1929 USS Constitution Ironsides Boston Navy Yard Rebuild Glass Negatives 2 OOAK For Sale

1929 USS Constitution Ironsides Boston Navy Yard Rebuild Glass Negatives 2 OOAK

Pair of two (2) original antique gelatin silver glass plate camera negatives captured on October 27, 1929, by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photographer Leslie Jones, documenting the historic structural restoration of USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") inside Dry Dock 1 at the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Preserved directly within the historic press morgue of the Boston Herald-Traveler, these remarkable field negatives record the massive national effort to save the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. Launched in 1797 and hero of the War of 1812, Old Ironsides was saved through a nationwide public fundraising campaign that funded her complete rebuild between 1927 and 1930.

The Original Morgue Sleeves & Inscriptions:Accompanied by both original vintage pale green linen filing sleeves with period newsroom hand notations:

• Sleeve 1: Hand-inscribed in graphite pencil: "U.S.S. Constitution at Navy Yard. Oct. 27, 1929".

• Sleeve 2: Hand-inscribed in graphite pencil: "U.S.S. Constitution of navy Yard. Oct. 27, 1929".

Historical & Visual Content:Photographed on Navy Day, October 27, 1929—just two days before Black Tuesday—these exposures offer a magnificent architectural and naval view of the frigate undergoing her most extensive structural overhaul of the 20th century:

• The Bare Ribs of Old Ironsides: The frigate sits low in the granite basin of historic Dry Dock 1 (constructed 1833), completely stripped of her outer copper sheathing, hull planking, and masts. Visible are her exposed white oak framing timbers, heavy deck clamps, and an intricate lattice of supporting timber shores bracing the hull upright.

• Plate 1 — Navy Day Perspective: Wide composition capturing the yard approach with the railway turnout, industrial shed #10, immense piles of white pine and live oak lumber, and groups of visiting citizens walking along the dock edge in Sunday attire to observe the rebuild.

• Plate 2 — Elevated Hull Profile: A stunning tight study framing the ship's sweeping sheer line from bow to stern, flanked by the historic pitch chimney, granite workshop buildings, and the Charlestown industrial roofscape.

Format: Pair of two (2) antique silver gelatin glass plate original camera negatives.

Dimensions: Standard 4 x 5 inches per plate.

Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by both (2) original vintage green linen darkroom filing sleeves dated October 27, 1929.

Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) physical antique glass plate negatives and their two original filing sleeves only. Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual reference to demonstrate how the negatives print. No physical paper photographs, modern prints, or reproduction prints are included.

Condition:Very Good antique condition. Both heavy glass plates are complete, flat, and structurally sound with no breaks, cracks, or hairline fractures. The gelatin silver emulsions remain deep, sharp, and stable, capturing pinpoint detail across the thousands of wooden staging timbers, granite block seams, and iron fittings. Display expected authentic period newsroom edge frilling and minor margin handling wear confined entirely outside the active image area. Accompanied by both original 1929 filing sleeves.

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.
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Combined shipping is available (with other glass negatives)