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Start Over Repository Historical Society of Pennsylvania Record Source Other PACSCL Partners Year 1970 to 1974

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Pennsylvania Abolition Society papers, 1751-1992, undated; bulk 1780-1930

Extent:
40.0 linear feet (; 81 boxes, 60 volumes, 6 flat files)
Abstract:
Growing out of egalitarian concerns of members of the Society of Friends, the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, as it is now known, was founded in 1775 as the Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage, but the Revolution caused its early Quaker members to suspend operations until 1784, when it reorganized with a broader base. From the beginning, the Abolition Society's programs were devoted not only to the abolition of slavery, but to the social and economic improvement of Black Americans as well. This collection of records documents the Pennsylvania Abolition Society's history and its work from mid 1700s to the 1990s, and particularly during the 1800s, through minutes and reports, manumissions and indentures, correspondence, financial papers, and a significant assortment of miscellaneous papers from other anti-slavery and humanitarian organzations.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Nellie Rathbone Bright family papers, 1885-1977

Extent:
1.0 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 1 volume, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
Nellie Rathbone Bright, born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1898, was the only child of the Rev. Richard Bright and his wife, Nellie (Jones) Bright. Despite segregation barriers, the African American Bright family attained educational levels surpassing those of the general population of their generation. Rev. Bright, assigned to the Episcopal diocese in Savannah, Georgia, in 1891, was appointed two decades later to a Philadelphia parish and moved his family to that city. A student of Philadelphia public schools, Nellie Rathbone Bright qualified as a grade school teacher with a special certificate for sewing in 1916. She then entered the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1923 with a B.A. in English. Single all her life, Bright spent her entire career as a teacher and then principal in the Philadelphia school system. Her efforts as an educator, spanning more than thirty years, focused not only on the schools but also on the housing and neighborhoods in which her students lived. In...(see more)

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Print Club archives, 1940-1980 (bulk) 1915-1995 (inclusive)

Extent:
78.75 linear feet (; 175 boxes, 142 volumes)
Abstract:
Since its founding in 1915, The Print Club has achieved a national and international reputation and membership. Originally, its purpose was to establish in Philadelphia a medium for the dissemination, study, production and collection of works by printmakers, American and foreign. Renamed The Print Center in 1996, its mission has expanded to include appreciation and encouragement of the printed image in all forms, including photography. The membership has always included both collectors and printmakers, but the Center also strives to serve the larger community. The Print Center offers numerous educational programs and mounts between six and ten exhibitions each year. The Print Club archives consist of a variety of files covering its administrative, financial, exhibition, and general history, from the club's founding in 1915 to 1993. While the majority of the records are loose paper in format, the collection also contains several bound volumes, photographs, prints, proof sheets,...(see more)

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Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley records, 1939-1998 (bulk) 1939-2004, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
12.3 linear feet (; 31 boxes)
Abstract:
The Museum Council of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley is a regional association of museums founded in 1939 in order to promote Philadelphia museums and tourism. In addition to supporting its member institutions and their collections, the council has served as a resource and networking organization for museum professionals and as a forum to present issues of public interest. It has been especially active in promoting school-museum cooperation and the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage through collection care seminars and disaster preparedness. It has served on four occasions as host to the annual meeting of the American Association of Museums. The collection consists of 12.3 linear feet of textual and graphic documentation produced by or related to the council from 1939 to 2004, including administrative, financial and committee records, as well as documentation of various projects and affiliations with other cultural organizations in the Philadelphia region.

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The Links Inc. Eastern Area archival collection, 1946-2015, undated

Extent:
6.7 linear feet (; 15 boxes, 1 volume, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Founded in 1946 and incorporated as a national organization in 1951, the Links have continually developed and refined their means of effectively responding to the social, political, and financial challenges of the black community for over fifty years. Established in Philadelphia by Sarah Strictland Scott and Margaret Roselle Hawkins as a small association dedicated to the changing needs of professional African-American women, the Links today rely on the efforts of nearly ten thousand women from 274 chapters in realizing its national and international initiatives. In 1984, the Links, Inc. established an international headquarters in Washington, D.C. Initially started as a time capsule project to commemorate the new millennium, the collection has grown substantially with its reconfiguration as an archival effort, which Links members have sometimes dubbed the Eastern Area Archival Repository. As the project evolved, designated archivists and historians from each chapter contributed a...(see more)

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Pisano and Siciliano families papers, 1910-2009, undated

Extent:
0.8 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 5 volumes)
Abstract:
Members from both the Pisano and Silciliano families of Philadelphia and Camden first arrived in the United States in the early 1900s, both from the town of Gasperina, Italy. This collection, compiled by Donna Meidt, highlights their genealogies through vital records, passports, family trees, and images (including digital images on one CD). There are also original photographs and Italian magazines, as well as a sampling of plays, operas, and poetry handwritten or transcribed in Italian by Antonio Pisano (1894-1979). Pisano was a poet, playwright, and member of the theatrical group the Philadelphia Filodramatic Circle Gasperinese.

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania trade cards collection, 1800-1900 (bulk) circa 1800-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:
15.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The collection contains an extensive collection of 19th-century trade cards from Philadelphia and surrounding region, the majority of which are arranged alphabetically by name. This is an artificial collection that has been put together by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania over time and is still open for additional accruals.

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Shee family papers, 1775-2009, undated; bulk 1775-1785

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 1 box [5 folders])
Abstract:
Cecelia (circa 1750-1779) and John Parke (1755-1780) were the children of Thomas Parke of Kent County, Delaware. Around 1770, Cecelia married Bertles Shee. Cecelia lived in Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware. Both John Parke and Bertles Shee served in the Continental Army. This small collection of papers from the Shee family mostly consists of detailed letters Cecelia wrote to John in the army between July 1775 and February 1777. There are also genealogical notes, a copy of Bertles Shee's will, a letter concerning property in Ireland, a letter from John Chew concering Bertles Shee's debts, and a set of typed transciptions of most of the documents in the collection.

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Mary Bye papers, 1974-1991 (bulk) 1969-1992, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
5.6 linear feet (; 15 boxes, 4 flat files)
Abstract:
Mary Bye (1913-2002) was a Quaker activist who lived in rural Bucks County. She became involved in the anti-war movement during the 1960s. She was also active in causes relating to social justice and the environment. During the 1970s she became involved with anti-nuclear activism, and was a principal opponent of efforts to expand the nuclear facilities at Limerick, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Late in life she became increasingly concerned with environmental protection, famously attempting to save a stand of oak trees near her home from destruction. Her other major causes included Native American rights and a continuing devotion to the anti-war movement. She was a Convener of the Friends Environmental Working Group, a leading figure in the Central Bucks Clean Energy Collective and the Movement for a New Society, and a supporter of numerous local and national activist organizations. The Mary Bye papers consist of 5.6 linear feet of textual documents recording Mary Bye’s activist...(see more)

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Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania records, 1889-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
70.8 linear feet (; 137 boxes, 34 volumes, 3 unboxed items)
Abstract:
Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania is a women’s volunteer organization that was founded by eight Philadelphia women in 1914. Its early efforts included foreign relief during World Wars I and II, combatting the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, and providing help to people in the Philadelphia region experiencing poverty, unemployment, illness, or disability. The Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania records date from 1889 to 1984, with bulk dates of 1914 to 1978, and document the organization’s evolution from war-time relief efforts to philanthropic community service and grant-giving.

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Gibbon family correspondence, 1890-1930 (bulk) 1784-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:
9.2 linear feet (; 16 boxes)
Abstract:
The Gibbon family correspondence dates from 1808 to 1987 and contains the letters, postcards, and related material of the family of Dr. John Heysham Gibbon. Dr. Gibbon was a Philadelphia surgeon and professor at Jefferson Medical College, who also served as an Army surgeon in France during World War I. He was the son of Dr. Robert Gibbon of Charlotte, North Carolina and the grandson of John Heysham Gibbon and Catherine Lardner Gibbon, originally of Philadelphia. Through Catherine, the Gibbon family was related to the Biddle family of Philadelphia. Dr. John Gibbon was also the nephew of Civil War general John Gibbon and the son-in-law of another, Samuel Baldwin Marks Young. The majority of the collection consists of loose handwritten correspondence to and from members of the immediate Gibbon family as well as some of their extended relations. Included with these letters are a number of photographs, postcards, pencil drawings, and other assorted ephemera. This collection documents...(see more)

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Women's Way of Philadelphia records, 1977-1997 (bulk) 1966-1997 (inclusive)

Extent:
62.4 linear feet (; 157 boxes)
Abstract:
In 1975, a group of Philadelphia area women’s organizations formed the Philadelphia Women’s Coalition to provide health, wellness, education, legal, and cultural resources to women and their children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1977, members of the coalition formed Women’s Way of Philadelphia to be a fundraising umbrella organization for each of the member groups and, eventually, for other organizations dedicated to helping women and children in the surrounding region. The Women’s Way of Philadelphia records house the organizational records of Women’s Way, a women’s advocacy fundraising group serving the Philadelphia region. This collection, which dates from 1966 to 1997, with bulk dates of 1977 to 1997, consists of reports, correspondence, minutes, financial records, and planning materials created as a result of the fundraising and grant-giving activities of Women’s Way. Aside from evidencing the organization’s functions, this collection provides a unique perspective of...(see more)

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Frederick M. Yost collection on John Wanamaker's department store publicity, 1949-1980 (bulk) 1863-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:
22.0 linear feet (; 45 boxes, 11 volumes, 94 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection chronicles several decades of displays and promotions at John Wanamaker's department store, much of it under the supervision of Frederick M. Yost. Yost began working at Wanamaker's in 1948. From 1952 to 1965 he was in charge of sales promotions, and in 1965 became the corporate vice president. Yost's background included theater and lighting design. The collection includes papers and scrapbooks documenting public relations, advertising, special events, and store design and display. Also included are internal office memos, photographs of displays and their construction, architectural drawings and blue prints, news clippings, and many materials pertaining to the elaborate Christmas displays and light shows that were a tradition at Wanamaker's.

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John Fryer papers, 1950-2000 (bulk) 1876-2004, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
76.0 linear feet (; 219 boxes; 36 volumes; 10 flat files)
Abstract:
John Fryer was a groundbreaking gay psychiatrist best-known for his appearance in full disguise at the 1972 American Psychiatric Association (APA) convention. His speech at the convention is credited with convincing the APA to remove homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1973. As a psychiatrist Fryer worked largely with gay men, lesbians, people who abused drug and alcohol, and those who were coping with death. He was also a professor at Temple University School of Medicine, and organist and choirmaster at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Germantown. The John Fryer collection consists of his personal and professional papers from 1876 to 2003 and is divided into five series: General files, Patient records (restricted to researchers until 2078), Photographs and audio-visual materials, Printed matter, and Miscellaneous papers.

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Maria SS.ma del Soccorso di Sciacca Lodge of Norristown records, 1904-1983 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.2 linear feet (; 13 volumes, 1 folder)
Abstract:
The Maria SS.ma del Soccorso di Sciacca Lodge of Norristown, Pa., founded in 1904, is a beneficial organization that provides sick and death benefits to its members. Membership is open to people belonging to the Roman Catholic Church who are either Sicilian or of Sicilian descent. The collection contains thirteen volumes including financial records, sick benefit records, and minutes of the society during the years of 1904 to 1983. There is also one folder of miscellaneous records.

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Wuanda M. T. Walls family papers, c.1860-2007

Extent:
2.07 linear feet (4 boxes, 10 volumes, 3 flat file items)
Abstract:
Wuanda M. T. Walls is a writer who was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but raised in nearby Delaware County. She graduated from Chester High School in 1961 and Lincoln University in 1980. The Walls family was one of the core families of Hinsonville, Pennsylvania, a small African American community in Chester County that became the site of Lincoln University, the oldest black college in the United States. The collection documents the history of the Wallses and related families, Hinsonville, and Lincoln University Village. It includes family photos, correspondence, clippings, legal papers, diplomas and yearbooks, ephemera, an oral history audiocassette and transcript, a published essay (by Wuanda Walls) and two books on the history of Hinsonville, and other items. There is also some of Walls's own memorabilia, such as autographed photographs and programs, airplane tickets, and a program from the 1966 Newport Jazz festival.

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The Weeders records, 1907-2006, undated; bulk 1920-1995

Extent:
9.7 linear feet (; 22 boxes )
Abstract:
The Weeders, a non-profit garden society and member of the Garden Club of America, was founded in the early 1900s under the motto "Learn to labor and to wait." Since then, its membership has included many notable local women, such as Mrs. Nathan Hayward, Mrs. John Cadwalader, Mrs. C. Jared Ingersoll, Mrs. Stacy B. Lloyd and Mrs. Charles J. Biddle. In 1965, The Weeders joined the Garden Club of Philadelphia, the Planters Garden Club, and other local garden societies to form the Philadelphia Committee of the Garden Club of America. The Weeders' mission was to provide "a community which offers friendship and the opportunity to participate in horticultural, artistic, environmental, and civic endeavors." This collection contains the organizational records of the Weeders, a ladies' gardening club. The records include admission committee records, 1934-2004; committee minutes and treasurer's reports, 1914-2004; flower show records, 1932-1989; horticultural essays presented by members;...(see more)

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Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club records, 1938-2011 (bulk) 1913-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:
34.0 linear feet (; 75 boxes, 13 flat files, 65 volumes)
Abstract:
The Philadelphia Girls’ Rowing Club (PGRC) was founded in Philadelphia in 1938 by a group of seventeen women who were interested in pursuing recreational and competitive rowing at a time when women were discouraged from the sport. The club owns one of the oldest boathouses on Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River, the former home of the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society, which was built in 1861. The club boasts among its membership some of the early pioneers of women’s rowing in the United States. PGRC is one of the oldest operating all-female rowing clubs in the country. The club currently hosts the Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta and is home to the Agnes Irwin School’s rowing program as part of their effort to encourage women to tap into their maximum potential as athletes. The primary mission of the club is “to ensure that all members develop the skills to feel confident on the river and safely participate in this athletic pursuit. Proficiency in the sport enhances the...(see more)

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Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri records, 1906-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.2 linear feet (; 54 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Founded in 1906 by immigrants to Philadelphia from the province of Banat in southwestern Romania, the Societatea Banateana was one of the first Romanian-American beneficial and cultural organizations created in the United States. In 1913, it merged with Vasile Alecsandri, a similar society that was founded in 1912, and formed Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri. Like many other ethnic organizations of the time period, the society offered social opportunities and economic relief for its members. Through the society, members enjoyed cultural events that celebrated Romanian heritage, and the society also provided its members with sick and death benefits. The society was also responsible for the establishment of Philadelphia’s first Romanian Orthodox parish, Descent of the Holy Ghost Romanian Orthodox Church (known today as Descent of the Holy Spirit Romanian Orthodox Church). The society’s headquarters was located on the northwest corner of Third and Brown Streets in Old Fellows...(see more)

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University Glee Club of Philadelphia records, circa 1930-2012, undated

Extent:
6.7 linear feet (; 17 boxes, 1 volume)
Abstract:
The University Glee Club of Philadelphia was organized in November 1933 with seventeen charter members under the musical direction of H. Alexander Matthews. The club performed its final concert in 2012. The University Glee Club of Philadelphia records, circa 1930s-2012, include administrative and financial records, membership lists, internal correspondence, and meeting minutes, as well as concert programs and ephemera, photographs, and audio recordings.

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Grim-McFarland-Woodbridge family history collection, circa 1905-2007, undated

Extent:
2.6 linear feet (; 7 boxes, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
This family history collection documents several members of the Grim, McFarland, and Woodbridge families over several generations and can be divided into two parts. Approximately one half of the collection documents family history and genealogy while the remaining material centers on the life and work of Katherine Adele McFarland-Gerken. The Grim and McFarland families came together with the eighteen-month marriage of Joseph McFarland (1833-1867) and Susan Elmira Grim (1842-1927) beginning in August 1866. Katherine Adele McFarland-Gerken, the granddaughter of Joseph and Susan McFarland, served abroad as a Red Cross nurse in the 1920s, and much of the material records her nursing and travel experiences from 1921-1925. The collection includes family correspondence, memoirs, photographs, travel souvenirs, genealogical charts, and other items. There are several Civil War letters addressed to Susan Grim McFarland from her cousin Nicholas Grim, who served with the 28th Regiment...(see more)

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Valley Mutual Insurance Company records, 1900-1985 (bulk) 1831-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:
25.3 linear feet (; 42 boxes, 82 volumes)
Abstract:
The Valley Mutual Insurance Company was incorporated in 1963 in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, and was formed as the result of the merger of five small farmers’ mutual insurance companies in the Cumberland Valley region: Centennial Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Cumberland Valley Farmer’s Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Lurgan Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Franklin County, Franklin County Mutual Insurance Company, and Friendship Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Franklin County. These companies provided property insurance to homeowners, farm owners, and rural communities in Cumberland and Franklin Counties and the surrounding region. The Valley Mutual Insurance Company records consist of the administrative and financial materials of that company as well as those of the five companies out of which it merged. This collection includes extensive information on the administrative activities and governance of the companies as well as some materials on policyholders and their properties. The...(see more)

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Stuart F. Feldman papers, 1937-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:
34.8 linear feet (; 88 boxes, 2 volumes)
Abstract:
Stuart F. Feldman (1937-2010) was a lawyer, author, consultant, and independent advocate who was active in a wide variety of civic and cultural programs and projects. Initiatives that he proposed and successfully spearheaded included creation of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia; legislation that made billions of dollars available to Vietnam veterans for education, counseling, and jobs; and the Martin Luther King Memorial in Washington, DC. Mr. Feldman worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission (1961-1963), Appalachian Regional Commission (1965-1967), Department of Transportation (1967-1969), U.S. Conference of Mayors (1969-1979), and as senior vice president of the National Constitution Center (1994-1997), among other positions. Born in Philadelphia, he graduated from Cheltenham High School and received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, 1958, and a doctoral degree from Penn’s Law School, 1961. The Stuart F. Feldman Papers...(see more)

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Brandywine Workshop records, 1982-2014 (bulk) 1972-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
8.4 linear feet ( (21 boxes))
Abstract:
The Brandywine Workshop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an urban arts organization dedicated to the “creation, documentation and preservation of a legacy of culturally diverse American art” while “ensuring the participation of multi-ethnic artists in the field of fine arts printmaking and related media technologies.” In addition to offering an array of educational programming and community outreach initiatives, the workshop has sponsored nearly 300 artist residencies and encourages the sharing of diverse international communities through its cultural exchange programs. In 2012, the Brandywine Workshop celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Brandywine Workshop records house the institutional records of the Brandywine Workshop. This collection dates from 1972 to 2014, with bulk dates of 1982 to 2014, and consists of a range of printed and graphic materials that document the workshop’s organizational initiatives and range of activities. Specifically this collection includes audio-visual...(see more)

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Montgomery, Scott, and Wheeler families papers, 1675-2018, bulk 1840-1995

Extent:
60.6 linear feet (; 103 boxes, 142 volumes, 11 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection from the Montgomery, Scott, and Wheeler families, spanning 60 linear feet, documents the history of Ardrossan, an estate in Villanova, Pennsylvania -- one of the largest on Philadelphia's Main Line -- and its residents over the course of more than two centuries. In 1911, local investment banker Colonel Robert Leaming Montgomery (1879-1949) hired Horace Trumbauer to design the residence on the family's 800-acre plot, complete with a dairy farm and horse stables. The son of William Woodrow Montgomery and Rebecca Waln Leaming, Robert L. Montgomery would go onto to establish what is now the investment firm of Janney Montgomery Scott. He married Charlotte Hope Binney Tyler (1881-1970) in 1902, and the couple had four children: Helen Hope, Mary Binney, Robert Alexander, and Charlotte Ives. Their eldest daughter, Helen Hope Montgomery (1904-1995), became well known in Philadelphia's social circles, and she went on to marry Edgar Scott (1899-1995), grandson of Thomas A....(see more)

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Gilbert And Joseph Cope genealogical research materials, 1908-1968 (bulk) 1729-1979 (inclusive)

Extent:
22.4 linear feet (; 49 boxes, 11 volumes)
Abstract:
Gilbert Cope (1840-1928) was a well-known Quaker genealogist and local historian who compiled comprehensive genealogical records of Pennsylvania families. Cope was one of the founders of the Chester County Historical Society and served it as secretary, director, and honorary director. He was a member of the Friends’ Historical Association and a corresponding member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the New England Historic Genealogical Society. In 1912, he was elected an honorary member of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and became one of its honorary vice presidents in 1924. Additionally, he served as president of the Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies from 1911 to 1912, overseeing 75 historical organizations in Pennsylvania. Gilbert’s son Joseph Cope continued his father’s work, augmenting the Cope family’s genealogy and those of other prominent families. Gilbert Cope’s collections were acquired by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the...(see more)

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Stout collection, 1925-2003, undated (bulk, 1980-1990)

Extent:
5.3 linear feet (; 9 boxes, 6 volumes)
Abstract:
The Stout Collection consists of virtually all of Reverend Edmond Stout's efforts in researching the history of the Stout/Stoudt/Stoudt family that originated in Germany. The early research and German ancestry work in the collection was begun by Rear Admiral (RADM) Herald F. Stout, U.S.N. Retired, San Diego, California. The collection includes genealogical research and other information about many members of the Stout family. Materials include: listings of Stout family members; family charts and datasheets; correspondence; photocopies of clippings and primary sources; notes and extracts from marriage records, court records, church records and other sources; issues of the Stout family newsletter; bound, published family histories; copies of photographs, obituaries, churches, and other information related to various family members; and a small number of slides.

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania poster and broadside collection, 1777-circa 2005

Extent:
2.2 linear feet (; 7 boxes, 9 flat files)
Abstract:
HSP staff assembled this collection of broadsides, circulars, facsimiles, prints, blotters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other material largely related to Philadelphia businesses and institutions. Subjects within the collection are quite varied and include auctions, banks, insurance companies, museums, printing establishments, the Civil War, labor strikes, Washingtoniana, Lincolniana (mostly remembrances of his assassination), and transportation. In addition to items documenting Philadelphia, the collection includes materials from several other Pennsylvania counties and states along the Eastern seaboard. The collection is divided into four categories: three according to location and one solely for advertisements. It is further arranged alphabetically within each category according to subject. Oversized items have been moved to flat files. A detailed inventory is available in the Historical Society’s library.

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Fairmount Park Art Association records, 1871-1972 (inclusive)

Extent:
84.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Fairmount Park Art Association (FPAA) was the United States' first private, nonprofit organization that worked to integrate public art and urban planning. Founded in 1872, the FPAA initially focused on enhancing Philadelphia's Fairmount Park by purchasing and commissioning sculpture, but by 1906 it had embraced a broader goal: "to promote and foster the beautiful in the City of Philadelphia, in its architecture, improvements and general plan." The FPAA supported city planning projects that incorporated outdoor sculpture and advocated the establishment of Philadelphia's Art Jury, which later became the Philadelphia Art Commission. In 2012, the Fairmount Park Art Association changed its name to the Association for Public Art. The Fairmount Park Art Association records span from 1872, when the association was formed, until 1972. The collection includes the association’s constitution, meeting minutes, correspondence, committee files, reports, financial records, contracts, membership...(see more)

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Morris Milgram papers, 1923-1994, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
188.0 linear feet (; 480 boxes, 3 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection documents the carreer of Morris Milgram, builder and developer of integrated housing. The bulk of the collection consists of Milgram’s office files related to the funding and administration of his housing projects. Also included are records of his involvement with several political and activist groups, correspondence between Milgram and several family members, correspondence with his wives, and papers reflective of his relationship with poet, author, and civil rights advocate Pauli Murray.

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J.B. Lippincott Company records, 1833-1988 (inclusive)

Extent:
149.7 linear feet (; 93 boxes, 768 volumes)
Abstract:
J. B. Lippincott Company was an American publishing house founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1836 by Joshua B. Lippincott. Joshua Lippincott's company began by selling Bibles and other religious works and then successfully expanded into trade books, which became the largest portion of the business. In 1849, Lippincott acquired Grigg, Elliot and Company, a major book distribution company. The acquisition helped make the company one of the largest publishers in the United States. In the 1950s the company expanded production of its successful line of medical and nursing books and journals. The company was sold to Harper and Row in 1978, but Joshua Lippincott's great-grandson Joseph Wharton Lippincott Jr. remained on the Board of Directors until 1987. In 1990, the company was acquired by the Dutch corporation Wolters Kluwer, which initated a series of mergers. First, Lippincott was combined with Raven Publishers in 1995 to form Lippincott-Raven, which was then merged with...(see more)

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Fenton and Remak families papers, 1844-1942 (bulk) 1821-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.5 linear feet (; 14 boxes, 6 volumes, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection relates primarily to two local Philadelphia families, the Fentons and the Remaks, that were joined with the 1885 marriage of Thomas H. Fenton and Lizzie Remak. Several family members are highlighted in the collection, in particular Lizzie's mother, Susan M. Scott Remak, and Thomas and Lizzie's daughters, Doris and Beatrice Fenton. The collection is rich in genealogical source material and family documents, correspondence, and photographs. There are also scattered clippings, printed matter, glass slides and negatives, and several volumes.

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The Historical Society of Pennsylvania collection of Academy of Music programs, playbills, and scrapbooks, 1857-1972, undated

Extent:
53.6 linear feet (131 boxes, 17 volumes, 6 flat files)
Abstract:
This collection consists of playbills and programs to the various performances and special programs staged at the Academy of Music from 1857 to 1972. Among the organizations represented in the collection are the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Ballet, and various opera companies. There are also programs from out-of-state companies, such as the Boston Symphyony Orchestra. In addition to the programs there are also several scrapbooks that contain ephemera and newsclippings of reviews and announcements of performances as well as special events and programs.

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Batcheler, Hartshorne, and Sahlin families papers, 1789-2007 (inclusive)

Extent:
40.0 linear feet
Abstract:
This collection contains the papers of the Batcheler, Hartshorne, and Sahlin families, descended from Axel (1826-March 5, 1909) and Axeline Sahlin (1834-1922), a Swedish couple whose children lived in Europe and the United States. Four generations of the family are documented here, with documentation centering around five families. In the United States, the family is represented by Gertrude Chandler (July 17, 1860-1953) and Axel Sahlin (1855-1937); their daughter Ellen Sahlin (February 21, 1895-June 4, 1988) and her husband, Judge Richard Hartshorne (February 29, 1888-September 19,1975); and their daughter, Penelope Hartshorne (1928-2007) and her husband, George Batcheler(1926-2009). The Swedish side of the family is represented by Axel and Axeline Sahlin and the family of their daughter, Essie Sahlin (1859-1950) and her husband, Simon Johannes Boëthius (1850-1924). The contents of this collection are mostly correspondence and other personal papers, including diaries, artwork,...(see more)

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Oliver H. Bair Company records, 1920-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
396.4 linear feet (; 991 boxes)
Abstract:
The Oliver H. Bair Company was founded in 1878 with the intent to offer the best service possible for families that had to make funeral arrangements for their deceased loved ones. Originating at 41 North Eighteenth Street in Philadelphia, the funeral home's most well-known location was at 1820 Chestnut Street, and it now operates from 8500 West Chester Pike in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, as a member of Oliver H. Bair Company & Monaghan Funeral Home. The collection contains records dated from 1920-1980 and includes records not only from Oliver H. Bair Company, but also from five other funeral homes that operated in Philadelphia and were purchased by the Oliver H. Bair Company. The burial records include information on the deceased, bills pertaining to funeral expenses, newspaper clippings, and correspondence between Oliver H. Bair and the person responsible for the payment for the deceased's funeral.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Theatre of the Living Arts of Philadelphia records, 1964-1970 (bulk) 1930-1971 (inclusive)

Extent:
37.5 linear feet (; 89 boxes)
Abstract:
The Theatre of the Living Arts (TLA) was the brainchild of two local Philadelphia women, Celia Silverman and Jean Goldman. They were determined to establish a regional theatre in the Philadelphia area, which would also function as a multipurpose performing arts center, featuring film, dance, and music. A derelict movie theatre was purchased in 1964 at 334 South Street, renovated, and was completed in 1965. The goal of the TLA was to establish a repertory theatre company that would both represent and enrich the Philadelphia region, and during its six-year run it performed the works of over twenty-one major playwrights, including Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Moliere, Luigi Pirandello, and Bertolt Brecht. The Theatre of the Living Arts records house the organizational records of the TLA. This collection, which dates from 1930 to 1971, with bulk dates of 1964 to 1970, consists of administrative and production reports, correspondence, contracts, photographs, programs, and other...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Hauck family papers, 1941-1969 (bulk) 1930-1999, bulk 1941-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.9 linear feet (; 21 boxes, 3 flat files)
Abstract:
The Hauck family consisted of Joseph B. Hauck Senior of Philadelphia; his wife, Darthe (Charlton) Hauck of Maple Shade, New Jersey; and their son, Joseph B. Hauck Junior. Joseph Sr. was drafted into the United States Army in March of 1941 and served in the European theater of the war from 1944 to 1945. Joseph Jr. also served in the United States Army following his participation in the ROTC program at Georgetown University. He was ordered to serve in Vietnam from November 1967 to October 1968. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, and ephemera mostly connected to Joseph Sr.’s and Joseph’s Jr.’s time in the United States Army. Joseph Sr.’s correspondence with Darthe from 1941 to 1945 mostly describes his daily activities, military camp life, and impressions of the war’s progress. The correspondence also includes the couple’s love letters. Joseph Jr.’s correspondence with his parents from 1962 to 1966 describes his experiences as a college student at Georgetown...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Kirk & Nice, Inc. records, 1831-1988, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
36.88 linear feet (; 4 boxes, 148 volumes )
Abstract:
Kirk & Nice, Inc. is recognized as the United States' oldest continuously operating funeral establishment. Founded in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1761 by Jacob Knorr, originally the business was a carpenter shop that specialized in building furniture. Only on occasion was the request made for Mr. Knorr to construct a coffin. The Civil War and death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 revolutionized funeral services by popularizing the process of embalming the deceased along with encouraging citizens to outwardly mourn the passing of loved ones. In 1869 Jacob Knorr's business was re-named Kirk & Nice, after Benjamin R. Kirk and William Nice. During the 1860s and 1870s the carpentry shop gradually changed focus to funeral services, and the company continues to offer services to the residents of Philadelphia at two locations: Kirk & Nice, Inc. at George Washington Park in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, and Kirk & Nice Suburban Chapel Inc. at Sunset Memorial Park in Feasterville, Pennsylvania....(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John Popovich papers, circa 1910-1973, undated

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
John Popovich (Ioan Popovici) (1890-1973) was born in Brăila (Romania) and shortly after his birth, the Popovich family moved to Şoimuşul Român (Olahsolymos) in Transylvania (part of Austria-Hungary at the time). In 1907, Popovich immigrated to the United States and in 1923 was ordained as a priest. He served in the St. John Baptist parish in Erie, PA until 1929, when he became the pastor of the Descent of the Holy Ghost parish in Philadelphia. He retired in 1968 from his position in Philadelphia but continued to administrate, temporarily, the Holy Cross parish in Washington D.C. The collection contains correspondence, family papers, photographs, pages from Popovich’s journal and other material.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1975-1985 (bulk) 1966-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.75 linear feet (; 13 boxes)
Abstract:
The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America (now Sokol USA), was established in 1896 as a non-sectarian fraternal benefit society that offered insurance and social and athletic programs to its members. The Alice Simon collection on the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol of America, 1966-1993, contains minutes, financial records, newsletters, correspondence, bylaws, printed material, and various objects related to the Slovak Gymnastic Union of America as well as one of the branch sokols: the Byram, Connecticut lodge. A portion of the collection also documents the Sokol Woodlands Summer Camp, a Sokol USA-sponsored summer camp held in Barryville, New York.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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