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1934 Boston Harbor Frozen Fish Pier Gloucester Trawler Fabia Glass Negative OOAK
Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique gelatin silver glass negative captured in February 1934: an iconic, museum-grade visual record of New England maritime survival and commercial fishing history: the Gloucester fishing trawler Fabia completely encrusted in feet of frozen sea spray and ice, unloading its fresh catch at the South Boston Fish Pier at 18 degrees below zero alongside the steaming harbor tug Sadie Ross.
Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing comprehensive contemporary newsroom documentation:
Historical & Maritime Context:
The historic cold wave of February 1934 brought the coldest temperatures ever recorded to coastal Massachusetts, plummeting the mercury to -18°F and turning Boston Harbor into a sheet of pack ice. For the offshore commercial fishing fleets working Georges Bank and the Grand Banks, sub-zero gale spray accumulated on decks and rigging as top-heavy "black ice," threatening to capsize trawlers before they could race home. This masterclass press field exposure freezes the brutal reality of North Atlantic winter fishing: the ice-sheathed Gloucester trawler Fabia tied up safely at the South Boston Fish Pier, its crew and dockers actively unloading cod into carts while steam tug Sadie Ross navigates floating ice floes nearby.
Visual details preserved in the silver gelatin emulsion:
The Ice-Bound Trawler Fabia: Massive sheets and stalactites of sea ice coating the stays, bowsprit, deck rails, and forward deckhouse, with heavy rigging lines swollen to many times their normal thickness.
Fish Pier Unloading: Longshoremen and fishermen bundled in wool watch caps, heavy coats, and boots rolling two-wheeled wooden hand carts overflowing with fresh whole cod along the icy wharf apron.
The Steam Tug Sadie Ross: In the center channel, the working harbor tugboat Sadie Ross pushes through chunks of harbor ice, smoke and steam pouring from its tall stack against the frigid air.
Tonal Fidelity: Superb continuous-tone silver gelatin tonal gradation capturing the translucence of solid ice, steam clouds, rippling harbor water, and dockside brick architecture.
Specifications:
Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin press glass negative, exposed directly in-camera in February 1934.
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 exceptional optical resolution on the ice formations, ships, dockworkers, and cargo. 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)
