Year: <span class="from" data-blrl-begin="1850">1850</span> to <span class="to" data-blrl-end="1854">1854</span> - Philadelphia Area Archives Search Results

Charles Dickens collection, 1832-1870 (bulk) 1832-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.8 linear feet
Abstract:: Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of the most popular English novelists of the Victorian era as well as a vigorous social campaigner. This is a collection of correspondence, manuscript material, and other items related to him. The material dates from 1832-1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1832-1870. The bulk of the correspondence consists of autograph letters by Dickens. There are also autograph letters from Dickens’s circle of family, friends, and associates.

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

John Frederick Lewis collection of autographs of engravers, 1775-1850 (bulk) 1721-1914 (inclusive)

Extent:: 3.43 linear feet
Abstract:: John Frederick Lewis was a Philadelphia lawyer, philanthropist, and collector of writing samples. This collection contains letters, receipts, and other documents by British engravers. Most of the material was written in England between 1775 and 1850. Many of the letters discuss artistic matters and contain references to well-known engravings.

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

History of the Book and Illustrations collection, circa 1250-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.46 linear feet
Abstract:: This collection contains material that shows the history of the book. The majority of the examples of manuscripts are illustrations but there are a few letters and other documents. The printed material in this collection spans the 13th to the late 16th centuries and contains examples of different printing techniques.

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

Historical manuscripts collection, 1775-1885 (bulk) 1347-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.5 linear feet
Abstract:: This is a varied collection of historical manuscripts obtained by the Free Library of Philadelphia over the course of its history. The collection dates from 1347 to 1969 and is primarily an autograph collection. The collection includes American, British, and European materials; the majority of the items are American. There are typewritten transcriptions of some of the letters in the collection.

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

Drexel family collection, 1826-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:: 9.3 cubic feet
Abstract:: The collection contains correspondence, memoirs, genealogical charts, newsletters, pamphlets, family reunion material, scrapbooks, legal documents, publications, and newspaper clippings related to the descendants of Francis Martin Drexel. Includes a diary written by Francis Martin Drexel in 1826-1830 and three letters authored by Anthony J. Drexel, the founder of Drexel University. The bulk of material dates from the twentieth century and is contained in eleven volumes of scrapbooks that begin with the death of Anthony J. Drexel in 1893.

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

Museum records, 1937-1941 (bulk) 1797-1984 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.66 cubic feet
Abstract:: This collection contains information on the activities of the Drexel Museum and Picture Gallery as well as past and present collections. The records, which include photographs and facsimiles of museum objects, date from 1797 until 1984; the bulk are from 1937 until 1941, Dorothy Grafly’s tenure as curator. The collection has been arranged into three series: I. Curator correspondence and notes, II. Catalogues, inventories and reproductions, and III. Collection reports and publications. The first series provides an in-depth look of the responsibilities and activities of the curator. The catalogues, inventories, and reproductions series is predominantly focused on the objects that the Museum has formerly and presently houses.

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

Frank C. P. McGlinn theatre and performing arts collection, 1817-1990

Extent:: 107.0 linear feet
Abstract:

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

Abraham L. Freedman papers, 1938-1971 (bulk) 1850-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:: 45.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Honorable Abraham L. Freedman, a long-time attorney and later judge, was an influential civic leader in Philadelphia’s movements towards political and civic reform in the 1940s and 1950s. As a staunch Democrat, Freedman’s career highlights include helping draft a new charter for the city of Philadelphia (and later serving as city solicitor under the newly instated charter), extensive work as an anti-discrimination advocate for racial and ethnic minorities, and federal judicial appointments with the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals. This collection, which dates from 1850 to 2011, with bulk dates of 1938 to 1971, consists of correspondence, case files, logs, research, memoranda, writings, speeches, reports, manuscripts, and clippings evidencing the workings of city and state government, especially during the period of the City-County Consolidation. Additionally, the records document social turmoil regarding race relations in Philadelphia, and the...(see more)

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

Chestnut Hill Hospital School of Nursing records, 1906-1988 (bulk) 1769-1988 (inclusive)

