Philadelphia Area Archives

Start Over Form Correspondence Form Financial records Form Photographs Year 1950 to 1999

Conrad J. and Marian Linke papers, 1938-1985 (bulk) 1917-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.2 linear feet (7 boxes)
Abstract:: Conrad Linke was a German-American illustrator and painter from Philadelphia. This collection documents the political and charitable activities of him and his wife, Marian Linke, during the years 1917 to 1991. Prior to World War II they were involved in the movement to maintain American neutrality. After World War II they were involved in war relief efforts for Germany through several organizations they were members of or supported. Included are personal writings, notes and drafts, correspondence, speeches, pamphlets, leaflets, clippings, business reports and ephemera from many of those organizations.

Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]

John E. Hand & Sons Co. records, 1865-2002, undated [bulk dates: 1900-1980]

Extent:: 26.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The John E. Hand & Sons Company was founded in Philadelphia in 1873. The Hand Company built navigational equipment for all varieties of floating vessels, and operated a chain of retail outlets with “service stations” in numerous port cities, including Baltimore and New Orleans, until 1956. Service stations sold Hand instruments as well as other nautical paraphernalia and provided compass adjusting services. The collection documents the business activities of the John E. Hand & Sons Company from its institution in 1873 to 1997, when the company was sold. The collection boasts a wide breadth of material that includes legal documents, financial records, patents, correspondence, contracts, reports, catalogs and other ephemera, photographs, and engineering plans. Together, the records provide a thorough account of the firm’s operations.

Held at: Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library [Contact Us]

International Communication Association records, 1946-2016 (inclusive)

Extent:: 25 linear feet (60 boxes)
Abstract:: Originally established in 1950 as the National Society for the Study of Communication, the International Communication Association (ICA) has grown to be the largest worldwide academic organization devoted to the systematic study of communication. The collection is composed primarily of administrative records created and/or collected by various officers from 1946 to 2016, and serves to document the association's development over the years. Materials include correspondence, board meeting minutes and reports, bylaws and constitutions, conference proceedings, division records, financial records, membership records, and publication records.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Annenberg School for Communication Library Archives [Contact Us]

Helen, Ira, and Michael Wolfert papers, 1920-2001 (inclusive)

Extent:: 33 linear feet (35 boxes)
Abstract:: This collection includes material related to the lives and work of Helen (1901-1985), Ira (1908-1997), and Michael Wolfert (1936-2001). It contains correspondence between the family and others; manuscripts by all three subjects, as well as others; financial documents; personal documents; photos taken by and of the family; newspaper clippings collected by Helen and Ira; and notes and miscellanea from all three subjects.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Painted Bride Art Center records, 1969-2002 (inclusive)

Extent:: 223 boxes
Abstract:: The Records comprise 6 series, the largest and most significant of which is the first: I. Exhibitions, Performances, Readings, and Events, 1970-2002 (125 boxes). Arranged alphabetically by artist/program, this series contains correspondence, publicity material, programs, funding material, and the like for each event or performance. The remaining series entail: II. Business Records, 1970-2002 (40 boxes); III. Grant Records, 1972-2002 (15 boxes); IV. Press Records, 1970-2000 (6 boxes); V. Audio Visual Records & Computer Records, 1970-2001 (29 boxes); VI. Miscellaneous Records, 1976-2000 (6 boxes).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Running Press records, 1972-2008 (inclusive) 1978-1995 (bulk)

Extent:: 58 boxes
Abstract:: The Running Press Records are the institutional records of the Philadelphia based publisher which follow the growth and development of the company from its establishment in the early 1970s to 2008, six years after the company's acquisition by the Perseus Book Group.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Sophia Wittenberg Mumford papers, 1875-1997 (inclusive)

Extent:: 23.22 linear feet (48 boxes, 1 oversized folder)
Abstract:: The Sophia Wittenberg Mumford papers contain, correspondence, writings, diaries, photographs, memorabilia, audio-visual material, financial and legal material documenting the private and public life of Sophia and her husband, author Lewis Mumford. A large majority of this collection is remnants of Lewis Mumford's papers that remained in their house upon his death in 1990 and were finally transferred to the University of Pennsylvania after her death in 1997.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Philadelphia Orchestra Association records, 1900-2023 (inclusive)

Extent:: 570 linear feet and 36 linear feet (36 boxes. these are currently available for research.)
Abstract:: The Philadelphia Orchestra was founded in 1900, and has developed and maintained its status as a prominent symphonic ensemble throughout its existence. Its history informs and intersects with the broader history of music in the twentieth century, as well as numerous historical movements, events and developments on a regional, national and global scale. The records of The Philadelphia Orchestra Association document its activities from 1900 to 2023 through administrative records, concert programs, photographs, scrapbooks and audio and visual recordings. This collection is not fully processed. While materials listed here have been processed and are available for research, a significant portion of the collection, labeled "unavailable," remains in process and cannot be consulted at this time. As soon as additional portions of the collection are completed they will be made available via additions to this finding aid. The last addition of completed materials occurred on October 26, 2023.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Andrew H. Woods papers, 1885-1956 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.8 linear ft.
Abstract:: Andrew H. Woods (1872 – 1956) became vice president of Canton College in Guangzhou, China in 1899. He maintained his association with Canton Christian College throughout the Boxer Rebellion, or Yihetuan Movement, and the end of the Qing dynasty. Woods moved back and forth between China and the United States with his wife, Fanny Sinclair, who graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1901. In 1929, the couple and their children settled in Iowa. In Iowa, Woods worked as a professor and practitioner of neurology and psychology. Andrew H. Woods' papers include diaries which describe his personal life and professional life in China and in the United States, photographs and postcards, much of Agnes Sinclair's personal correspondence, his articles, and various papers.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Women's Auxiliary of the German Society of Pennsylvania (Frauen-Hilfsverein) records, 1900-2013 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.25 linear feet (5 paige boxes)
Abstract:: The Women’s Auxiliary of the German Society of Pennsylvania was founded in 1900 to serve as an additional charitable arm of the Society, with particular emphasis on charity for families in distress in the Philadelphia area. Since its founding in 1764, the German Society had provided charitable assistance to German-speaking immigrants in the community, especially those newly arrived in the country. With German immigration on the decline in the early 20th century, the Women's Auxiliary assumed the greater portion of the Society's charitable work. After the First and Second World Wars the Auxiliary engaged in war relief to German speaking lands directly and in cooperation with Quaker relief agencies. As state and federal government undertook more and more welfare work in the city, the auxiliary charter was changed in the 1950s to provide scholarship aid to students who majored in German language study. The records include annual reports, charters, bylaws, minute books, treasurer’s...(see more)

Held at: German Society of Pennsylvania: Joseph P. Horner Memorial Library [Contact Us]