Place: Philadelphia (Pa.) / Year: <span class="from" data-blrl-begin="1900">1900</span> to <span class="to" data-blrl-end="1949">1949</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Garden Club of Philadelphia Members' gardens lantern slide collection, 1930

Extent:: 5.85 linear feet
Abstract:: The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. This collection consists of 205 glass lantern slides, donated by the Garden Club of America, of Philadelphia area gardens and homes, including Andalusia, Stenton, Highlands, and Ludington. The collection also contains several portraits of notable Philadelphians and horticulturists and landscape plans. Included are 35mm slide reproductions of many of the lantern slides. The lantern slides date from the year 1930.

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society minute books, 1827-2001 (inclusive)

Extent:: 7.3 linear feet (27 containers)
Abstract:: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) was founded on November 24, 1827 by fifty-three prominent Philadelphians; among them Horace Binney, David Landreth Jr., William Davidson, George Pepper, Nicolas Biddle and Moses Brown. Emulating similar societies existing in England at the time, the men formed their Society to promote “a highly instructive and interesting science for the purpose of improving the growth of vegetables, plants, trees, fruits and flowers.” Since that time, the Society and its membership has fostered “…an appreciation of plants, acquiring scientific knowledge about them, disseminating horticultural information, and involving the public in gardening and beautifying the City of Philadelphia.” More recently, the Society has worked specifically to beautify the city and help realize William Penn’s founding vision for Philadelphia to be a “greene countrie towne.” This is a collection of meeting minutes of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Horticultural...(see more)

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

Philadelphia Flower Show slide and photograph collection, 1928-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:: 25.0 linear feet (90 containers/volumes)
Abstract:: The Philadelphia Flower Show is the world’s largest indoor flower exhibition and, as of 2010, encompasses thirty-three acres and draws over 250,000 visitors annually. The Philadelphia Flower Show was first held in 1829. From 1927 until the mid 1960s, management of the Flower Show was under the auspices of the Philadelphia Flower Show, Inc., a professional group of nurserymen and growers. In 1964, Philadelphia Flower Show, Inc. decided to halt production of the show for two years because of difficulties locating an exhibition space. Under the direction of Ernesta D. Ballard, who felt that yearly continuation of the show was necessary, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society hosted the show in the 23rd Street Armory. In 1966, the show moved to the Civic Center, and in 1968, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society became the show’s official producer. In 1996, the Flower Show moved to its current location in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This is a collection of photographs, slides,...(see more)

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

Anne Wertsner Wood slide collection, 1940-1960 (bulk) 1940-1983 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.0 linear feet (2 containers)
Abstract:: Anne Wertsner Wood (1907-2004) was a horticulturist, writer and lecturer from the Philadelphia area. She was an active leader in the gardening community at the local, national, and international levels. She is recognized for her participation in numerous flower shows, garden creations, outreach activities, writings and lectures. This collection contains slides compiled and used by Anne Wertsner Wood. There are two boxes of color photographic slides that date from 1940 to 1983, with the bulk of slides dating from 1940 to 1960. The slides document Wertsner’s travels to various local and international gardens, her involvement with the Philadelphia Flower Show, and her involvement in community activities.

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

Union League archives, 1833-2010 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1643.0 items
Abstract:: Founded in 1862 as a patriotic society to support the Union and the policies of President Abraham Lincoln, the Union League of Philadelphia laid the philosophical foundation of other Union Leagues across a nation torn by Civil War. From its founding to the present, the League has been a leading civic organization and has played an important role in the history of our country and the City of Philadelphia. Over the past 150 years, this service has ranged from raising troops during the Civil War and lobbying for enforcement of the “freedom” amendments during Reconstruction, to feeding the hungry during the Great Depression, to finding jobs for returning veterans after World War II. The Union League archives houses a wide variety of records related to the general administration of the Union League, its mission, building and history. Additionally, researchers will find a small sampling of papers more generally related to the Civil War, including some letters written by Abraham Lincoln....(see more)

Held at: Union League of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Wagner Free Institute of Science Director's files, 1883-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:: 36.42 linear feet (37 containers)
Abstract:: Incorporated by William Wagner (1796-1885) in 1855, the Wagner Free Institute of Science is a natural history museum and educational institution in Philadelphia that is dedicated to providing free public education in the sciences. This collection contains records of the operations of the Wagner Free Institute of Science from 1883 to 1948, including the Institute’s financial records; rental property records; and museum, library and instruction program records. The bulk of the collection is financial material and correspondence.

Held at: Wagner Free Institute of Science [Contact Us]

Joseph R. Foster and Sons records, 1930-1946 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.75 linear feet (4 volumes)
Abstract:: Joseph R. Foster and Sons was a Philadelphia dyeing and finishing yarn company, specializing in worsted and wool yarns. The Joseph R. Foster and Sons records houses four ledger books detailing 16 years of the company’s business records between 1930 and 1946.

Held at: Philadelphia University: Paul J. Gutman Library, Special Collections [Contact Us]

Hugh Nelson, Incorporated (Columbia Carpet Mills) records, 1931-1957 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Hugh Nelson, Incorporated (Columbia Carpet Mills) company was one of the oldest surviving carpet manufacturers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hugh Nelson owned the company until his son-in-law, Edward M. Schmauder became owner and president. Schmauder ran the company for 28 years before selling it in 1978. The carpet mill finally closed in 1983. The Hugh Nelson, Incorporated (Columbia Carpet Mills) records date from 1931 to 1957, with bulk dates from 1941 to 1957. This collection is mostly made up of correspondence between Hugh Nelson, Incorporated and vendors with which it did most of its business, especially from 1955 to 1957.

Held at: Philadelphia University: Paul J. Gutman Library, Special Collections [Contact Us]

William Whitaker And Sons, Incorporated records, 1921-1977 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Henry Whitaker had founded the firm of Whitaker and Sons in Rochdale, England, in 1796. He visited the United States in 1807 and returned in 1809 to relocate the business to Hudson, N.Y. In 1813 he again relocated to Philadelphia, where he established the Cedar Grove Mills on Tacony Creek. The William Whitaker and Sons, Incorporated records house a small portion of the records of the company. The collection dates from 1921-1977, with bulk dates of 1930 to 1964. This collection consists mostly of financial reports, graphs, and a map of the Cedar Grove Mills.