Extent:: 20.45 linear feet
Abstract:: The Chestnut Hill Hospital School of Nursing Records consist of 20.45 linear feet of hospital records, school administration records, faculty and student files, yearbooks, photographs, and some artifacts. The records extend from the school's creation in 1908 until its closing in 1987. The collection comprehensively documents the growth of a suburban community hospital nurse training program.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Barbara Bates Center for the Study of The History of Nursing [Contact Us]

Hatfield and Hibernia Park records, 1743-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:: 7.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The County of Chester owns the Hatfield and Hibernia estates, both of which played parts in the early iron industry in Pennsylvania. The families who lived on those estates (the Hatfields, Downings, Brookes and Swaynes, to name only a few) were involved with other ventures such as a general store and a convalescence home. The Hatfield and Hibernia Park records document the families, businesses, and property transfers of the families living in the Hatfield and Hibernia homes from the 1700s to the 1900s. Researchers interested in land and property records, iron works, 19th century general stores, and rest homes will find this collection to be extremely valuable.

Held at: Chester County Archives [Contact Us]

Pennsylvania Horticultural Society records, 1791-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:: 22.0 linear feet
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 administrative records from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. The...(see more)

Held at: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society [Contact Us]

William Wagner lectures, 1815-1905 (inclusive)

Extent:: 2.5 linear feet
Abstract:: William Wagner was a gentleman scientist and avid collector of natural history specimens. He founded the Wagner Free Institute of Science in 1855. This collection contains a series of scientific and general lectures written and delivered by William Wagner. The lectures are arranged by subject and center chiefly on conchology, geology and paleontology, and mineralogy and metallurgy; but also include lectures, for example, on education, agriculture and aesthetics.

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

Weiss family of Weissport, Pennsylvania papers, 1777-1916 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.75 linear feet
Abstract:: The Weiss family was prominent in the coal business in eastern Pennsylvania during the late 1700s and 1800s. The Weiss family collection dates from 1777 to 1916 and documents, most fully, Jacob Weiss (1750-1839), Francis White (1773-1845), and Francis White (1819-1888). The papers include diaries, geological and surveying notebooks, maps and observations; personalia and biographical notes; transcribed documents, portraits, scrapbooks, business journals, daybooks, mercantile records and account books as well as correspondence of many members of the family.

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

Benjamin Sharp papers and glass lantern slides, 1844-1893 (inclusive)

Extent:: 5.0 boxes
Abstract:: Benjamin Sharp (1858-1915), a zoologist who was primarily affiliated with the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, attended Swarthmore College (1876) and earned a M.D. and Ph.D.from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked in the Caribbean, the Hawaiian Islands and in the Arctic, where he was in charge of zoology for Peary's first Arctic Expedition in 1891.

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

Edward James Nolan documents and correspondence on the History of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1846-1915 (inclusive)

Extent:: 234.0 items
Abstract:: Edward James Nolan (1846-1921) served as the librarian at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia from 1869 until his death. During his tenure as librarian, he performed research on and wrote the history of the Academy which was completed in 1909. This collection contains material collected by Nolan for his history, including transcriptions of early minutes, deeds, biographies, news clipppings, letters and reminiscences of colleagues.

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

George Sproule papers, 1884-1944 (bulk) 1784-1947 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.16 linear feet (3 boxes, 17 volumes)
Abstract:: George F. Sproule (1867-1928), known as an authority on the Port of Philadelphia, served on the Board of Port Wardens of Philadelphia from 1884 to 1907, as Secretary of the Board of Commissioners of Navigation for the Delaware River from 1907 to 1920, and as Director of Wharves, Docks and Ferries from 1920 to 1928. His son, Samuel Jackson Sproule served as Port Representative for the United States Shipping Administration, Recruitment and Manning Organization during World War II. This collection documents the professional life of George F. Sproule in the Philadelphia shipping and maritime industry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the history of the Port of Philadelphia, and the World War II career of his son. The collection includes clippings, correspondence, appointment books, a scrapbook, business records, photographs, ephemera, and writings. The collection also includes a large number of maritime-related newspaper clipping volumes dating from 1891 to 1928.

