1927 Squantum Air Mail Seaplane SS Leviathan Flight Glass Negative OOAK
Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative captured on August 21, 1927: a rare piece of early aeronautical and maritime postal history: the twin-engine flying boat seaplane moored in the waters off Squantum Naval Air Station prepared for the pioneering mission to intercept and drop airmail onto the speeding transatlantic ocean liner SS Leviathan.
Accompanied by both of its original vintage darkroom morgue filing sleeves bearing contemporary newsroom documentation:
The Outer Envelope Inscription:
Plane
The Inner Orange Sleeve Inscription:
Plane that left Squantum to drop mail on giant ship S.S. Leviathan. Aug 21, 1927
Historical & Aeronautical Significance:
In the late 1920s, experimental airmail flights sought to drastically cut transatlantic delivery times by flying mail pouches offshore to rendezvous directly with departing or arriving ocean liners at sea. On August 21, 1927, this flying boat took off from the historic Naval Air Station Squantum in Quincy/Boston Harbor to rendezvous with the United States Lines' flagship, the colossal 54,000-ton ocean liner SS Leviathan, conducting a high-stakes aerial mail drop onto the liner's deck as she steamed eastward toward Europe.
Captured from the water with outstanding clarity and atmospheric fidelity by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones:
The Flying Boat on the Water: Resting low in the harbor swell, the biplane amphibian reveals its twin tractor engines mounted between the wings, wingtip stabilizing floats, open cockpit crew, and distinctive boat-hull fuselage.
The Harbor Tender & Crew: An open motorized harbor launch manned by sailors and officers in naval caps idles along the port wing, transferring mail sacks and support crew prior to engine ignition.
Tonal Fidelity: Beautiful, balanced silver gelatin continuous tone rendering the gentle wave ripples across Boston Harbor, low cloud cover on the horizon, and clean structural rigging lines throughout the airframe.
Specifications:
Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negative, exposed directly in a press camera on August 21, 1927.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by both the original vintage outer tan kraft darkroom filing envelope and the original inner orange archival sleeve.
Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass plate negative and its period paper archive sleeves 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 with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter breaks. The silver gelatin emulsion is remarkably clean, sharp, and stable throughout the entire composition, capturing crisp definition across the aircraft rigging, naval tender, and harbor water surface. Displays only faint handling wear and minor edge silvering strictly along the extreme outer rebate borders outside the primary image area. Accompanied by both original period paper and kraft morgue 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.
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)
Related Items:
1927 Squantum Air Mail Seaplane SS Leviathan Flight Glass Negative OOAK
$150.00
