mgiraldoMar 22
Jeremy Osborn

30 years ago, a friend paid me for a gig with late 19th-century glass negatives.

I specifically chose the "flawed" ones (blurry/underexposed) thinking that maybe they were never originally printed, and therefore I might be the first person to see these remarkable images.

I’m sharing one a day for the next 10 days. Clues suggest these were taken in Western Massachusetts approximately 120+ years ago. High res versions are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyosborn/albums/72177720298855306/

#Photography #History #GlassNegatives

Mar 21 at 4:15pmWeb
Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 21

1/10 full image

I'm guessing this is a family portrait of a mother and daughter?

In addition to the main subject matter, part of the joy I have with these images is examining the little details tucked away in the background: the wallpaper pattern, the pump organ, the stack of paper in the corner of the room, something about them really makes feel like I'm traveling through time.

#Photography #History #GlassNegatives #MonochromeMarch

Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 21

1/10 detail

Here's a cropped detail from the above 4x5 glass negative.

I think this is a masterful and captivating portrait. For me, there's a youthful optimism visible in the expression of the (presumed) daughter as she's looking off into the distance and a world-weary expression of the (presumed) mother on the right looking right into the camera.

#Photography #History #GlassNegatives #MonochromeMarch

Show threadJessamynMar 21

@jeremyosborn I left a note about these on Flickr also, they are lovely. We scanned some very-similar era images for my town's historical society. I should probably crop some of them but I love all the cool edging details.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/randolph_vermont/albums/72177720330269388/

Sparhawk Plates, Photos and Misc

Luther Tucker Sparhawk (1831-1918) was a photographer from Randolph. This album contains all the images we have of him plus some images and other imagery collected from other places. These were glass plate negatives placed on a light box, photographed with an iphone and digitally reversed to create positive images. The original photographer is Luther Tucker Sparhawk (1831-1918). Digitized by the Randolph Historical Society en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Tucker_Sparhawk Album of originals: www.flickr.com/photos/randolph_vermont/albums/72177720330...

Flickr
Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 21
@jessamyn yes those are similar indeed, really interesting! I agree about leaving them uncropped, the silvering, light streaks, etc all add to the overall aesthetic!
Show threadRowynMar 23
@jeremyosborn Wow, that's spectacular, especially for a "flawed" one! There's so much detail.
Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 23
@rowyn This is what's so cool about old 4x5 glass negatives, compared to a "standard" 35mm film negative, they have approximately 15× more image area (resulting in about 10–20× more usable detail!)
Show threadRowynMar 24
@jeremyosborn ooh that explains it and is also astonishing. So much resolution. o.o
Show threadSteven D. Brewer 🏳️‍⚧️Mar 21
@jeremyosborn #WesternMass
Show threadsmall cypressMar 22
@jeremyosborn I'm having fun going through your flickr! I love the smirk on the fellow in the telegraph office. It's cool to see actual personality come through
Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 22
@small_cypress Right? A rarity for the time when everyone typically had to stand still for photos. There weren't really "candid" moments until years later when film and shutter speeds could capture them.
Show threadThe Other BrookMar 26

@jeremyosborn I read your comment on Flickr about the church, then went to Greenfield on Google Maps and searched "church." That one is now the Unitarian-Universalist Church.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/CsadTdQfEKR5bERt6

Bevor Sie zu Google Maps weitergehen

Show threadJeremy OsbornMar 26
@theotherbrook Amazing! Greenfield is only 30 minutes away, I may need to go there and try to duplicate the photo. Thanks for doing the legwork on Google Maps.
Show threadThe Other BrookMar 26
@jeremyosborn I'm curious about whether that Queen Anne style house still exists but the picture is taken at the back door so it's probably not going to show up in streetview.