Held at: Philadelphia University: Paul J. Gutman Library, Special Collections [Contact Us]

H. A. Pilsbry papers, 1900-1953 (bulk) 1885-1957 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.75 linear feet (8 containers)
Abstract:: Henry Augustus Pilsbry, Dean of American Malacologists, was the conservator, curator and head of the Department of Shells at the Academy of Natural Sciences for 70 years. He was also the internationally recognized authority in the field of land mollusks. He wrote and edited many volumes of the Manual of Conchology and from 1889 until his death was an editor of the journal Nautilus, which he founded. A member of many scientific expeditions, he traveled all over the United States, to the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands, and to Australia. This collection contains the professional papers of Henry A. Pilsbry between the years 1885 and 1957. The bulk of this collection consists of Pilsbry’s working files and drafts of published material that came from those files, including a draft of the second volume of Land Mollusks of North America. Pilsbry’s correspondence is by far the most valuable part of this...(see more)

Held at: Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Conner family papers, 1832-1856 (bulk) 1832-1856 1816-1903 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.0 folders
Abstract:: Susan Dillwyn Physick was born on June 22, 1803, in Philadelphia, the second of four children. Her parents were Elizabeth Emlen, whose family was one of the wealthiest in Philadelphia, and Philip Syng Physick, the prominent physician. In 1824 she met naval Master-Commandant David Conner, and the two married on June 25, 1828. The Conner family papers consist primarily of 23 journals kept by Susan Dillwyn Physick Conner from 1832 to 1856. The collection also includes her unfinished autobiography with amendments by her son, a scrapbook, two notebooks, two journals by her son, one journal by Philip Conner’s wife, two letters (one by Mary Lewis, one by Philip Conner), three account books, two published books owned by Susan Physick Conner, and notes and drafts by Arthur Hale, Philip Conner’s son-in-law.

Held at: Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and 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]

Library Company of Philadelphia minute books, 1731-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:: 46.0 volumes
Abstract:: In 1731, Benjamin Franklin and a group of intellectual Philadelphians established the Library Company of Philadelphia, a subscription library supported by its shareholders. The Library Company flourished because it adopted a purchasing policy responsive to the needs of its intellectually alert, economically ambitious, but non-elite membership. The Library Company of Philadelphia is now an independent research library specializing in American society and culture from the 17th to 19th centuries. The history of this organization is best documented by its minute books dating from 1731 to 2000. The collection consists of minute books documenting the meetings of the Directors (both the final approved version of the minutes and the rough drafts of the minutes), 1731 to 2000; the Trustees of the Loganian Library, 1853 to 1876; and the Committee for Fixing the Value of Lost Books, 1785 to 1848. In addition to meeting minutes, the minute books include financial reports, and supporting...(see more)

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Stevens-Cogdell-Sanders-Venning collection, 1734-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Stevens-Cogdell-Sanders-Venning family papers document the development of a white family and a prominent middle-class African American family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning with the 1760s emigration of John Stevens from England to South Carolina. The materials date from 1734 to 1982 and consist of scrapbooks, ephemera, newspaper clippings, Common Prayer books, invitations, holiday cards, correspondence, business papers, and a variety of personal papers. The materials document the Stevens-Cogdell-Sanders-Venning families’ professional, family, and personal lives as well as the development of a prominent middle-class African American family.

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Catholic Club of Philadelphia records, 1871-1923 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.8 linear feet (; 2 boxes)
Abstract:: The Catholic Club of Philadelphia, formerly the De Sales Institute of Philadelphia, was founded January 2, 1877. The Club offered wealthy men of a certain socioeconomic background cultural, intellectual, and social opportunities. This collection contains administrative records, including by-laws and reports, as well as general correspondence. Programs, souvenirs, and ephemera related to club-sponsored events and events sponsored by other local Catholic societies are also included. The collection also contains newspaper clippings, N.C.W.C. news releases from May- July 1923, and miscellaneous pamphlets, cards and circulars.

Held at: Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center [Contact Us]

Marguerite de Angeli papers, 1935-1977 (bulk) 1914-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:: 16.7 linear feet
Abstract:: This collection contains the papers of children’s book author and illustrator Marguerite de Angeli (1889-1987), with materials dating from 1914 to 1982 (bulk 1935-1977). Much of the collection consists of drafts and artwork for twenty-six of de Angeli’s children’s books. Also present are clippings, correspondence, dummies, proofs, and a scrapbook.

Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection [Contact Us]

Carolyn Haywood papers, 1884-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:: 42.0 linear feet
Abstract:: This collection contains the personal and literary papers of children's author and illustrator Carolyn Haywood. The collection consists of manuscripts, illustrations, proofs, sketchbooks, correspondence, clippings, audiovisual materials, photographs, scrapbooks, diplomas, and awards.

Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection [Contact Us]

Katherine Milhous and Frances Lichten papers, 1903-1977 (inclusive)

Extent:: 40.14 linear feet
Abstract:: This is a collection of the manuscripts, illustrations, and papers of Katherine Milhous, and the papers of Frances Lichten. Katherine Milhous manuscript materials include drafts, dummies, proofs, notes, finished art, color separations, and other production materials for her children’s books. Her papers include artwork in various media, correspondence, lecture notes, itineraries, scrapbooks, publicity materials, books, photographs, and subject files. There are also 18 model houses Milhous made for the Works Progress Administration. Frances Lichten materials include correspondence, a small amount of family history material, two albums of photographs and letters from Milhous and Lichten's 1925-1926 trip to Europe, and copies of brochures and small volumes illustrated by Lichten.

Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection [Contact Us]

19th Century playbills, 1852-1902 (bulk) 1803-1939 (inclusive)

Extent:: 29.25 linear feet (117 volumes (many volumes are boxed))
Abstract:: The 19th Century playbills collection contains a range of material related to theater culture in nineteenth century Philadelphia and in selected other theaters across the northeastern United States. Researchers will find nineteenth century playbills from the following Philadelphia theaters: the Walnut Street Theatre, the Academy of Music, the Arch Street Theatre, the Chestnut Street Theatre, National Theatre (Walnut Street), the National Theatre (Chestnut Street), the Melodeon, and the Continental Theatre. There are also playbills from the Chestnut Street, Arch Street, and 11th Street opera houses. This collection contains an assortment of scrapbooks which include newspaper clippings, photographs, and reviews of actors and performances. The majority of scrapbooks were assembled by various theater enthusiasts; however ten were compiled by theater producer and director Paul E. Glase, who was active in the Philadelphia theater scene during the early twentieth century. Because the...(see more)

Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Rare Book Department [Contact Us]

Ed Wynn papers, 1907-1966 (bulk) 1890-1966 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.0 linear feet (8 boxes)
Abstract:: This collection contains the correspondence and papers of actor and comedian Ed Wynn. The collection includes ideas for gags, box office records for staged productions, telegrams, postcards, 65 publicity photographs, 50 gag magazines, and family papers and mementos. There are also approximately 300 newspaper and magazine clippings about Wynn and his productions as well as 20 printed posters and artwork in various media of Wynn.

Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Rare Book Department [Contact Us]

Evening College records, 1935-1988 (bulk) 1921-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:: 30.3 linear feet (31 containers)
Abstract:: The Drexel Evening College was founded in 1891, as the Department of Lectures and Evening Classes within the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, and held its first classes in 1892. A program of study geared towards working adults, it offered courses in drawing, decorative painting, modeling, woodcarving, stained glass, mathematics, bookkeeping, stenography and typewriting, chemistry, physics, shop work in wood and iron, cookery, dressmaking, millinery, physical culture, economics, English and architecture. Since its inception, the Evening College has undergone significant academic, administrative and physical transformations, adapting to accommodate an ever changing student body as well as administrative and academic agendas. This collection documents those changes as well as the more general administrative, academic, and social activities of the College from 1921 to 1993. Materials in this collection include administrative records, reports, curriculum materials, faculty...(see more)

Held at: Drexel University: Archives and Special Collections [Contact Us]

St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church records, 1980-1994 (bulk) 1904-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:: 10.0 linear feet
Abstract:: St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia fills a unique position in the history of the Catholic Church in America. In 1886, African American Catholics from three local Philadelphia churches, having grown tired of the discrimination they faced at their home churches, united together as the Peter Claver Union with the goal of creating a “Church for Colored Catholics” in Philadelphia. The organization was officially recognized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1889 and found a home for their parish in 1892 in the former Fourth Presbyterian Church located at 12th and Lombard Streets. Due to a perceived lack of continued need for an African American Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia suppressed the parish in 1985. The St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church records house the institutional records of the St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This collection, which dates from 1904 to 2009, with bulk dates of 1980 to 1994,...(see more)

Held at: Temple University Libraries Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection [Contact Us]

Edwin S. Stuart papers, 1884-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:: 40.0 boxes
Abstract:: Edwin Sydney Stuart (1853-1937) was a Philadelphia businessman and politician during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to owning and operating a successful bookstore, Stuart also served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1891 to 1995 and governor of Pennsylvania from 1907 to 1911. The Edwin S. Stuart papers, as received by Temple University, reflect a portion of the files from the Stuart/Emmons family and material stored at Leary & Co. prior to the closing of the firm in 1969. The records date from 1884 to 1937, and reflect both the archives of the Leary firm and the political and social activities of Governor Stuart. His papers document a variety of personal activities and social functions as well as his work with Girard College and the Union League. While the papers do document some of his political functions in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, this collection does not contain his formal political office files.

Held at: Temple University Libraries Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]

Bradford collection of biographies of Homoeopathic Physicians, 1868-1918 (inclusive)

Extent:: 36.0 containers
Abstract:: Dr. Thomas L. Bradford (1847-1918) was a practicing homeopathic physician in Maine, Europe and Philadelphia. While practicing and teaching in Philadelphia he served as curator for the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia. From 1896 to 1916, he collected, organized and maintained material for 35 scrapbooks of biographical information about homeopathic physicians.

Held at: Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center [Contact Us]

Marion Spencer Fay Papers, 1946-1975 (bulk) 1925-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.9 linear feet
Abstract:: Marion Spencer Fay (1898-1990) served as dean and president of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania from 1943 to 1963 and promoted the recruitment of, education for, and recognition of women physicians. This collection includes the texts of many of Dr. Fay's speeches as well as a selection of professional and administrative papers from her time as dean and president of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania.

Held at: Drexel University: College of Medicine Legacy Center [Contact Us]

James T. Caulfield and Rafael A. Suarez papers, 1918-1985 (inclusive) 1944-1985 (bulk)

Extent:: 5 linear feet
Abstract:: Dr. Rafael A. Suarez and James T. Caulfield, known as "The Philamigos," traveled throughout South America in the 1950s-1980s, operated a learning center in Philadelphia, and were prominent members of the Philadelphia LGBT community. The James T. Caulfield and Rafael A. Suarez papers, 1918-1985, extensively document their works, including the Philamigos Institute of Learning, their travels abroad, and Caulfield's experience as a gay soldier during World War II. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, ephemera, over a dozen 16-mm films, and stamps/correspondence regarding philately.

Held at: John J. Wilcox, Jr. LGBT Archives, William Way LGBT Community Center [Contact Us]

Bären-Bund des Philadelphia Turnbezirks minute book, 1891-1915 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.06 linear feet (1 volume)
Abstract:: Handwritten minute book of the Bären-Bund des Philadelphia Turnbezirks, from the founding, 23 March 1891, to 19 April 1915. The Bären-Bund was an alliance of senior gymnast squads, or Bären-Riege, of gymnastics clubs (Turnvereine) in the Philadelphia Turner district. The minutes include financial records and a copy of the constitution that was adopted upon the founding.

