in distinct period attire—one holding a long iron-tipped ice pike pole, another in work overalls, and two observers in tailored topcoats and hats.

• The River & Ice Floes: Expansive view across the frozen Charles River basin showing deep fissure lines, shattered floating ice cakes, and dark open water channels.

• Work Dory in Action: A wooden lapstrake boat manned by two rivermen using long oar poles to push through the floes.

• Tonal Fidelity: Rich continuous-tone silver gelatin gradation rendering granular snow patches on the grassy bank, textured ice crusts, ripples in the open water, and fabric folds on the wool coats.

Specifications:

• Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin press glass negative, exposed directly in-camera on March 6, 1929.

• 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 the figures, ice fracture lines, and distant shoreline. 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)