Held at: Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library [Contact Us]

Ogden and Cuthbert family papers, 1760-1830 (bulk) 1750-1906 (inclusive)

Extent:: 17.0 volumes and [1 box]
Abstract:: The Odgen and Cuthbert families joined when Anthony Cuthbert (1751-1832) married Mary Ogden (1770-1862) in 1799. Both families had strong connections to the rivers of Philadelphia. The Ogden and Cuthbert family papers consist largely of financial records (receipt, invoice and account books) of Joseph Ogden, his son George, and his son-in-law Anthony Cuthbert.

Held at: Independence Seaport Museum, J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library [Contact Us]

Anne Hampton Brewster papers, 1845-1892 (bulk) 1777-1892 (inclusive)

Extent:: 28.0 containers
Abstract:: Anne Hampton Brewster (1818-1892) was an American novelist, journalist and foreign correspondent who defied contemporary conceptions of womanhood and society during the nineteenth century. The papers date from 1777 to 1892, with the majority of the materials dating from 1845 to 1892. The materials primarily consist of diaries, journals, commonplace books, correspondence, newspaper clippings, notes about her writings and drafts of her writings. The materials document Anne Hampton Brewster’s personal life with friends and family, and they document her professional life as a journalist and writer.

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

The professional and personal papers of Edwin Wolf 2nd, 1920-1988 (bulk) 1798-1996 (inclusive)

Extent:: 20.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Edwin Wolf 2nd (1911-1991) was a librarian, bibliophile, author, historian, Franklin scholar, and a civic leader in Philadelphia. Wolf was Curator of the Library Company from 1953 to 1955, and then served as Librarian from 1955 to 1984. During those years, he led the Library Company though a period of rejuvenation, growth, and prosperity. The Edwin Wolf 2nd papers contain correspondence, research files, volumes, publications, photographs, and other records that document the education, career, and personal family life of one of Philadelphia’s most prominent bookmen during the 20th century.

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Thomas Leiper and family business records, 1771-1947 (inclusive)

Extent:: 47.0 volumes
Abstract:: Thomas Leiper (1745-1825) was introduced into the business of tobacco shortly after his arrival in Virginia in 1763. Within several years, he moved to Philadelphia where he opened a tobacco shop. During the Revolutionary War, Leiper became the principal tobacco provider in Philadelphia. In 1776, Leiper purchased land in Delaware County that included a mill at a waterfall on the Crum Creek. He established snuff mills and later purchased a stone quarry. The Thomas Leiper and family business records include correspondence, country estate records, and business and financial records of the family's paper, lumber and wood working businesses, quarry business, and tobacco business dating from 1771 to 1947.

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Logan family papers, 1684-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:: 11.0 linear feet and 10 containers, 62 volumes
Abstract:: The Logan family was prominent in Philadelphia from the start of the province, serving the people in many capacities, including political, medical and literary. This is a collection of manuscripts obtained by the Library Company of Philadelphia that relates to the Logan family. The collection includes papers of the Logan family members Albanus Charles, Algernon Sydney, Deborah Norris, William Jr., and James as well as family materials collected by Frances A. Logan and William Logan Fox. The collection dates from 1684 to 1925 and consists of family papers, correspondence, diaries, writings, medical texts, lecture notes, financial records, poetry, visiting cards, and invitations.

Held at: Library Company of Philadelphia [Contact Us]

Christ Church records, 1695-2016 (inclusive)

Extent:: 200.0 linear feet
Abstract:: Christ Church is an Episcopal church located in the Old City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1695 as a condition of King Charles II of England's 1681 Charter to William Penn, which allowed for the formation of Church of England congregations in Pennsylvania. Several notable Philadelphians attended services at Christ Church including Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and members of the Continental Congress. Christ Church records, 1695-2016, document Christ Church and its parish and congregation. The records consist of vestry minutes, parish records, accounting and financial records, deeds, architectural drawings, photographs, and audiovisual materials. In addition, there are materials from parish organizations and affiliated institutions such as Christ Church Hospital, Episcopal School, Christ Church Burial Ground, and Christ Church Preservation Trust. A detailed finding aid is available on-site.

