Here are a few more glass negative scans from the same box. The first one is a train wreck on the Delaware and Hudson line, but I'm not sure where or when. Was it near Binghamton?
The third negative shows a train depot somewhere, likely in upstate New York, but again I'm not sure where. There are numerous No Smoking signs and a sign that seems to indicate the door to a women's restroom. There's also a funny chalkboard sign near the clock that specifies how slow or fast the clock is, but nowhere is there a sign that tells us where we are. There is a dog ( a boxer?) sitting on one of the benches on the left, potted plants, and radiators in the middle of the room to warm the space.
Here's a closer view of the dog, the clock, and the door.
Love the dog! It's clearly early morning or late afternoon (slant of light coming from the outside). I think they actually had separate waiting rooms for women -- not a bathroom, per se, but a more comfortable room for women who were waiting to board departing trains -- so they wouldn't have to rub shoulders (or anything else) with all those men! Great shots, Christine!
ReplyDeleteThese are great, and they have scanned well. I imagine the wreck negative to be very collectible as it is, but even more so if you can connect it to the event. Strange that there are no signs indicating the location or company running the waiting room.
ReplyDeleteThere are still traditional photo labs out there. You should try and find one with an 8x10 enlarger and have your glass negatives printed. Black & white is still better when done with paper and chemistry.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I think I will give it a try with a few to see how they come out. Some are in rough shape, others are excellent. Also, I cover the scanning surface with a plastic sheet to avoid scratches to the negative or the scanner glass. I'm sure it cuts down on the clarity of the image.
Delete2: "well let's take a picture before we start to clean this mess up!"
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a 'this clock is slow/fast' indication before. Could be handy when you have to choose a queue ('this casier is slow/fast').
Excellent, vivid glass negs. That is strange about the clock being fast or slow!
ReplyDeleteThere is something incredibly enticing about train wreck images, perhaps it is the mind trying to figure out how all that mass and energy came undone... The trolly picture gives no real indication of where it is on the line, without buildings or landmarks in the image- based on the hill in the background my first thought was Upper Court St, heading towards the psychiatric hospital, but who knows. And that fast/slow clock thing is new/odd to me too- why not just adjust the thing rather than put up a sign about it? And speaking of odd, the radiators in the middle of the room instead of the more typical location against the wall seems peculiar, but perhaps it was a good way to allow more people to gather around them on cold days
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that you will stop Christine, I follow you for a while now, and always look forward to the new postcards or photos. I will miss you with all your beautiful stories, I will still continue to look at your blog!
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you!!
Greetings from Amsterdam, Truus