A weathered glass plate negative from a First World War French collection, showing what appears to be an airship or kite balloon over open water, photographed from the deck of a ship. Such craft were widely used by Allied navies for coastal reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrol during the war. The extensive deterioration of the plate—scratches, staining, and delamination—illustrates the fragility of early 20th-century glass negative photography. Project: 218664