Time Travel With Me - or - So I won this collection of glass plate negatives at auction - Part 1 (My first Story)

My name is David Bull and this is my first Steemit story.

About 7 years ago I went to an antique auction in Maine with some friends who attend events of this kind frequently. While they were off looking at furniture I decided to explore the hundreds of items laid out on tables in the auction hall. There were many people there inspecting these items and there was only about 30 minutes until the auction started. I was new to the auction experience and in the exciting atmosphere I decided I wanted to win something, even if it was just junk.

After walking around for a while I noticed a box of what appeared to be old envelopes (which it turns out they kind of were - but more on that later) and inside each envelope was a glass plate negative - about 700 of them all together. Also, there were some film negatives thrown in there as well.

What I saw at the auction.

Holding them up to the light showed me things like this. It seemed many of the subjects appeared to be outdoor public shots as opposed to personal interior shots. This made me more interested.

One of the photos I saw prior to the auction.

What I also found interesting was that almost every single negative was identified as to the subject within by the writing on the envelope housing it, and that a few even had a stamp and address written on them.

Some of the envelopes each holding a glass plate negative - and a description of the photo within

All the addresses and some of the labels pointed to a connection to Ayer, Massachusetts and a name, one Alfred Page. Besides these being made of glass, I knew these must be pretty old, because the address simply read "Alfred Page, Ayer, Massachusetts" and had a stamp and Boston Mass postal mark on it. (and they just smelled very musty besides)

Envelope addressed to Alfred Page in Ayer, Massachusetts.

I also noticed something which I thought was interesting it appeared other people either were not seeing, or just weren't interested in. It looked like many of the envelopes which held the negatives were hand made. Not only that, but a closer inspection revealed that a good number of them weren't just made from regular paper. They were made from railroad schedules and other railroad related documents from the 1800's turned outside-in.

The inside of one of the hand made envelopes - a document related to the Union Line railroad.

Another envelope made from a railroad related document

To me this was interesting, because I had a feeling based on the location of some of the subjects written on the envelopes that this photographer must have used the rail system to travel around the country to photograph. My high school history was failing me then, (I admit I Googled this haha) but I looked up the date when the transcontinental Railroad was finished which pinned it on May 10th, 1869 - so I kind of knew all the photos would be after that date (at least the ones of California and the other points west.)

One of the glass plate negatives outside of the envelope which housed it.

Another way I determined at least the date the glass plate negative was developed was by using the stamp on the envelope and a website called theswedishtiger.com. It appeared to me the blue 1 cent Benjamin Franklin stamp was printed in 1890 and was listed there as "219 - 1890 Series". I was narrowing it down, but I wasn't certain, as there were many of these Franklin stamps printed then - and at the time they all looked very similar. I knew one thing though, I just had to win that auction. It was around then the auction started and everyone took their seats.

A Benjamin Franklin 1 cent "Dull blue" stamp, Scott #219, on one of the glass plate negative envelopes."

Here's another envelope - this time from a photography related company

In short, I won the auction, brought them home and started scanning. Time travel with me now if you will...

Boston & Maine Railroad - Late 1800's to early 1890's

Locomotives - Location and date unknown

Museum of Natural History and Texas and Mexican Curiosities. Note how the sign reads "Live Monkeys, Lions..and Reptiles" Anyone know where in Texas this museum was located?

Posing for a photo in between the train cars. Late 1800's. Location, exact date and photographer unknown.

Fitchburg Railroad Station, Fitchburg, Massachusetts - Late 1800's

Los Angeles Cable Railway Co - Late 1800's

Relaxing by the lake - Late 1800's, probably Massachusetts somewhere

A house - photo probably taken from the train when it was stopped at a station somewhere.

Hotel Del Coronado, California. The famous hotel was built in 1888 and it is estimated this photo was taken within the first few years of it's existence.

*Boston, Massachusetts - Note the large telescope with the man offering views of "Sun Spots"

Harvard University - late 1800's