1931 USS Akron ZRS-4 Airship Flight & Lakehurst Hangar Glass Negatives (2) OOAK
Pair of original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negatives captured in 1931: an extraordinary naval aviation documentation pair: the 785-foot United States Navy rigid airship USS Akron (ZRS-4) shown gliding at low altitude in flight and moored inside the soaring cathedral of Hangar No. 1 at Lakehurst alongside the rigid airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3).
Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing contemporary newsroom documentation:
Historical & Aeronautical Significance:
Built by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation and commissioned into naval service in the autumn of 1931, the USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a marvel of interwar aeronautical engineering. Serving as a long-range flying aircraft carrier equipped with an internal hangar for Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk fighter planes, the Akron was stationed at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, the primary center for lighter-than-air flight operations.
Captured with exceptional press camera lens fidelity and continuous-tone contrast by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones:
Plate 1 — Flight Study Over Airfield: A clean profile perspective of the dirigible flying low over airfield terrain. The exposure captures the streamlined hull, external water-recovery condenser apparatus, engine pods with swiveling propellers, control car, and crisp black lettering reading "U.S. NAVY" with the national aircraft star roundel.
Plate 2 — Historic Hangar Interior Study: A monumental composition from the floor of Lakehurst's historic Hangar No. 1. The bow of the USS Akron is locked to a rolling pyramid mooring mast, sharing the cavernous hangar space with the German-built rigid airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) while naval ground crews stand gathered on the deck below.
Tonal Definition: Brilliant separation between the reflective metallic fabric envelopes, the heavy structural steel roof trusses, and the natural daylight cutting through the hangar windows.
Specifications:
Format: Pair of two (2) heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negatives, exposed directly in a press camera in 1931.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing envelope.
Please Note: This listing is for the two (2) original antique glass plate negatives and their 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 finished photographs print like. No physical paper photographs, modern prints, or paper products of any kind are included with this purchase.
Condition:
Very Good to Excellent antique condition. Both heavy glass plates are structurally sound with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter glass breaks. The silver gelatin emulsions are clean, sharp, and stable throughout, capturing pinpoint clarity across the airship hulls, steel lattice framework, and naval markings. Displays only minor authentic edge silvering and faint handling wear strictly along the extreme outer borders outside the primary image area. Accompanied by the original period kraft morgue 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)
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