1931 Brookline Country Club MA Curling Stones John Wylde Glass Negative OOAK For Sale

Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative captured on January 17, 1931: an exceptional winter sports portrait documenting the heritage of curling at America's oldest country club: John J. Wylde, Chairman of the Curling Committee at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, dressed in Scottish tweeds and a Glengarry bonnet while displaying an antique Canadian cast-iron curling "iron" alongside a modern granite curling stone.

Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft morgue filing envelope bearing detailed period ink inscriptions:

• The Sleeve Notation:

  "Old + new curling irons = John J. Wylde, Chairman of Curling Committee at Brookline C.C., is holding new (left) + old (right) curling iron used 25 yrs ago. Found in lake in Ontario, Canada / Jan 17, 1931 / Curling (sport)"

The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts—famed as a founding pillar of American golf and sporting culture—holds one of the earliest and most prestigious curling traditions in the United States, dating back to the late 19th century. In early Canadian and North American curling, heavy cast-iron stones (often referred to simply as "irons," weighing upwards of 60 pounds) were widely thrown on frozen rivers and lakes before standardized Scottish Ailsa Craig granite stones became universal.

Captured in razor-sharp studio clarity by Boston Herald-Traveler photojournalist Leslie Jones:

• The Curler: John J. Wylde poses seated before a draped backdrop, impeccably outfitted in a tailored houndstooth/tweed three-piece suit, club-collar shirt, tie, and a traditional Scottish Glengarry bonnet with red-and-white diced headband and side cockade.

• The Curling Stones: Resting on small turned pedestals, Wylde holds:

  • The Antique Iron: A massive, cylindrical blackened cast-iron curling "iron" with a bolted heavy gooseneck handle, recovered from an Ontario lake where it had been lost decades prior.

  • The Modern Granite: A circular, polished granite curling stone featuring a center striking band and brass-fitted gooseneck data-path-to-node="16">

  • Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negative, exposed directly in a press camera on January 17, 1931.

  • Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft filing sleeve with exhaustive period handwriting detailing the provenance of the artifacts.

  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 antique condition. Heavy glass plate is structurally sound with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter breaks. The silver gelatin emulsion is remarkably sharp and well-preserved across Wylde's face, clothing, and the curling artifacts. Displays authentic mid-plate emulsion flaking/frilling marks across the lower chest area (typical of historical chemical processing) and minor edge silvering strictly outside the primary image area. 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)