OVERSIZE GLASS PHOTONEGATIVE COLLECTION, ca. 1893-1900, #416

By David Haberstich, August 27, 1991

History

Some of these glass plate negatives apparently depict the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and may have been made by Frances Benjamin Johnston. At about this time Johnston was a student, assistant, or protege of Thomas W. Smillie, chief photographer of the Smithsonian Institution and its first curator of photography. Two of the negatives are copies of floor plans, possibly of the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building.

Scope and Content

There are twenty large glass plates in this group, thirteen of which are 20" x 24" in size, while seven are 17" (not 16") x 20", the latter being a rather unusual size. Nine plates apparently depict the Columbian Exposition, eight are of Washington and the Mall area, one is of an orchestra, and two are floor plans. Two Washington views and one fair interior are broken.

Provenance

These plates were obtained from the Division of Domestic Life on August 20, 1991, having been in the division, undocumented and uncatalogued, for many years, according to Rodris Roth, curator. The plates may have been in the Smithsonian photographic services negative library originally, as they bear what look like early OPPS negative numbers. This would make sense if the images were taken by Johnston, who assisted Smillie in the photographic laboratory.

Container List

Box 1: 17" x 20" Plates

Folder 1, Mall with Washington Monument. No. 3101; 2, Mall with Washington Monument. No. 3103; 3, Washington cityscape? Broken. No. 3104; 4, Washington cityscape? Broken. No. 3105; 5, Mall with U.S. Capitol. No. 3105; 6, Washington cityscape. No. 3106; 7, The Mall, Washington No. 3107.

Box 2: 20" x 24" Plates

Folder 8, Floor plan, unnumbered; 9, Plan, third floor, unnumbered; 10, U.S. Capitol. Broken plate. No. 11302; 11, Columbian Exposition? Ship, pier, Weather Bureau, crowd. No. 11321; 12, Fair: buildings, water. No. 11348; 13, Fair, No. 11356; 14, Fair, No. 11357; 15, Fair with ship, No. 11359; 16, Ship at fair, No. 11318; 17, Fair, No. 11307; 18, Fair, N. 11302 (repeat of number above); 19, Fair exhibits, interior, No. 11327. Broken; 20, Orchestra, Unnumbered.

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