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

German Society of Pennsylvania Agentur records, 1854-1938 (bulk) 1847-1947 (inclusive)

Extent:: 10.0 linear feet (52 boxes)
Abstract:: 72 volumes of handwritten ledgers, indexes, logs, reports, and letter books, recording the efforts of the Agentur to help needy German immigrants and Philadelphia residents of German origin over a period of a hundred years. Valuable biographical information for local history, social history, labor history, immigration research, genealogy.

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

German Society of Pennsylvania Foreign Relief Committee records, 1919-1925, 1929

Extent:: 0.5 linear feet (2 boxes + 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:: This collection contains the records of the German Society of Pennsylvania's Foreign Relief Committee, which from late 1919 through 1922 contributed humanitarian aid to the populations of Germany and Austria in the wake of the First World War. Most of the aid was distributed through the American Friends Service Committee. The collection contains correspondence, appeals, reports, financial records, and ephemera. The correspondence includes letters from 78 charitable organizations in Hamburg, Germany, that applied for distributions of donated sacks of flour in 1919; and nine letters written from various parts of Germany in 1922 during the period of inflation. The Foreign Relief Committee was comprised of an all-male committee of the Society and a committee of the Society's Women's Auxiliary, whose greatest contributions were in the form of knitted and sewn items produced by the members at weekly gatherings. Also included is a 1929 letter from the Deutsche Liga der freien...(see more)

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

Max Heinrici manuscript and photographs, circa 1936-1939

Extent:: 0.83 linear feet (2 boxes)
Abstract:: The collection contains an unpublished manuscript by Max Heinrici, and several photographs of him in his later years. The manuscript (approximately 460 leaves) tells the history of the German Society of Pennsylvania from 1915 to 1935, and was intended as a continuation of an earlier history of the Society that Heinrici had published in 1917, co-authored by Oswald Seidensticker. It includes biographical sketches of prominent Society leaders, and lists of its officers and board of directors for the period. The text gives perspectives on the experiences of German Americans in the era of the First World War, and contains material on charitable relief work carried on by German Americans in Philadelphia to benefit Germany and Austria-Hungary during and after the war.

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

Hilfsfond records, 1914-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.7 linear feet (10 boxes + 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:: The Hilfsfond, or Relief Fund, of Philadelphia, was a German-American charity for civilian war relief that was founded on 5 August 1914, just after the start of the First World War, and remained in existence until 1925. The Hilfsfond initially aimed to assist widows and orphans of German and Austrian-Hungarian soldiers killed in the war. After the entrance of the United States into the war, it focused on aid to prisoners of war interned in the United States and Canada; and in the postwar period it provided humanitarian relief in Germany, with special attention to the plight of children. During World War I, the Hilfsfond had close ties to the National German-American Alliance. Some of its leaders were also active members of the German Society of Pennsylvania. In the 1920s the Hilfsfond worked in cooperation with the American Friends Service Committee. The records include minute books, from the founding until April 1925; treasurer's records, 1914 to 1916; and ephemera such as appeal...(see more)

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

Ladies Social Club of the Philadelphia Rifle Club minute books, 1914-1944, 1959-1982

Extent:: 0.38 linear feet (3 boxes)
Abstract:: This collections comprises three minute books of the Ladies Social Club of the Philadelphia Rifle Club, which was founded 12 February 1914, with the aim of holding social events and assisting the Philadelphia Rifle Club (Philadelphia Schützen-Verein), a German-American society that dated back to 1846. The Ladies Social Club also made charitable donations. It held meetings at the clubhouse of the Rifle Club in Schuetzen Park near Tabor Station, at the edge of the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia. The extant minutes cover two periods, 1914 to 1944, and 1959 to 1971. Loose correspondence found with the minute books dates to as late as 1982.

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

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]

Männerchor records, 1868-1985

Extent:: 1.63 linear feet (4 boxes + 1 oversized folder)
Abstract:: This small collection comprises a bound volume containing a constitution and by-laws, a charter, ephemera, photographs, songbooks from festivals, and memorabilia related to the Männerchor, the first German-American singing society in the United States, founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 15 December 1835. The specific items include the original handwritten charter, signed by 13 members, in March 1868; a summer season concert program from 1887; a banner dedicated to the society in 1925 from its women's chorus (Damenchor); the program and menu for the 100th anniversary celebration in 1935, along with a miniature souvenir banner dedicated to the Männerchor on that occasion, by the Vereinigten Sänger von Baltimore (United Singers of Baltimore); and two photographs taken at the Männerchor's 150th anniversary celebration, in 1985, on which occasion the society was officially dissolved, according to a note on the verso of one of the photographs, signed by Herbert Schmidt, one of the...(see more)

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

National German-American Alliance records, 1910-1918 (bulk) 1903-1938 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.63 linear feet (2 boxes + 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:: This collection contains records of the National German-American Alliance (NGAA; Deutschamerikanischer Nationalbund), a federation of German-American organizations in the United States based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that existed from 1901 to 1918, for most of that time under the leadership of Charles J. Hexamer. The NGAA aimed to foster fellowship and common endeavors among German Americans, to advocate on issues affecting German-American life, and to support the preservation of German culture in the United States. The collection includes correspondence, reports, clippings, and printed ephemera. The bulk of the materials dates from 1910 to 1918, and pertains to the NGAA's efforts to erect two monuments to figures of German-American history: one in Germantown, Philadelphia, honoring the first German settlers and their leader, Francis Daniel Pastorius; and the other in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, dedicated to the revolutionary war general Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben....(see more)

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

Philadelphia Turngemeinde collection, 1883-1958 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.17 linear feet (1 box + 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:: Collection of miscellaneous records as well as ephemera of the Philadelphia Turngemeinde (also known as the Philadelphia Turners), one of the oldest German-American Turner, or gymnastics clubs in the United States, founded in 1849. The records include a letter dated 1900 from Turngemeinde vice president Louis F. Schuck to the Academy of Music; an original manuscript (4 leaves), dated 1911, by member Casper Fischer, telling the history of the organization from the founding until 1899; and a guest register for events of the club from 1956 to 1958. The ephemera include invitation letters, program and admission ticket to the dedication ceremony of the new Turngemeinde hall in 1883 and the first two leaves of the Philadelphia newspaper Vereins und Logen Zeitung for 20 May 1899 containing the report of the Turngemeinde's 50th anniversary celebration.

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

Erich Uhlenbrock papers, 1942-1985 (bulk) 1915-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.25 linear feet (3 boxes + 1 oversize folder)
Abstract:: This collection documents the personal and charitable activities of Erich Uhlenbrock, a German-American, during the years 1915 to 1991. Throughout his life, Uhlenbrock was involved with many German-American organizations, including the Steuben Society of America. His passion was for singing and he was very involved in a number of singing groups in Philadelphia and the region, including the Liedertafel-Saengerbund, the Vereinigte Sänger von Philadelphia, and the Nordöstlicher Sängerbund. Included are biographical information, business records, correspondence, photographs, clippings, pamphlets, and ephemera from many of these organizations. Uhlenbrock was also friends with the Philadelphia painter and illustrator Conrad J. Linke, and the collection contains sketches for two of Linke's historical paintings.

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

John Wanamaker collection, 1827-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:: 193.2 linear feet (; 316 volumes, 438 boxes)
Abstract:: John Wanamaker (1838-1922) was a well-known merchant, entrepreneur, and lifelong resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was active in the city's religious, political, and philanthropic areas, founded several Presbyterian churches and Sunday schools, and served as postmaster general under President Benjamin Harrison from 1889 to 1893. He opened his first Philadelphia clothing store, Oak Hall, with partner Nathan Brown in 1861, and founded John Wanamaker and Co. in 1869. In 1876, he opened "A New Kind of Store" known as the Grand Depot at Thirteenth and Market Streets. This store later became the flagship store, with satellite stores eventually established in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey, Delaware, and New York City. Wanamaker was at the forefront in many areas of retailing including merchandising, employee relations and advertising. His sons Thomas B. Wanamaker and L. Rodman Wanamaker were also active in the business. Thomas ran John Wanamaker and...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Mutual Assurance Company (Green Tree) records, 1784-1995 (inclusive)

Extent:: 455.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Mutual Assurance Company for Insuring Houses from Loss by Fire was organized in Philadelphia in 1784, in order to make fire insurance available to those citizens who wished to have trees in front of their houses. A group of sixty-one men met on July 8, 1784 at the City (or London) Coffee House and agreed to create a new mutual fire insurance company. A deed of settlement was adopted and a green tree was selected as a symbol to appear on the company's policies and fire marks. The company archives of The Mutual Assurance Company, familiarly known as the Green Tree, consist of financial accounts and receipts, correspondence, histories, cancelled insurance surveys and policies, and miscellaneous material. The records date from the formation of the company in 1784 to 1995.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Joseph F. Lockard papers, 1928-1988 (inclusive)

Extent:: 13.3 linear feet (; 30 boxes)
Abstract:: Joseph F. Lockard worked in Philadelphia for the Democratic City Committee during the 1950s and 1960s. By signing up non-registered voters as Democrats, Lockard was instrumental in building the Democratic "machine" that assisted party leaders get elected during the 1960s. Lockard worked as administrative assistant to U.S. Representative William J. Green Jr. and maintained ties to many political players, such as Joseph S. Clark, Richardson Dilworth, Natalie Saxe Randall, Judge Charles Weiner, and Congressman Joshua Eilberg. Lockard later obtained a political science degree from Temple University and formed his own political consulting firm, Lockard Associates. The Joseph F. Lockard papers are primarily composed of papers describing his involvement in Pennsylvania politics, with particular attention to Philadelphia. Materials include correspondence, memos, reports, and clippings. There are numerous subject files that contain a wealth of information on city issues, politicians, and...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Eyre Family Papers, 1840-1912 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.5 linear ft. (3 boxes)
Abstract:: The collection contains papers concerning the Eyre family, Pennsylvania Quakers. descendents of Isaac and Eleanor (Cooper) Eyre, of Philadelphia and Bucks County. Isaac Eyre (1778-1843) was a prominent Philadelphia shipbuilder. In 1828, he removed to a farm in Bucks County, Pa. William Eyre (1804-1885) was their oldest son, a Philadelphia master builder. His brother, Isaac (1819-1904) was a farmer and promoter of the railroad from Bucks County, Pa. He was also one of the founders of the George School, Newtown, Pa., and active in Quaker concerns. The collection contains correspondence of Isaac Eyre largely to Isaac Hicks (1815-1900) Quaker interests, prominent Friends, farming, and railroad projects; also eighteen diaries of William Eyre (1840-1880, gaps 1841-1849 and 1855-1857, microfilmed), and some miscellaneous family material.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

1st Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania records, 1812-1970 (inclusive)

Extent:: 16.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The First Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania, or "The Dandy First," is considered by some to be the oldest continuously existing troop in the United States National Guard, and the only existing Pennsylvania unit that served in the Continental Army. The unit, which today is known as the 103rd Engineer Battalion, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, has fought in nearly every major American battle beginning with the Revolutionary War. The 1st Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania records, 1812-1970, consist of about 100 record books of the regiment and its predecessor and successor units, as well as several photograph albums and scrapbooks.

Held at: 1st Regiment Infantry Museum [Contact Us]

Awbury Arboretum Association records, 1868-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:: 24.3 linear feet
Abstract:: Henry Cope purchased 40 acres of land in East Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1852 where he built a home for his growing family. Over the next 70 years, his descendants build 24 houses representing a variety of architectural styles. A portion of this land, now known as the Awbury Arboretum, was left to the City Parks Association in 1916 to protect it from development. The Awbury Arboretum Association records, 1868-2011, includes administrative records, financial records, and research compiled by Awbury Arboretum staff. There are also a large number of transcribed oral histories included in this collection.

Held at: Awbury Arboretum [Contact Us]

Awbury Arboretum Association photograph collection, circa 1860-2011

Extent:: 23.4 linear feet
Abstract:: Henry Cope purchased 40 acres of land in East Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1852 where he built a home for his growing family. Over the next 70 years, his descendants build 24 houses representing a variety of architectural styles. A portion of this land, now known as the Awbury Arboretum, was left to the City Parks Association in 1916 to protect it from development. The Awbury Arboretum Association photograph collection, circa 1860-2011, includes family photographs and Awbury Arboretum Association photographs.

Held at: Awbury Arboretum [Contact Us]

Doris Bullock collection, circa 1890-1995 (bulk 1960-1995)

Extent:: 19.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Doris Virginia Powers Bullock (1924-2000) was a school teacher and counselor in the School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was heavily involved in promoting and supporting African American culture, especially African American artists and opera singers. The Doris Bullock collection, circa 1890-1995 (bulk 1960-1995), contains a large amount of material relating to African American culture with an emphasis on theater, opera, visual arts, and politicians, as well as a small amount of personal material including photograph albums and correspondence.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Emanuel C. and Dorothy Wright papers, 1931-1983 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.25 linear feet
Abstract:: Emanuel C. Wright was the son of Major Richard R. Wright Sr., a former slave and founder of National Freedom Day. Shortly after the death of his father in 1947, Emanuel Wright took over his father's position as president of the National Freedom Day Association. The Emanuel C. and Dorothy Wright papers, 1931-1983, include clippings, pamphlets, and typed papers about African American figures and events in the African American community; material relating to National Freedom Day; and information about family history.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Anna Russell Jones papers, 1892-1989 (inclusive)

Extent:: 17.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Anna Russell Jones (1902-1995) was the first African American woman from Philadelphia to join the Armed Forces during World War II and the first African American graduate of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and Design). She was a talented artist who worked as a wallpaper and carpet designer, civil service illustrator, and freelance artist. Her life evidenced her interest in African American history and civil rights, commitment to public service, and fascination with medical practice. The Anna Russell Jones papers, 1892-1989, primarily document her time in the military and as a civil service illustrator through scrapbooks, photographs, illustrations, sketches, and related correspondence and personnel records. There are also materials relating to her art education and some family papers, as well as correspondence, artworks, and documents from later in Jones' life.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Dr. Ernest Berry papers, 1944-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Ernest R. (Royal) Berry (1930-1992) was an educator, performer, traveler, and collector of art. Based in the Philadelphia area for most of his life, Berry spent much of his time from 1958-1965 in Europe, completing certificate programs, teaching classes, and performing as an actor and singer. Berry joined the faculty of Cheyney University and remained there as a professor of psychology for over 20 years. The Dr. Ernest Berry papers, 1944-1991, largely consist of materials relating to Berry's travels in Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s, his career at Cheyney University and related legal battle, and a large amount of ephemera, especially playbills, from arts and cultural events Berry attended. It includes scrapbooks, photograph albums, correspondence, clippings, and ephemera.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Frank McGlinn collection on African American theater, 1920-1992 (bulk) 1850-1994 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Frank McGlinn collection on African American theater, 1850-1994 (bulk 1920-1992), richly documents Philadelphia's theatrical past through the performances of African Americans. It consists largely of posters, programs, broadsides, clippings and advertisements. There are small amounts of photographs and correspondence (mostly in the form of invitations received). The collection is mainly about 20th century plays, performers, musicals and films.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Natalie Hinderas and Leota Palmer papers, 1940-1989 (bulk) 1904-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Natalie Hinderas (1927-1987), born Natalie Leota Henderson to Abram L. Henderson and Leota Palmer (1904-1997), became a celebrated pianist and music instructor in Philadelphia. She was one of the first African Americans to gain worldwide fame as a classical pianist, and was the first African-American female pianist to be featured by a symphony orchestra. The Natalie Hinderas and Leota Palmer papers, 1904-1993 (bulk 1940-1989), consist mostly of materials relating to Natalie Hinderas, particularly her music career and education, with a significant amount of materials relating to Natalie's mother, Leota Palmer. There are also some personal papers. Materials include: correspondence, programs, scrapbooks, family photograph albums, newspaper clippings, and family property records/deeds from Ohio.

Held at: African American Museum in Philadelphia [Contact Us]

American Swedish Historical Museum document and photograph collection, 1702-1981 (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The American Swedish Historical Museum document and photograph collection, 1702-1981, consists of miscellaneous documents and photographs collected by the American Swedish Historical Museum. It includes correspondence, printed broadsides, certificates, deeds, manuscripts and stage scripts, photographs, glass and film negatives, Speakophone recordings, and many other document types. The materials relate to Americans of Swedish descent, Sweden and Swedish culture, the founding of the Swedish American Historical Museum, and associated topics.

Held at: American Swedish Historical Museum [Contact Us]

American Swedish Historical Museum scrapbook collection, 1920-1960 (bulk) 1861-1976 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The American Swedish Historical Museum scrapbook collection, 1861-1976, contains various scrapbooks--mostly newspaper clippings scrapbooks--relating to topics of interest to Swedes in America. Major subjects include visits of the Swedish royal family to America, the American Swedish Historical Museum, and specific Swedish or Swedish-American personalities including Jenny Lind and Charles Lindberg.

Held at: American Swedish Historical Museum [Contact Us]

Edwin N. Benson papers, 1885-1909 (bulk) 1885-1999 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.2 linear feet
Abstract:: Edwin N. Benson (1840-1909) was a resident of Chestnut Hill and president of the Union League in Philadelphia. He built Lynnewood Hall. The Edwin N. Benson papers, 1885-1999, consist of seven scrapbooks about Lynnewood Hall; a site plan of Lynnebrook Road and print of Lynnewood Hall; three books; and additional miscellaneous items.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Elizabeth Shantz Bourquin Collection, 1899-1984 (bulk) 1800-1999 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet
Abstract:: Elizabeth Shantz Bourquin, born in 1917, was a resident of the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The Elizabeth Shantz Bourquin Collection, 1800-1999, consists of an oral history transcript, photographs of Chestnut Hill scenes and carriage driving, and other items. The oral history is a conversation between Elizabeth Bourquin and her brother Raymond Schantz, discussing their childhood in Chestnut Hill.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Rex family papers, 1850-1920 (bulk) 1798-2002 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Rex family, descended from German immigrants, settled in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. The Rex family papers, 1798-2002, includes photographs, a scrapbook, a sampler, certificates, published books, and other items created by Rex family members.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Edmund Gilchrist architectural plans, 1915-1992 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet
Abstract:: Edmund B. Gilchrist (1885-1953) was a Philadelphia-based architect known for designing a garden city-like community within Chestnut Hill, "St. Martin's," for George Woodward. This collection contains site plans for various properties in Philadelphia, especially the Chestnut Hill neighborhood.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

David K. Eichler Collection, 1925-1994 (bulk) 1898-1994 (inclusive)

Extent:: 10.1 linear feet
Abstract:: David Kemble Eichler (1913-2003) was a real estate agent and "popular local personality" in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He served in the military during World War II and briefly worked for the state department. He was friends with actress Katharine Hepburn. The David K. Eichler collection, 1898-1994, includes correspondence, working files, publications, books, floor plans and photographs. Subjects cover a range of interest and experience such as art, drama, travel, World War II service and subsequent diplomatic service, graduate school, employment, current events, business enterprises, community work, politics, and personal relationships.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Sallie L. O. Smith Collection on the Henry H. Houston Estate, circa 1905-1996

Extent:: 0.75 linear feet
Abstract:: Henry Howard Houston (1820-1895) was a prominent Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist influential in the development of Chestnut Hill. After his death, he left a building and property in Chestnut Hill to the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The Sallie L. O. Smith Collection on the Henry H. Houston Estate, circa 1905-1996, includes correspondence and other materials concerning Philadelphia Cricket Club and the estate of Henry H. Houston.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Chestnut Hill Historical Society architectural drawings, land deeds, and titles, 1802-2010 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.4 linear feet
Abstract:: Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, was a village of farmers and millers during the Colonial period. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill became a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy and it soon boasted magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Chestnut Hill Historical Society architectural drawings, land deeds, and titles, 1802-2010, consists of landscape drawings, blueprints of houses, and surveys of properties in Chestnut Hill (1927 to 2010), as well as land deeds and titles (1802-1955).

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Chestnut Hill Historical Society photograph collection, circa 1850-2011

Extent:: 30.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, was a village of farmers and millers during the Colonial period. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill became a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy and it soon boasted magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society photograph collection, circa 1850-2011, consists of two series: subject-related and family/organization photographs.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Chestnut Hill Historical Society Wissahickon collection, 1970-2011 (bulk) 1760-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:: 26.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The 1,800 acres of Wissahickon Valley Park are part of Philadelphia's 9,200-acre Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in the world. The Chestnut Hill Historical Society Wissahickon collection, 1760-2011 (bulk 1970-2011) consists of ephemera, memorabilia and records relating to the Wissahickon, created by various sources and collected by the Historical Society. There are newspaper and magazine clippings, scholarly research and governmental reports, prints and photographs, slides, music CDs, and VHS tapes. A large collection of stereoviews of the Wissahickon is a highlight of the collection.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

St. Paul's Episcopal Church records, 1759-1904, and Journal of the meetings that led to the formation of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, 1784-1790, 1759-1904 (inclusive)

Extent:: 8 linear feet
Abstract:: St. Paul’s, which opened in 1762, was formed by congregants of Christ Church who supported Reverend William Macclanachan. The records of St. Paul's include vestry minutes; baptismal, marriage, and burial records; Sunday School records; and miscellaneous financial records. After the American Revolution, Anglicans became Episcopalians. Led by the Reverend William White, they organized the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1784. Included in this project is a journal of the meetings that led to the formation of the diocese, dating from 1784 to 1790.

Held at: The Archives of the Episcopal Church [Contact Us]

East Falls Historical Society local history collection, 1897-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The East Falls Historical Society local history collection, 1897-2012, is comprised mostly of newspaper clippings with some pamphlets, invitations, and ephemera. Some files focus on individuals or families, while others cover businesses, schools, churches, community organizations, or historic sites/houses significant in the history of the East Falls section of Philadelphia.

Held at: East Falls Historical Society [Contact Us]

Elwyn records, 1852-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:: 125.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Elwyn is one of the oldest service organizations in the United States for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Tracing its roots to a Philadelphia school for "mental defectives" founded in 1852, and officially incorporated in 1853 as The Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children, Elwyn has remained at the vanguard in the understanding, care, and treatment of intellectual disability for over 150 years. One of its most influential staff members, Superintendent Dr. Isaac Kerlin, was instrumental in organizing the field's national professional organization, today known as the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The Elwyn records, 1852-2006, consist of materials from Elwyn's administrative bodies and staff members including past superintendents and presidents, student records, materials published by Elwyn including publicity materials, photographs, and various audio and audiovisual materials. The collection is organized into six...(see more)

Held at: Elwyn Historical Archives and Museum [Contact Us]

State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania records, circa 1830-1970

Extent:: 31.0 linear feet
Abstract:: When it opened in 1829, the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ("Eastern State Penitentiary") was the world's first true "penitentiary" in the sense that it was designed to inspire true feelings of penitence in the hearts of inmates. Initially characterized by its system of strict isolation and grand architecture, more than 300 prisons on five continents were modeled after Eastern State Penitentiary. Over 142 years of operation, the system of isolation was gradually abandoned and the penitentiary became a traditional modern prison; in 1971, the facility was closed. The State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania records, circa 1830-1970, is comprised of various fragmentary records of the "Eastern State Penitentiary" that were either found on-site after the prison was closed, or donated by various individuals with connections to the prison. There are records relating to the operations and administration of the prison as a whole, as well as...(see more)

Held at: Eastern State Penitentiary [Contact Us]

Friends' Central School records, 1845-2016 (bulk) 1785-2016 (inclusive)

Extent:: 150.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Friends' Central School is a Quaker (Religious Society of Friends), co-educational, private school for children in nursery school through 12th grade. The school was established in 1845 in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and moved to its current location on City Avenue in Wynnewood, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in 1925. The Friends' Central School records, 1785-2016 (bulk 1845-2016), consist of administrative and financial records, enrollment records, personal papers, school publications and ephemera, photographs, scrapbooks, slides, various audiovisual materials, objects and other materials from and relating to the administration, faculty and staff, students, and alumni of Friends' Central School. The collection is arranged into seven series: I. Administration, II. Faculty and staff, III. Students, IV. Alumni, V. Publications, VI. Audiovisual materials, and VII. Objects.

Held at: Friends' Central School Archives [Contact Us]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute aviation photograph collection, 1934-1947 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.25 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute aviation photograph collection, 1934-1947, consists of approximately one hundred photographic negatives depicting airports, airplane repair and manufacturing plants, airplanes, autogiros, airships, and other images related to aviation.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute stereoscope card collection, circa 1873-1914

Extent:: 3.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute stereoscope card collection, circa 1873-1914, consists of small amounts of stereoviews depicting various scenery from the United States and locations in Europe and Asia. Also in the collection are images related to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, PA and Coleman Sellers's Kinematoscope.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute subject files, 1792-1943 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear feet
Abstract:: Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute subject files, 1792-1943, consist of files arranged alphabetically by subject containing a variety of primary and secondary-source documents related to each topic. The subject headings in the collection include Assorted Industry, Assorted Machines/Technology, Aviation, Cars, Deeds, Electricity, Maps, People, Newspaper Clippings, Patents, The Franklin Institute, Trains, Printing/Typing, and other topics.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

Oliver Evans papers on patents, manufacturing and business matters, 1793-1818, 1900

Extent:: 0.67 linear feet
Abstract:: Oliver Evans (1755-1819) was a pioneer in automation, materials handling, and steam power whose innovations gave great impetus to the Industrial Revolution in the United States. Evans was among the first Americans to recognize the advantage of combined heat and power, or cogeneration. Later in his career, much of his time was spent on patent infringement lawsuits. The Oliver Evans papers on patents, manufacturing and business matters, 1793-1818, 1900, consist primarily of correspondence, as well as legal documents relating to Oliver Evans' patent infringement cases including summons, court papers and proceedings, sworn testimony and statements, and financial records.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

William N. Jennings scrapbook, photographs, and negatives, 1882-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.0 linear feet
Abstract:: William N. Jennings (1860-1946) was a photographer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania best known for being credited with the first successful photograph of lightning and his work in aerial photography. William N. Jennings scrapbook, photographs, and negatives, 1882-1937, consist of Jennings's scrapbook documenting his efforts to photograph lightning, including prints of the first photograph of lightning, as well as photographs, film negatives, and glass plate negatives of people at street scenes in Philadelphia, PA and nearby areas. There is also one oversized item consisting of mounted images of lightning.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History local history collection, 1796-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Northeast Philadelphia is one of the largest sections of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bounded by the Delaware River, Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Tacony and Frankford Creeks. Before the City of Philadelphia was consolidated in 1854, the area was made up of several independent townships and boroughs, many of which had been settled in the 17th century by Swedes and Welsh and English Quakers. Industry developed early in the Northeast's history due to its proximity to several creeks and Philadelphia, but its population did not experience large growth until the 20th century. The Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History local history collection, 1796-2009, is comprised of small groups of materials from various local families, businesses, and historians.

Held at: Friends of Northeast Philadelphia History [Contact Us]

First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia records, 1796-circa 2000s

Extent:: 70.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia is a Unitarian Universalist congregation located in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is the longest continually functioning Unitarian church in the United States. The Church was first formed as the Society of Unitarian Christians of Philadelphia in 1796. In 1825, Reverend William Henry Furness (1801-1896) became the Society's first regularly ordained, full-time minister and led the Church for fifty years. As of 2015, the church continues to operate in a building designed for them in 1885 by noted architect Frank Furness (1839-1912), one of the sons of William Henry Furness. The First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia records, 1796-circa 2000s, consist of administrative and financial records, church registers, correspondence, history materials, and other materials related to the Church, as well as papers of the Church's first minister, William Henry Furness, and other individuals associated or involved with the Church such as...(see more)

Held at: First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia Archives [Contact Us]

Creticos family papers, circa 1900s-2004

Extent:: 13.0 linear feet
Abstract:: John M. Creticos (1880-1962) was born in Greece, immigrated to the United States in 1900, and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Creticos's daughter, Mary (1918-2015), was the founder of the Greek American Heritage Society. The Creticos family papers, circa 1900s-2004, include photocopies of deeds, maps, property and legal records, contracts, and financials papers such as invoices and receipts, and business records. There are also genealogical research materials relating to the Creticos family, as well as obituaries, birth certificates, personal letters, and newspaper clippings.

Held at: Greek American Heritage Museum [Contact Us]

Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library scrapbook collection, 1862-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The bulk of the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library scrapbook collection, 1862-2000, consists of scrapbooks about the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). There are also scrapbooks on the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) and personal scrapbooks on other topics.

Held at: Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum and Library [Contact Us]

Records of the Home for Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and Wives, 1892-1951 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.5 linear feet
Abstract:: The Home for Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and Wives in Philadelphia was established in 1894 as a place for Civil War veterans and their spouses to spend their later years. The records of the Home for Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and Wives, 1892-1951, document the administration of the Home and many aspects of the daily lives of the residents.

Held at: Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum and Library [Contact Us]

Records of Camp 200, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1912-1978 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.0 cubic feet ((8 volumes and loose items in 3 boxes, plus 2.5 cubic feet unprocessed of unprocessed materials))
Abstract:: Camp 200 met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Records of Camp 200, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1912-1978, consist of administrative and financial records of the Camp.

Held at: Grand Army of the Republic Civil War Museum and Library [Contact Us]