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1928 Chinese Aviator Harry King Loening Amphibian 2 Glass Negatives OOAK Boston
Pair of original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negatives captured on April 12 and 13, 1928, documenting an extraordinary cross-cultural military aviation event: Chinese aviator Harry Rally King of Canton receiving combat flight instruction from Capt. B.W. Leyson Jr. at East Boston Airport, alongside the U.S. Army Loening amphibian biplane that transported visiting military leadership.
Accompanied by the original period tan kraft morgue filing sleeve and two detailed handwritten period archive inserts:
The Outer Envelope Inscription:
\"Chinese aviator / Boston\"
Insert 1 (Dated April 12, 1928):
\"East Boston Airport. April 12, 1928 / Army Amp. plane that brought General Brown to & from N.Y., Lt. Cobb was pilot.\"
Insert 2 (Dated April 13, 1928):
\"East Boston Airport. April 13, 1928 / Left to right: Capt B. W. Leyson Jr. teaching Harry Rally King of Canton China lessons on flying. They both go to China in Sept. to fight.\"
Historical & Visual Content:
During the late 1920s warlord era and Nationalist consolidation in China, overseas Chinese communities and patriotic volunteers actively raised funds and trained in Western aviation schools to build up the nascent Canton/Chinese Nationalist Air Force. In April 1928, Harry Rally King, a native of Canton, trained intensively in Boston under noted aviator and veteran instructor Capt. Burr W. Leyson Jr. ahead of their planned deployment to China that autumn.
Captured directly on the field by Leslie Jones:
Negative 1 — The Loening Amphibian: A striking side-profile study of the inverted Liberty V-12 powered Loening COA-1 / OA-1 amphibian biplane, showing its distinctive central boat-hull fuselage, wire-spoke landing gear, wooden propeller, and sharp military tail stenciling reading \"U.S. ARMY A.C. 27-318\" with the roundel insignia.
Negative 2 — Flight Instruction in the Cockpit: A superb human-interest study capturing instructor Capt. B.W. Leyson Jr. standing on the wing in tweed knickers, wool sweater, and flight cap, leaning over the cockpit coaming to instruct a smiling Harry Rally King, who sits at the controls in a leather flight jacket, helmet, and data-path-to-node=\"16\">
Format: Pair of two (2) heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negatives, exposed directly in a press camera in April 1928.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft filing sleeve and both original period handwritten descriptive slips.
Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) original antique glass plate negatives, the period paper archive sleeve, and the two (2) period handwritten slips 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:
Both plates are in Very Good to Excellent antique condition. Heavy glass plates are structurally sound with no cracks, breaks, or chips. Silver gelatin emulsions are crisp, clean, and well-preserved across the aircraft airframes, rigging, cockpit, and portraits. Faint, authentic edge silvering and minor handling frilling strictly along the extreme outer borders outside the primary image area. Accompanied by the original period kraft morgue filing sleeve and both period handwritten inserts.
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)
