1931 US Navy USS Akron ZRS-4 Rigid Airship Blimp Hangar Glass Negatives (2) OOAK for Sale

1931 US Navy USS Akron ZRS-4 Rigid Airship Blimp Hangar Glass Negatives (2) OOAK For Sale

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1931 US Navy USS Akron ZRS-4 Rigid Airship Blimp Hangar Glass Negatives (2) OOAK:
$300.00

1931 US Navy USS Akron ZRS-4 Rigid Airship Blimp Hangar Glass Negatives (2) OOAK

Pair of original, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negatives captured in October 1931: a legendary American naval aviation sequence: the newly commissioned 785-foot United States Navy rigid airship USS Akron (ZRS-4) documented in flight and moored inside the colossal airship hangar at NAS Lakehurst alongside the USS Los Angeles (ZR-3).

Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing contemporary newsroom documentation:

The Sleeve Inscription:
Akron / Oct 1931

Historical & Aeronautical Significance:

Commissioned on October 27, 1931, the USS Akron (ZRS-4) was a pinnacle of technological ambition—a 785-foot flying aircraft carrier constructed by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, capable of launching and retrieving Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk biplanes mid-flight from an internal trapeze hangar. Following her delivery to Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, in the autumn of 1931, the Akron drew international headlines as the world's most advanced lighter-than-air combatant craft.

Captured with magnificent focal depth and industrial contrast by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones:

Plate 1 — Low-Altitude Airfield Flight: A spectacular broadside perspective capturing the immense dirigible gliding over the airfield turf and taxi mooring circles. Razor-sharp detail resolves the doped fabric skin, stern cruciform fins, command bridge gondola, engine outriggers with swiveling props, water recovery condensers, national star insignia, and crisp lettering reading "U.S. NAVY" along the hull flank.
Plate 2 — NAS Lakehurst Hangar Interior: A breathtaking wide-angle composition from inside the soaring cathedral of Hangar No. 1. The blunt bow of the USS Akron is secured into the steel spindle of a triangular rolling mooring mast, sharing the hangar floor with the German-built naval airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3), while dozens of naval ground handlers stand assembled along the deck apron.
Tonal Quality: Rich continuous-tone density separating the metallic silver-gray fabric of the envelope, complex cathedral roof steel trusses, and natural outdoor daylight.

Specifications:

Format: Pair of two (2) heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negatives, exposed directly in a press camera in October 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, breaks, or fractures through the glass. The silver gelatin emulsions are clean, sharp, and stable throughout, capturing pinpoint clarity across the airship hulls, rigging wires, and cavernous hangar framework. 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) Related Items: