When Photography Really Was: Plate #1

Many years ago I worked in a small neighborhood professional darkroom. We did all sorts of custom jobs for individuals and commercial clients. One of our specialties was handling old photographs.

One day a young girl came in with Grandma in tow. The desk person, Harriet, asked how she could help. The girl said, "Show her, Grandma." Whereupon Grandma handed over a small box of family glass plate negatives in various sizes. Harriet ran back to the darkroom to find me. The girl asked, "Can you do anything with these?" Absolutely.

These are straight contact prints from nine of those plates, made with Grandma's permission, that I was allowed to keep for myself. I thought it might be fun for everyone to see these. If you can fill in any additional details regarding locations, aircraft, cars, or anything else, please do. Especially possible original dates or time frames.

These contact prints date from around 1985. The photographs themselves seem to date from possibly the early 1900s. I know nothing more about their provenance other than that Grandma was a very nice lady.
Click to expand...
This is a 3-1/2 x 5-3/4 inch plate.

This is the only photograph on which I have done any in-depth research. It's also the only one previously shared anywhere other than here.

The location is long ago Dycer Airport (or Dycer Field) in the Los Angeles, California region. For those of you familiar with the area, Dycer Airport was bounded by W 135th St on the north, W 139th St on the south, S Western Ave on the east, and Van Ness Ave on west. This was in the Hawthorne/Gardena area. In 1936 this airport was renamed Gotch's Airport, then renamed again in 1939 to Western Avenue Airport. Today this field is carpeted over by industrial buildings.

Click here for the current map view: Dycer Field today

Aircraft #C7113 is a 3-seat Lincoln-Page LP-3 built by the Lincoln Aircraft Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. The engine is likely a 90-hp Curtiss OX-5 liquid-cooled V-8, giving it a top speed of about 100mph, with a range of around 300 miles. The aircraft was probably originally built right around 1928. That would place the time of this photograph as 1928-1936.

In this picture the aircraft's engine is running. There are three people on board, with the front left person holding his hands over his ears. He also appears to be the passenger as he's the only one not wearing a leather helmet. Under high magnification the pilot's instruments are clearly visible in the rear cockpit.

The large white sign seen through and beyond the right wing struts says "Dycer Airport." The tail inscription reads "The Lincoln-Page, Lincoln NEB" and the fuselage insignia says "Dycer Airport, Los Angeles, Calif." The aircraft parked to the right appears to be an identical LP-3.

Finally, note that the malformed spinning prop might suggest a focal plane shutter was used. Perhaps a 1930s era Speed Graphic? But did those have a glass plate option? I don't know...
 
If it helps, I have some old wooden DDS holders with removable metal inserts - The inserts would be used for regular film, or removed and glass plates dropped in.
 

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