On eBay Now...1931 Roosevelt Field Fatal Airplane Crash Bateman Dehle Glass Negative OOAK For Sale
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1931 Roosevelt Field Fatal Airplane Crash Bateman Dehle Glass Negative OOAK:
$200.00
1931 Roosevelt Field Fatal Airplane Crash Bateman Dehle Glass Negative OOAKOriginal, one-of-a-kind (OOAK) camera-original antique 4x5 gelatin silver glass plate negative captured on September 27, 1931: a powerful nocturnal aviation disaster and forensic investigation photograph: police officers and onlookers surrounding the crumpled wreckage of a fatal airplane crash at historic Roosevelt Field that claimed the lives of aviators Stanley G. Bateman and Edward Dehle.
Accompanied by its original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing sleeve bearing precise contemporary documentation:
The Sleeve Inscription:
Plane Wrecked - Roosevelt Field
2 Killed - Stanley G. Bateman & Edward Dehle age 20.
Sept. 27, 1931
During the interwar aviation boom, Roosevelt Field was renowned as the premier epicenter of American civilian flying and record-setting flights, famously serving as the launch point for Charles Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic crossing. However, intense flight training, experimental designs, and busy flight paths also made it the scene of severe aeronautical mishaps. On September 27, 1931, this light aircraft stalled or suffered structural failure, plunging into the field turf and instantly killing both occupants.
Captured on the airfield under darkness with stark direct-flash illumination by Boston Herald-Traveler staff photojournalist Leslie Jones:
The Crushed Airframe: The forward cabin, engine bay, and wing center-section are completely compressed and folded against the earth, exposing torn structural canvas, shattered wing ribs, and crumpled fuselage longerons. Rising starkly from the wreckage is the fully intact empennage, showing its large curved vertical stabilizer, balanced rudder, and horizontal tailplanes.
The Investigation & Spectators: Flanking the crash are uniformed police officers in visor caps and double-breasted patrol coats, standing guard over the debris. Behind the fuselage, a somber line of young men and airfield witnesses in flat caps, fedoras, and sweater vests gather in silence as authorities conduct their initial forensic survey.
Nocturnal Press Technique: The magnesium flash illuminates the white fabric skin and grass blades with razor sharpness while plunging the background into pitch blackness, delivering an iconic 1930s newsroom disaster document.
Format: Heavy antique silver gelatin 4x5 glass plate negative, exposed directly in a press camera on September 27, 1931.
Archive Ephemera Included: Accompanied by the original vintage tan kraft darkroom morgue filing envelope.
Please Note: This listing is for the original antique glass plate negative and its 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 photograph, modern print, or paper product of any kind is included with this purchase.
Condition:Very Good to Excellent antique condition. Heavy glass plate is structurally sound with no cracks, fractures, or perimeter glass breaks. The silver gelatin emulsion across the central image area—including the wreckage, tail surfaces, and all figures—is clean, crisp, and stable. Displays authentic period darkroom age, including faint emulsion silvering and handling wear strictly confined to 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).
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