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1931 Boston Old South Church Tower Hotel Lenox Copley Glass Plate Negative OOAK
Original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative captured in 1931, documenting the dismantling of the leaning campanile tower at the New Old South Church in Copley Square, Boston, Massachusetts.
Photographed from an elevated rooftop vantage point atop the Hotel Lenox looking down Boylston Street, this exceptional perspective captures the historic Back Bay landmark mid-demolition. Built on 19th-century marsh landfill, the massive 246-foot Ruskinian Gothic masonry tower had begun dangerously listing out of plumb over the sidewalk, forcing the city and congregation to dismantle it stone by stone down to its base before reconstructing it over modern steel pilings.
The high-altitude press photograph captures extraordinary urban detail across Copley Square and Boylston Street:
The distinctive copper rooftop observatory dome and balustrade of the Boston Public Library occupying the right foreground.
Vibrant 1931 street-level city life, including vintage automobiles, delivery trucks, electric streetcars, and pedestrian traffic lining Boylston and Exeter Streets.
Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin glass plate negative, exposed directly in a press camera in 1931.
Archive Sleeve Included: Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom filing sleeve, bearing period pencil markings: \"New Old South Church after the tower was removed for a lower one. From Hotel Lenox. Photo by Leslie Jones. D68\".
Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass plate 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 a finished photograph prints like. No physical paper photograph, modern print, or paper product of any kind is included with this purchase.
Condition: Very Good antique condition. Heavy glass plate is intact with no cracks or hairline fractures. Emulsion exhibits exceptional resolution, rich tonal range, and remarkable urban and architectural detail across the entire streetscape. Displays typical authentic perimeter silver mirroring along the extreme outer borders outside the primary image area, consistent with a working 1931 press camera plate. Accompanied by the original period kraft filing sleeve with vintage pencil notations.
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)
