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1921 Sells Floto Circus Bareback Acrobat Horse Flip Boston Glass Negative OOAK
Incredible original antique gelatin silver glass plate camera negative taken on June 1, 1921, capturing breathtaking, split-second outdoor equestrian acrobatics with the Sells-Floto Circus in Boston, frozen mid-air above a trotting white ring horse.
Preserved directly within the historic press morgue of the Boston Herald-Traveler, this original Graflex action shot is an exceptional technical achievement in early high-speed press photography, stopping an acrobat inverted in mid-air with pin-sharp clarity.
The Original Morgue Sleeve Inscription:
Accompanied by the original vintage red-edge newspaper darkroom filing sleeve inscribed in period cursive:
Historical & Visual Content:
On June 1, 1921, the renowned Sells-Floto Circus (one of the largest railroad circuses in America, later acquired by the American Circus Corporation and Ringling) staged their performances and outdoor demonstrations in Boston:
The Split-Second Stunt: An equestrian gymnast is captured at the absolute peak of a mid-air somersault, suspended completely upside down several feet above the broad back of a cantering white ring horse outfitted with leather harness tack.
The Ring & Lot: The stunt takes place inside a circular, painted wooden ring curb set outdoors on packed dirt. Ringmasters, grooms, and a secondary spotted draft horse wait along the perimeter beside a wooden support wagon lettered for "SELLS FLOTO".
Boston Architectural Skyline: The background horizon provides remarkable geographical context, framing the unmistakable multi-story hotels, luxury apartments, and prominent towers along the Commonwealth Avenue / Back Bay / Kenmore corridor, anchored by the iconic tower profile of the historic Hotel data-path-to-node="21">
Format: Antique silver gelatin glass plate original camera negative.
Dimensions: Standard 4 x 5 inches.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage red-edge kraft newspaper darkroom filing sleeve dated June 1, 1921.
Please Note: This listing is for the single (1) antique physical glass plate negative and its original inscribed filing envelope only. Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual reference to demonstrate how the negative prints. No physical paper photograph, modern print, or reproduction print is included.
Condition:
Good to Very Good antique condition. The heavy glass plate is structurally sound and complete with no cracks, breaks, or structural fractures. The gelatin silver emulsion is remarkably sharp and crystal-clear through the acrobat, horse, and architectural skyline. Shows authentic, honest period newsroom handling wear, including minor edge frilling and localized emulsion flaking/loss at the upper and lower outer corners well away from the central action figure and horse. Accompanied by the original 1921 newspaper 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)
