1931 USS Akron Dirigible Airship Over NYC Montage Glass Plate Negative OOAK For Sale

1931 USS Akron Dirigible Airship Over NYC Montage Glass Plate Negative OOAK

Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative produced in September 1931: an original period newspaper darkroom composite master copy negative documenting the monumental maiden voyage of the U.S. Navy\'s rigid airship USS Akron (ZRS-4) soaring high above Midtown Manhattan, the newly completed Empire State Building, and the East River bridges.

Accompanied by the original period tan kraft darkroom filing sleeve, inscribed in authentic vintage ink and pencil:

\"Akron — / largest plane in / world with 113 / persons aboard / 9-23-31\"

With a period corner notation reading: \"Over NYC / Interesting!\"

Historical & Archival Context:

Built by Goodyear-Zeppelin and commissioned by the U.S. Navy as a flying aircraft carrier, the 785-foot rigid airship USS Akron was the largest flying machine in the world when she made her historic maiden flight on September 23, 1931, carrying a world-record 113 persons on board.

To create an eye-catching visual centerpiece for the newspaper\'s coverage of the flight over New York, staff artists created an editorial photomontage:

• The Airship: A razor-sharp cutout of the USS Akron in flight, displaying distinct duralumin hull frame lines, engine gondolas, upper and lower rudder fins, bold \"U.S. NAVY\" hull lettering, and the red-white-and-blue star aircraft roundel.

• The Manhattan Aerial Panorama: An expansive bird\'s-eye view looking east across Midtown Manhattan, centered on the newly opened Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Queensboro Bridge, Pennsylvania Station rail yards, and the urban canyon blocks below.

• The Master Copy Negative: The composite was mounted, retouched with gouache and airbrushed cloud transitions, and photographed with a darkroom process camera directly onto this 4x5 glass plate negative to burn the metal printing halftone for the press run.

Specifications:

• Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate copy negative, produced in a newspaper darkroom in September 1931.

• Archive Sleeve Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom filing sleeve bearing authentic 1931 handwriting detailing the record flight.

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, breaks, or structural fractures. The silver gelatin emulsion is sharp, clean, and well-preserved, showing strong contrast and clear delineation across the airship markings, bridge cables, and skyscraper facades. Displays minimal, authentic edge silvering and minor emulsion flaking along the extreme outer borders outside the primary image area. Accompanied by the original period kraft morgue filing envelope.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)