1931 USS Akron Airship Lakehurst NJ Hangar Blimp Glass Negatives (2) Jones OOAK
Pair of two (2) original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negatives captured in October 1931: an extraordinary lighter-than-air naval aviation archive: the massive rigid airship USS Akron (ZRS-4) documented during her historic arrival and commissioning at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, shown both cruising in flight and moored outside colossal Hangar No. 1.
Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing contemporary newsroom documentation:
The Sleeve Inscription:
Name: "Akron"
Order: Lakehurst NJ.
Remarks: Oct. 1931
Historical & Aeronautical Significance:
Built by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Ohio, the 785-foot rigid airship USS Akron (ZRS-4) was the largest flying machine constructed in the United States upon her completion in 1931. Serving as a flying aircraft carrier equipped with an internal hangar for Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, the Akron flew her official delivery flight to Naval Air Station Lakehurst on October 21–22, 1931, where she was formally commissioned into the United States Navy.
Captured from an accompanying observation aircraft with expansive wide-angle aerial vision by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones:
Plate 1 — Aerial In-Flight Study: A sweeping panoramic view taken from the cockpit of a chase airplane (showing the edge of the aircraft wing in the upper-left corner) looking downward at the Akron as she cruises smoothly over the farmsteads, woodlands, and roads of central New Jersey. Bold lettering reading "U.S. NAVY" and the naval aviation star roundel stand out crisply along the duralumin-framed envelope.
Plate 2 — Moored at Lakehurst Hangar No. 1: A dramatic elevated aerial perspective showing the giant dirigible locked to the mobile railroad mooring mast on the airfield apron. Directly behind rises the towering cathedral-like silhouette of Lakehurst Hangar No. 1 with its colossal curved rolling doors wide open, surrounded by circular docking tracks and support grounds.
Tonal Fidelity: Rich continuous silver gelatin tone rendering the gleaming doped fabric covering, structural longitudinal girders, engine exhaust recovery condensers, and the expansive flight line below.
Specifications:
Format: Pair of two (2) heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negatives, exposed directly in an aerial press camera in October 1931.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing envelope.
Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) original antique glass plate negatives and their 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 photographs, modern prints, or paper products of any kind are included with this purchase.
Condition:
Very Good to Excellent antique condition. Both heavy glass plates are structurally sound and complete with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter glass breaks across either image plane. The silver gelatin emulsions are remarkably clean, sharp, and stable throughout, preserving pinpoint clarity across the airship's structure, hangar architecture, and terrain. Displays only faint handling wear and minor authentic edge silvering strictly along the extreme outer rebate borders 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)
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