PANAMA CANAL CONSTRUCTION ORIGINAL NEGATIVES
Outstanding collection of 23 exceptional and historically important 5" x 7" original glass negatives pre-1904, taken during the construction of the Panama Canal. Though the photographer remains a mystery, it is very possible he was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers when the United States Government sent an advance team to assess the progress of the Ferdinand de Lesseps group. What separates this grouping from known images that have come to market in the past thirty years is that several of the subjects are clearly shown in motion, a relatively novel photographic technique of the time. Includes: a fantastic image of a steam shovel on a railroad track excavating a gorge while black smoke protrudes from its stacks, four negatives recording the success of an alligator hunt with armed soldiers (rifles) standing next to several the reptiles who have sticks imbedded into their mouths in order to expose their massive jaws, barracks, administration offices, civilian residences and obsolete French construction equipment. With an unusually clear negative of what appears to be soldiers sitting in a canoe, two of which have their mirror images brilliantly reflected on the waters surface! The negatives are housed in a vintage box and include most of the original protective sleeves preventing the glass from coming into contact with each other. Nineteen of the negatives are clean with no abrasions or scratches, three have very light scratches not affecting the emulsion and one is broken; however, the images described are flawless! Overall very good to fine condition, a great example of photography at the turn of the century and documentation of the largest manmade project of its time. 23 pieces, worthy of further research.