Lot 623: A Collection of Antique and Vintage Photographic Ephemera and Storage Box
A collection of antique and vintage photographic ephemera and a storage box, including glass plate negatives, studio portraits, and early photographic packaging. The lot is centered around a rectangular wooden box, likely a repurposed cigar container, stamped on the side with the text LORD HAMLET and REG NO 5584. The photographic contents include a sepia-toned cabinet card depicting a gentleman, with the photographer’s name G. P. Abraham and location Keswick printed along the right margin. A small cased portrait, appearing to be an ambrotype or daguerreotype, shows a woman in a bonnet housed behind a decorative brass mat in a hinged case. Paper ephemera includes a Recording Negative Envelope with handwritten entries identifying the subject as Passamaquoddy at Sunset, alongside a blue and white Kodak film packaging fragment and an orange business card for the Commercial Bureau Business Training College. Several glass plate negatives are also included, showing various degrees of density and development.
Condition report:
The wooden box shows surface scuffs, scratches, and dust accumulation (photo 1). The cabinet card exhibits minor foxing and edge wear (photo 1). The cased portrait has significant wear and loss to the exterior leatherette covering, particularly at the corners and along the hinge (photo 3). Paper items show yellowing, creasing, and minor fold tears (photo 2). The glass plate negatives display silvering and chemical degradation to the edges (photo 3). Overall, the lot is in mixed vintage condition consistent with age.
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