Digitizing Glass Plate Negatives

Monday  |  April 29, 2013  |  15:53 PM

The Massillon Museum cares for several thousand glass plate negatives in its permanent collection. Archives Volunteer Mark Pitocco began digitizing the glass plate negative collection of Dan Douglass, a lifelong collector of Massillon memorabilia.

Douglass collected plates from Massillon photographers such as Stan Baltzly, Karl Spuhler, and AJ Miller. The Massillon Museum has 954 of Douglass' collection.

Below are 3 of the images from today's digitization work. Pitocco began photographing Box 1 of the Douglass glass plate negatives, which contain sports images.

To view the first 78 images, visit our facebook page.

Stan Baltzly's glass negative taken on the Baltzly Drug Co. counter. Baltzly made slides and photo reproductions of Massillon Tigers football players by taking a negative photograph of the original.
Collection of the Massillon Museum (90.25)

An Unknown Agathon Baseball Player, c.1920
This damaged glass plate negative was once a double-portrait of the same player.
Collection of the Massillon Museum (90.25.21)

Unknown boxing match, c.1920
Collection of the Massillon Museum (90.25)