Repository: Historical Society of Pennsylvania / Year: <span class="from" data-blrl-begin="1995">1995</span> to <span class="to" data-blrl-end="1999">1999</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Stiefel family papers, circa 1920-2007

Extent:: 2.6 linear feet (; 6 boxes, 1 volume)
Abstract:: Asher Shtevel/Stiebel and his wife, Miriam, lived in Poketilov, Russia (now part of the Ukraine) in the nineteenth century. Three of their sons came to Philadelphia in 1887: Abraham, Jacob, and Michael (1871-1954), who were followed by other brothers, including Hyman (1860-1927). Sometime after 1887, the American branch of the family started using the name Stiefel. In 1903, members of the Stiefel family set up a movie theater in Philadelphia, the Fairyland on Market Street. In the following years, they opened other theaters in Philadelphia, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and in Baltimore, New York, Washington DC, and California. The Stiefels were also in the film distribution business and produced live shows and at least one film. Theaters run by the Stiefels, notably the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia and the Howard Theatre in Washington, were part of the so-called "Chitlin Circuit" and gave starts to many black entertainers whose music later appealed to a wider audience. The...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Athena Tacha papers, 1942-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.4 linear feet (3.4 linear feet, 12 boxes, 2 volumes )
Abstract:: Athena Tacha (1936-) is a Greek American sculptor, photographer, and conceptual artist who received degrees from the National Academy of Fine Arts (Athens, Greece), Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio), and the University of Paris (Sorbonne). In the 1960s she settled in the United States and became a professor of sculpture at Oberlin College. Her commissioned pieces are installed as public art across the United States and in several other countries as well. This collection contains mostly early correspondence, education materials, publications, and artwork from 1950 through the 1980s, although it spans from 1950 to 2000.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Merchants Fund records, 1853-2003 (inclusive)

Extent:: 13.0 linear feet (; 9 boxes, 24 volumes)
Abstract:: "The Merchants Fund is a Philadelphia charity established in 1854 to provide charitable gifts to business persons facing financial hardships. It evolved from the Mercantile Business Association, an organization dedicated to providing business advice, networking opportunities, and protection from financial failure or defualt due to illness, old age, or disability." (From their website) The collection consists primarily of administrative, financial, and legal records of the Fund. There are board minutes, business and legal correspondence, and tax returns. There are also extensive files on beneficiaries that include wills and estate papers. Other financial records include audit reports, treasurer's reports, tax- and Social Security-related records, and reports on the "Oliver Fund." Among the records are also several volumes, some dating to the mid 1800s. These include ledgers, cashbooks, bound annual reports, and bound minutes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Viri Viginti (Twenty Gentlemen) Club of Philadelphia records, 1980-1985 (bulk) 1962-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (; 1 box, 1 flat file)
Abstract:: Latin for "twenty gentlemen," Viri Viginti is an African American social club founded in 1914 in Philadelphia. It is believed to be the oldest such organization in the city. This small collection of its records includes by-laws, membership lists, minutes, photographs, correspondence, clippings, and financial records.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Harry E. Adamson papers, 1880-2021 (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.1 linear feet (; 27 boxes, 6 volumes)
Abstract:: Harry Egan Adamson Jr. (1949-2021) was a Philadelphia AIDS and gay rights activist and restaurant manager. Infected in 1982, Adamson lived with HIV for nearly 40 years. He moved to Philadelphia in 1981 with his partner David Yontz. The couple stayed with Dr. John E. Fryer (1937-2003), who became one of Adamson’s lifelong friends. Yontz returned to Chicago in 1982, but Adamson remained in Philadelphia. Many of his friends and former lovers succumbed to AIDS between 1984 and 2000, but Adamson was a slow progressor and did not need to start medication for his disease until 1998. Though his HIV disease was under good control, neuropathy in his extremities became disabling in 1993. Adamson remained as active as he could, completing a master’s degree in pastoral counseling at La Salle University in 2002, acting as agent executor for Dr. John Fryer’s estate after his death in 2003, and serving on the board of Philly AIDSThrift from 2010-2013. Nonetheless, medical problems and depression...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Judith Shuman Eden papers on Philadelphia urban affairs, 1983-2005, undated

Extent:: 2.9 linear feet (; 8 boxes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:: Philadelphia resident Judith Schuman Eden, who died 8 August 2008, devoted much of her life to Philadelphia activism and politics. She was appointed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment by Mayor John Street and later appointed to the Zoning Code Commission by Mayor Michael Nutter. She claimed a wide range of interests involving everything from the arts and Jewish community issues, to city improvements and land-use rights. This collection of publications and printed matter from various Philadelphia and Pennsylvania organizations dates from the 1990s and 2000s and covers many topics such as homelessness, graffiti, parking, transportation, zoning, Broad Street revitalization, parks/public lands, and vacant lots/property. Organizations represented include the City Planning Commission, Project Housing Opportunity Medical Education, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, and the John F. Street Transition Team. There is also a group of Polaroid photographs showing various...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Ritter family papers, circa 1840-2004, undated

Extent:: 2.2 linear feet (; 6 boxes)
Abstract:: This family history collection documents the Ritter family and its ancestors beginning in the late 18th century. Diaries, autobiographies, memorandum books, family photos, and legal papers comprise the bulk of the material that spans almost 200 years (1773-1962). The collection focuses heavily on James Hansell Ritter (1859-1912) and his wife, Mary LeBaron Stoddard Ritter (1867-1949), both descendants of William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony from 1622 until 1656. The couple’s lineage is documented in Series 1 which houses genealogical notes including a letter dated 25 December 1872 and an application for membership in the Pennsylvania Society of the Colonial Dames of America. Many of the ancestors appear in original or copied photographs in Series 2. Material related to ancestors and relatives of James Hansell Ritter - including his maternal great-great grandfather, Jacob Ehrenzeller, Sr. (1725-1798); his paternal grandfather, Jacob Ritter, Jr. (1784-1840); his father...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Saunders House records, 1862-1940 (bulk) 1853-2011, undated (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.6 linear feet (; 8 boxes, 7 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:: The Old Man's Home of Philadelphia was chartered in 1860 and opened its doors in 1864 in West Philadelphia, as a residence for old men in indigent circumstances. The home evolved to be Saunders House and began admitting women in 1960. In 1973, it moved to its current location adjacent to Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa. Today Saunders House provides long-term care and rehabilitation services to up to 180 older adult residents. The collection includes the original Old Man's Home minute book; admission records; record of inmates; annual reports; financial reports; deeds and other property-related documents; newsletters; court records from an inheritance dispute involving the Old Man's Home; a program from the organization's 125th anniversary celebration; a Christian Endeavor hymn book, typescripts, and clippings.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Tony Reese papers, 1955-1970 (bulk) 1946-2013 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.1 linear feet (; 11 boxes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:: Tony Reese, born Attilio Resci in Foggia, Italy in 1919, was a popular performer both in Philadelphia and nationally. He was raised in South Philadelphia, attended South Philadelphia High School, and served with the U. S. Army during World War II. He developed a partnership and comedy act with Pepper Davis, whose real name was David Asner, and the duo performed across the United States and Canada. Together they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and other televised variety shows of the mid 20th century. They also performed overseas and gave a command performance for Prince Ranier and Princess Grace of Monaco. Reese died in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in 2013. This collection of Reese's papers mostly covers his career as a performer and includes numerous transcripts of comedy routines, clippings and programs, and musical arrangements. There are also a few personal papers including his obituary, biographical material, photographs, and audio-visual items.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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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