Main content

William H. Green glass plate negatives, circa 1908-1910, 1990-1991

Extent:

1.0 linear feet

Abstract:

William H. Green (1875-1959) was a clerk for the Philadelphia Water Department in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a strong interest in photography. The William H. Green glass plate negatives, circa 1908-1910, 1990-1991, consist of approximately 110 glass plate negatives, half plates and quarter plates, taken by William Green that mostly depict images of Northeast Philadelphia such as Frankford and Bustleton but also include images from other areas of Philadelphia and nearby locations including Olney, Valley Forge, and elsewhere.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals photographs, complaint books, and posters, 1868-1962 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) was organized in 1867 by Philadelphia businessman Colonel M. Richards Mucklé, in response to violence he witnessed against animals, particularly overworked horses. The PSPCA was officially the first humane society in the state and only the second in the country (after the American SPCA, which is not associated with the PSPCA). The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals photographs, complaint books, and posters, 1868-1962, consist of over three hundred photographs, nearly one hundred lantern slides, two complaint books, and approximately twenty posters. The collection documents animal neglect, SPCA facilities and operations, and public relations activities.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Seeger Studio negatives, circa 1920-1940

Extent:

1.25 linear feet

Abstract:

David Seeger (1890-1961) was a photographer active in the 1910s to 1950s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, especially in the neighborhoods of Manayunk and Roxborough, where Seeger Studio was located. In addition to photographing landscapes and buildings, Seeger also captured images of car accidents for insurance companies and took school portraits and other photographs for neighborhood schools. The Seeger Studio negatives, circa 1920-1940, consist of over 350 photographic negatives taken by Seeger that document a variety of businesses in the Manayunk and Roxborough area that employed him such as Roxborough High School, real estate companies, funeral homes, and insurance companies. The negatives also contain some non-commissioned local images taken by Seeger.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Francis H. Schell drawings, circa 1850-1905

Extent:

3.67 linear feet

Abstract:

Francis H. Schell (1834-1909) was an artist, illustrator, and lithographer who worked out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New York, New York. Many of Schell's works illustrating scenes from Civil War battles and camps were printed in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper from 1861 to 1865. Schell's work also appeared in The Century Magazine. The Francis H. Schell drawings, circa 1850-1905, consist primarily of original artwork with some prints and writings, all of which reflect Schell's career as an artist and illustrator. The collection mostly depicts the artist's interpretation of Civil War scenes and individuals, but other events and subject matter is also portrayed.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

"Saturday Evening Post" covers by Norman Rockwell, 1918-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

The Saturday Evening Post was first published on August 4, 1821 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a weekly magazine. In 1897, the magazine was purchased by the Curtis Publishing Company. From 1916 to the 1960s, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) created over 300 paintings for use as Post covers, contributing to his reputation as one of America's favorite native-born artists. The "Saturday Evening Post" covers by Norman Rockwell, 1918-1975, consist of over 300 covers of the Saturday Evening Post featuring Rockwell's illustrations.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Joseph F. A. Jackson papers, circa 1800-1945 (bulk 1890-1945)

Extent:

1.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Joseph Francis Ambrose Jackson (1867-1946) was an historian, lecturer, artist, and writer active in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jackson wrote numerous articles for the Public Ledger relating to Philadelphia history and architecture, and authored several books and writings in other publications on the same subject. The Joseph F. A. Jackson papers, circa 1800-1945 (bulk 1890-1945), consist largely of scrapbooks and photographs. Some prints, drawings, and watercolors; books, pamphlets, and magazines; and a small amount of materials related to Jackson's books such as manuscripts and galleys are also present in the collection.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records, 1847-1980 (bulk) 1772-1990 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.75 linear feet

Abstract:

John Wagner and Sons, Inc. began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1847 as a cigar importing business, but soon added wines, teas, and spices to its list of imports. Later on, the company expanded into the specialty food market. The Wagner family sold the business in 1950 and it changed hands a few more times until 2000, when it was purchased by Williams Foods, Inc., which as of 2014, still sells Wagner's brand products. The John Wagner and Sons, Inc. records, 1772-1990 (bulk 1847-1980), consist primarily of documents relating to John Wagner and Sons, including financial ledgers and receipts, photographs, letters, delivery records, property documents, price lists, product labels, publicity materials, employee records, and other materials. Also present in the collection is a small amount of materials that pre-date the business.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Eadweard Muybridge glass positives and prints, circa 1887

Extent:

4.0 linear feet

Abstract:

British-born photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) gained recognition for his landscape photographs of the American West before he developed a procedure in 1877 involving mechanically tripped shutters that allowed him to capture photographs in rapid succession to depict movement. In 1883, the University of Pennsylvania funded Muybridge to undertake a massive series of photographs of animal and human movement resulting in the landmark 1887 work Animal Locomotion, that would prove invaluable to artists, anatomists, physiologists, and athletes. The Eadweard Muybridge glass positives and prints, circa 1887, consist of approximately 400 collotype plates and 500 glass positives from Animal Locomotion.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Sarah Logan Wister Starr papers, circa 1850-1950

Extent:

2.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Sarah Logan Wister Starr (1873-1956) was a Philadelphia-based philanthropist actively involved with the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, National League for Woman's Services, Women's Committee of the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1926, and other organizations and causes. In 1901, she married mining official James Starr (1870-1937); their daughter, S. Logan Wister Starr (1903-1979), married psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Blain (1898-1981). The Sarah Logan Wister Starr papers, circa 1850-1950, are largely composed of ephemera such as paper dolls and cards, but also include a significant amount of letters, scrapbooks, other manuscript materials. Sarah Logan Wister Starr and her various interests, including the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania are predominant in the collection, although there are items associated with other family members.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

Main content

Karl F. Lutz photographs and papers, circa 1920-1973

Extent:

5.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Karl F. Lutz (1896-1976) was born in Germany and came to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1927. During the 1930s, Lutz began working as a professional photographer. His photographic subjects were mainly Philadelphia buildings and scenery; many of his images were used for postcards. The Karl F. Lutz photographs and papers, circa 1920-1973, consist primarily of photographs in a variety of media (paper prints, postcards, film negatives, glass plate negatives and others), but also include a small number of pamphlets, booklets, maps, scrapbooks, and other materials. Most of the materials in the collection relate to historic sites, buildings, and landmarks in Philadelphia and other nearby areas.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]