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Coney Island, New York, circa 1905. "Dreamland at night." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
The effect is probably (at least in part) due to an uncoated lens, as well as maybe other factors. Uncoated lenses will let the light bounce around inside the lens several times before it hits the film/plate. As well as possible internal reflections inside the camera.
I like uncoated lenses on 4x5 and 8x10 because they do give a subtle soft glow, without being in-your-face like some portrait lenses with a diffusion element. But in the dead of night with bright lights like this one, the glow will be magnified against the pitch black sky and really stand out big.
Sadly, Dreamland was destroyed by a fire in 1911 and never rebuilt.
The haloish effect is from light diffusing into the glass behind the emulsion.
Gremlins wouldn't like this place at all.
a negative. Really cool pic! Thanks for posting it!
I just finished (long overdue) reading the nonfiction book "Devil in the White City."
I can really appreciate, after reading that, how widely spread the Columbian World Exposition's influence really was -- but nowhere as much as here in Dreamland.
I lived in the NYC during the 70's. Coney Island was a good place to get stabbed and looked really down in the mouth.
It must have once been a magical place.
As a amateur photographer, I am wondering how the lighting was applied to give certain sections a highlighted glow. The results render a beautiful and serene photograph.
[Nothing was "applied." It's a time exposure. - Dave]
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