Antique c1925 Glass Plate Negative Watermelon Men Laborers Boston Market OOAK
Original circa 1920s camera-original glass plate negative capturing a striking documentary portrait of four working-class produce laborers ("Watermelon Men") proudly posing with prize watermelons at a rail terminal or wholesale market depot.
The composition delivers razor-sharp detail and exceptional human character across the four men:
The Subjects: Standing side-by-side inside the slatted wooden gate of a freight corral or livestock/produce car, dressed in authentic period working attire—denim bib overalls, heavy work shirts, flat newsboy caps, suspenders, and rolled sleeves.
The Produce: Two men cradle massive heirloom oblong watermelons (resembling the historic Georgia Rattlesnake or Tom Watson varieties), while the two men at right hoist round dark melons atop their shoulders.
Setting & Labor History: Documenting early 20th-century wholesale food distribution and dockside terminal labor (typical of Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall Market, the Boston Produce Market, or freight rail yards along Charlestown/South Boston).
Included Paper Artifact:
Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass plate negative only (along with the original vintage envelope shown). Any positive photographic images shown in this listing are modern inverted digital scans provided solely as a visual representation to show what a finished print would look like. No physical paper photograph, modern print, or paper image of any kind is included with this purchase.
Condition & Preservation:The glass plate is structurally sound with no cracks or breaks. The gelatin silver emulsion is remarkably sharp and well-preserved with rich tonal contrast, deep shadow details, and clean highlights, exhibiting only minor, expected perimeter edge wear and faint silvering consistent with an authentic century-old photographic plate.
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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