Collecting Photographic Images: A Negative Reaction
05.06.08 By The DeanIt happened by accident, I had no intention to start a collection of glass photographic negatives.
It was a cool spring day when we went to a farm auction in Hancock, a Central Wisconsin village in a potato and Christmas tree growing area of the state. It was wifey’s sister who called to entice us to come up and attend, with a phone call listing the antiques and furniture to be auctioned .
We arrived early for the viewing and while Wifey headed to the good stuff, including the costume jewelry, I meandered over to the four hay wagons filled with box lots, farm tools, small equipment, household goods, canning jars and Tupperware. I scoured through any box that seemed interesting and discovered a tiny post war Japanese camera, one that I had seen advertised in comic books in my youth. I though it would make a good addition to my camera collection.
As luck would have it, the auction started with the wagon loads and soon came to the box I had interest in, and with no real competition, the box was mine. I plucked my prize out and set the rest of the box next to our folding chairs, while Wifey waited for her desired items to come up. With little interest as the dish sets, glassware and utilitarian items from the farm house were being parceled out to bidders, I peeked to see the rest of my purchase. While other photo “Stuff” was in the box, I was surprised to find a small, lidded container filled with seventeen square glass plate negatives.
To see the images as they would look printed, I have reversed these negatives for your viewing pleasure.
These are some of what I found, produced at the end of the 19th century, and dated by this photo of schoolchildren holding a sign from the “Lighthouse School, 1897”, one of several in this first lot I purchased at auction that depicts a school and the students.
Who can resist a smile when viewing this picture of a small child. Have you ever seen a tricycle as old as this one before?
One of several portrait pictures in the lot, many of the negatives are of women and appearing to be on farms.
Two rockers, turned leg plant stands and lamp tables, the gas lamps, woodwork on the open stair case and even the pattern of the rug give insight into the household furnishings of that time period. And what’s with the palm tree?
The prize of this lot, a portrait of an African American man.
Wearing a military style uniform, with that hat on the table, it appears to be from a fraternal group. Very popular and abundant in that time period, often started for the mutual insurance benefit of the members.
From these humble beginnings, the collection has grown. With close to one hundred glass negatives, plus glass slides and some regular negatives, I’ll have to take another turn to show you more in my next blog. While I have purchase some in lots, I have become very selective in subject matter, when price is a concern.
Oh yes, the next installment will have the portrait of the young lady at the top, as she appears in a photo, so stay tuned to my continuing saga of “Its a Negative World.”
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Article Tags: auctions, camera, collectibles, dark room, Glass Negatives, photo, photograph, toy camera, vintage================
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