For sale is an amazing 1903 DRY PLATE PHOTO NEGATIVE of a WORCESTER & WEBSTER RAILWAY ELECTRIC TROLLEY travelling down main street along side a horse drawn carriage. Businesses depicted in the photo include the F.G. Bigelow Real Estate Office and an ice cream parlor. Sale of this dry plate negative includes the original box from the American Dry Plate Company, Worcester, Massachusetts. This specular Victorian era photograph is a rare find. The glass plate negative is unbroken but there is surface wear and picture loss at the edges. This photo was taken in the area of Worcester, Massachusetts. The Dry Plate negative measures about 5 inches by 4 inches. A great photography and railroad related collectible.
In 1863, at the time of the Civil War, Worcester started using horse-drawn trolley cars. In 1891, the first electric trolley cars were introduced to Worcester. By 1900, the city relied upon a system of light rail to travel not only within the city, but to also connect communities across Massachusetts and into neighboring states. The Worcester & Webster Street Railway Company was only in operation between 1899 and 1907.
The “developed” photos shown with this listing were digitally developed by taking a picture of the glass slide and then using photograph editing software to publish the negative image. The developed pictures are included to illustrate the image in the negative.
Photographic plates preceded photographic film as the target medium of photography. Dry plate, also known as gelatin process, is an improved type of photographic plate invented by Dr. Richard L. Maddox in 1871. By 1879, the first dry plate factory was established. With much of the complex chemistry work centralized into a factory, the new process simplified the work of photographers, allowing them to expand their business.
