Glass Plate Negative Collection
The Glass Plate Negative Collection consists of hundreds of glass plate negatives taken in the United States and internationally between 1903 and 1936. Siblings Anna Chandler and S. Virgil Chandler collected and organized the glass plate negatives by state, U.S. and North American region, and international country based on their own travel and study in these locations. The collection also includes uncategorized glass plate negatives, as well as photographic prints and negatives derived from the glass plates.
Dates
- 1903-1936
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
30 Linear Feet (70 boxes)
Abstract
The Glass Plate Negative Collection consists of hundreds of glass plate negatives taken in the United States and internationally between 1903 and 1936. Siblings Anna Chandler and S. Virgil Chandler collected and organized the glass plate negatives by state, U.S. and North American region, and international country. The collection also includes uncategorized glass plate negatives, as well as photographic prints and negatives derived from the glass plates.
Biographical/Historical Note
Prior to the invention of cellulose nitrate film in 1903, the prominent way to expose and develop photographic negatives was on glass supports known as glass plate negatives. Two formats, the collodion wet plate negative and the gelatin dry plate negative, prevailed from the 1850s up to the 1920s. Both consist of a light sensitive emulsion with a binder thinly layered on one side of a glass plate. The two formats are very fragile and require careful handling, as they are prone to break easily.
The glass plate negatives in this collection have been set using the dry glass plate method. British physician and photographer Richard Leach Maddox first produced the dry plate negative in 1871, using a more convenient process than the wet plate method that did not require the photographer to immediately develop the negative upon light exposure. Its ease of use allowed for the dry plate negative to be mass manufactured and for amateur photographers to take their own photos on location.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository