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Mermaid Club records, 1881-1922 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

This collection consists of the records of the Mermaid Club, a literary society founded in 1877 in Germantown, Philadelphia. Included are copies of the club's publications written by Edwin Jellett: "The Mermaid Club: Its Past and Present," "The Mermaid of the Past," "The Record of a Reading Club," meeting minutes, Courses of Readings, bound copies of the Mermaid Inn, printed Rules and Regulations, correspondence.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Giles S. Stafford papers, 1923-1937 (bulk) 1882-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.25 linear feet

Abstract:

Giles Spranklin Stafford (1856-) was a policeman, poet, and resident of the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Giles S. Stafford papers, 1882-1937, consist of manuscripts of poems, short stories, and historical essays, as well as correspondence.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Edward W. Hocker papers, 1886-1959 (inclusive)

Extent:

4.33 linear feet

Abstract:

Edward W. Hocker (1872-1962) was a librarian at the Germantown Historical Society, a local historian, and a journalist who wrote the popular column "Up and Down Montgomery County." The Edward W. Hocker papers, 1886-1959, include manuscripts for Hocker's books and articles, his correspondence as librarian for the Germantown Historical Society, genealogical research on the Hartman family, scrapbooks, and correspondence.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Jeannette Meehan Anderson collection on Thomas Meehan, 1985-1994 (bulk) 1890-1994 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.75 linear feet

Abstract:

Thomas Meehan (1826-1901) was a horticulturalist and nursery owner in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His nursery shipped plants across the globe, and his writings on horticulture influenced taste and design. The Jeannette Meehan Anderson collection on Thomas Meehan, 1890-1994, is comprised almost entirely of photocopies (primary source materials, contemporary articles on Meehan, and more recent scholarly articles). There are also drafts of articles by Anderson about Meehan, Anderson's correspondence about Meehan, Sotheby's appraisals of original Meehan papers and objects, and small number of original Thomas Meehan documents.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Edward P. Haines, Sr. and Edward P. Haines, Jr. papers, 1892-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:

3.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Ed Preston Haines, Sr. (1873-1937) was an engineer and inventor who resided in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His son Edward Preston Haines, Jr. (b. 1918) attended the Fox School of Business at Temple University. The Edward P. Haines, Sr. and Edward P. Haines, Jr. papers, 1892-1991, are comprised of papers from both father and son. These materials include photographs and negatives, audio tapes, correspondence, technical drawings, and financial records.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Mothers in Council of Germantown records, 1897-1968 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.8 linear feet

Abstract:

Mothers in Council of Germantown was founded in Philadelphia in 1897 to provide parenting education for its members. The Mothers in Council of Germantown records, 1897-1968, contain administrative and financial records as well as scrapbooks, meeting programs, and clippings.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Germantown Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution records, 1898-1998 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.25 linear feet

Abstract:

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and American history that is open to any woman who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. The DAR was founded in 1890, and a chapter in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia was established eight years later. The Germantown Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution records, 1898-1998, contain scrapbooks, administrative records, and pamphlets/ephemera. Scrapbooks dating from 1898 to 1978 make up the bulk of the collection.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Benjamin H. Shoemaker III papers, circa 1900-1987

Extent:

2.2 linear feet

Abstract:

Benjamin H. Shoemaker III (1901-1987) was a resident of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the author of the two-volume series of genealogical works titled Shoemaker Pioneers. The Benjamin H. Shoemaker III papers, circa 1900-1987, are comprised of genealogical research compiled by Shoemaker, as well as personal papers. There is a small amount of records relating to Shoemaker's father's company, Benjamin Shoemaker, Inc., importers and distributors of window glass.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Germantown Historical Society records, 1900-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:

27.0 linear feet

Abstract:

The Germantown Historical Society was founded in 1900 as the Site and Relic Society of Germantown. It is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the rich and diverse history of the historic German Township (now Germantown, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill) in northwest Philadelphia. The Germantown Historical Society records, 1900-1987, consist primarily of minute books, visitor registers, correspondence, and financial records. This collection consists of the archival records of the Germantown Historical Society; active records are not included.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Germantown and Chestnut Hill Improvement Association records, 1906-1950 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

The Germantown and Chestnut Hill Improvement Association was formed in 1906, and focused on issues affecting the 22nd Ward of Philadelphia--encompassing the neighborhoods of Germantown, Chestnut Hill, and Mount Airy. Its concerns included roads and sewers, zoning, and fire and police protection; it helped to bring new schools, elevated train crossings, and reliable trash pick-up to the area. The Germantown and Chestnut Hill Improvement Association records, 1906-1950, include minutes, annual reports, a scrapbook, correspondence, and newspaper clippings.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Jane Campbell scrapbooks, 1906-1924 (inclusive)

Extent:

11.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Jane Campbell (d. 1928) was a Philadelphia resident interested in civic associations, the women's suffrage movement and education. At one point she was secretary of the American Catholic Historical Society. The Jane Campbell scrapbooks, 1906-1924, contain newspaper clippings on the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Science and Art Club of Germantown records, 1960-2008 (bulk) 1908-2008 (inclusive)

Extent:

3.0 linear feet

Abstract:

The Science and Art Club of Germantown is a social group in the Germantown section of Philadelphia that was founded in 1879. As of 2012, the group still met regularly to hear lectures on topics relating to science and the arts. The Science and Art Club of Germantown records, 1908-2008 (bulk 1960-2008) include attendance, membership, officers and address lists; minutes of presentations; event programs, menus, and invitations; a small amount of financial records and secretary's records; by-laws and printed pamphlets; and correspondence.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Germantown Theatre Guild records, 1910-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:

50.58 linear feet

Abstract:

The Germantown Theatre Guild (GTG) in Philadelphia is one of the oldest small non-profit regional theatres in the country. Founded in 1933, the Theatre Guild continued (as of 2014) to operate out of the small carriage-house theatre and offices which are part of the historic residence built in 1742. The stage was the site of the first live televised theatre performance in the world in 1947. In 1970, the School District of Philadelphia built a theatre in the John B. Kelly school for the GTG to use for its Free Theatre for Children program. Known for years as “the theatre with a social conscience,” the GTG has had as its mission serving audiences that are out of the mainstream of the cultural experience, taking plays into rural communities, inner city schools, libraries, senior citizen and recreation centers, as well as prisons in three states. The Germantown Theatre Guild records document the institutional history of the Germantown Theatre Guild. This collection dates from 1910 to...(see more)

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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George P. Darrow scrapbooks, 1913-1936 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.25 linear feet

Abstract:

George P. Darrow (1859-1943) was a United States Congressman (1915-1937, 1939-1941) and a resident of the Germantown section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The George P. Darrow scrapbooks, 1913-1936, comprise seven volumes relating to Darrow's political career and issues with which he was involved. Darrow worked to avert lay-offs at the Navy Yard, opposed Prohibition, and supported women's suffrage.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Margaret Halsey papers, 1955-1980 (bulk) 1917-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:

4.75 linear feet

Abstract:

Margaret Halsey (1913-1984) wrote for the Germantown Courier about local history and architecture. The Margaret Halsey papers, 1917-1987, consist of newspaper clippings, press researches, pamphlets, reports, and event invitations.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Patricia Henning papers, 1980-2004 (bulk) 1922-2004 (inclusive)

Extent:

6.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Pat Henning (1933-2005) was a social activist and local historian who resided in the West Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pat Henning papers, 1922-2004, are comprised of newspaper clippings, copies of primary materials, articles, pamphlets, and brochures. There is also a small amount of primary material in the collection, of which the majority is correspondence of Mrs. Francis A. Wister (1920s-1930s) and records of the Mount Airy Express.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Colonial Germantown Inc. records, 1963-1977 (inclusive)

Extent:

4.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Colonial Germantown Inc. was formed in 1956 and held its last formal meeting in 1975. Its goal was to revitalize the Germantown section of Philadelphia through both historic preservation and modern development. The Colonial Germantown Inc. records, 1963-1977, consist of administrative and financial records, including meeting minutes, reports, tax returns, and other document types.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

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Germantown Historical Society oral history projects, circa 1992-1993

Extent:

10.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Germantown and Mount Airy are neighborhoods in the northwest section of Philadelphia which underwent dramatic demographic change, from nearly all Caucasian to significantly African-American, over the course of the 20th century. During the early 1990s, the Germantown Historical Society, in conjunction with other groups, conducted three oral history projects. The Germantown Historical Society oral history projects, circa 1992-1993, contains about 140 tapes of interviews, as well as some transcripts, interviewee data sheets, and other associated documents. The three oral history projects focused on the topics of Integration in West Mount Airy, African-Americans in Germantown between the World Wars, and Awbury Arboretum.

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]