2-1860s Civil War Glass Negatives ,Prendergast Bros St Paul MN For Sale

Plate 1 (Uniform Portrait): Authentic Half-Plate format (approx. 4.25" x 5.5"). Heavy, period-correct 2mm thick window glass with rough, unpolished, hand-cut edges.

Plate 2 (On-Field Tent Camp): Period-cut field variant (approx. 4" x 5"). Thickness varies between 1.5mm and 1.6mm, providing definitive proof of raw window glass cut down by hand inside a traveling darkroom wagon.

Condition & Lighting: The portrait plate is exceptionally sharp. The camp plate features a clear but moody, darker low-light exposure—likely captured during evening dusk at mobilization camp. The crisp clarity indicates the soldiers held perfectly frozen for a long 15–20 second field exposure. Light age-appropriate edge wear is present on both plates.