Pictures of Charlestown MA , approximately 1900
(Unrestored at present)
These images are from 4x5 inch glass plate negatives. The photographer is unknown. However he was most the likely a member of the Lynch family (relative of Rita Collins (maiden name Lynch). They were dated based on the picture of the USS Constitution . It was used as a receiving ship at the Portsmouth Navy Yard between 1882 and 1897. It was during this time that the barracks structure seen in the picture was built on top of the hull. In 1897 it was moved to the Boston Navy Yard for restoration and the barracks was removed by 1907. Another picture that helps establish the date is the one identified as “new dry dock”. Dry dock number 2 was built at the Boston Navy Yard between 1898 and 1906.
The negatives were loaned to me by William (Buster) Collins in the early 1980's, at which time contact prints were made. There was a tremendous variation in density and contrast among the plates. The contact prints were made on variable contrast papers some on glossy paper, some on matte. The descriptions are minimal and were written on the paper envelopes for the glass plates.
These versions are 1200 DPI scans made of the contact prints. They are un-restored at this time. I hope to locate and borrow the plates again, in order to make better scans of the originals. If anyone has additional information on these images, I would love to hear about it.