Held at: Christ Church Archives [Contact Us]

Patrick Coad family papers, 1798-1888 (inclusive)

Extent:: 1.5 linear feet (; 2 boxes)
Abstract:: Patrick Coad (1783-1872), an Irish immigrant who settled in Philadelphia, was the first patentee of a graduated galvanic battery with insulated poles. Touting his battery among other uses as an instrument that helped cure various diseases, Coad’s invention attracted a good deal of attention within the scientific and medical communities. A teacher whose interests focused on medicine and the sciences, Coad also travelled throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding area as a lecturer on the natural sciences. The collection includes Coad’s correspondence, his lecture and medical notes, and ephemera, such as newspaper clippings, pamphlets and broadsides, publicizing his galvanic battery and lectures. Several of Coad’s family members are also documented through correspondence, ephemera, and estate items, including his son Joseph R. Coad (1829-1868), a prominent Philadelphia physician. A family scrapbook with miscellaneous materials is also included.

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

Martin I. J. Griffin papers, 1870-1911 (bulk) 1842-1950 (inclusive)

Extent:: 25.85 linear feet (61 containers)
Abstract:: A prominent Catholic historian and Philadelphia native, Martin Ignatius Joseph Griffin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 23, 1842. His parents, Terence J. and Elizabeth (Doyle) Griffin, were immigrants from Ireland. He was educated in parochial and public schools and began his journalistic career as a contributor to Catholic newspapers. Widely known as a church historian, Griffin authored many works dealing with Catholic history and was a frequent contributor to and editor of several magazines and periodicals, including The Irish Catholic Benevolent Union Journal, American Catholic Historical Researches and Griffin’s Journal. He edited a Sunday School journal from 1867 to 1870 before serving as assistant editor to the newly established Catholic Standard and Times, the official Philadelphia diocesan newspaper, from 1870 to 1873. Griffin founded the American Catholic Historical Society in 1884 and served as its...(see more)

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

Martin, Campbell, and Furlong families papers, 1825-1930 (bulk) 1795-1963 (inclusive)

Extent:: 5.2 linear feet (; 13 boxes)
Abstract:: This collection contains papers that document several generations of the Martin, Campbell, and Furlong families with the Martin family receiving the most coverage. To a lesser extent, the Kennedy and Jenkins families, who had strong personal and mercantile ties to the Martin family, are also represented. These interrelated middle class Irish Catholic families from Philadelphia were involved in several prominent industries in the region, including overseas commerce. Devout in their religious beliefs, the families, the Campbells in particular, played a significant role in shaping Catholicity in Philadelphia. Members of the Campbell family were also actively involved in political and social movements of the nineteenth- and twentieth-centuries, including the labor movement and women’s suffrage. Distinguished members of these families are represented, including suffragist and writer Sarah Jane Campbell (1844-1928). Items in the collection date from 1795 to 1939 with the majority of...(see more)

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

Rodrigue family papers, 1770-1875 (bulk) 1770-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:: 4.59 linear feet
Abstract:: Marie Jacques Dominique D’Orlic (1748-1825) was a French colonist and a wealthy planter in St. Domingue, a French colony on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (now modern-day Haiti). D’Orlic and his wife and daughter were forced to flee the island during the slave uprisings of the 1790s, and lost their wealth. The D’Orlics eventually landed in Philadelphia by 1795, where D’Orlic served as a trusted advisor to other white refugees from St. Domingue. Jacques Andre Rodrigue (1759-1844) was also a French aristocrat and a wealthy merchant and sugar planter in St. Domingue. Rodrigue lost nearly all his wealth in the slave uprisings of the 1790s and was also forced to flee to Philadelphia, where he settled, married the daughter of D’Orlic, and built another large business as a merchant trading with France. The Rodrigue family papers date from 1770 to 1975, with the bulk of records dating from 1770 to 1875. This collection contains the papers of Jacques Andre Rodrigue (1759-1844) and the...(see more)

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

Gertrud Clara Reyersbach, M.D. papers, 1817-2004 (inclusive) 1933-1991 (bulk)

Extent:: 1.9 linear feet (3 doc boxes, 1 half doc box, 1 oversize flat box)
Abstract:

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

Longshore family papers, 1819-1902 (inclusive)

Extent:: 20.0 folders
Abstract:: The Longshore family was active in Philadelphia medicine in the 19th century and the Longshore family papers includes material from Thomas Longshore, his brother Joseph Longshore, and his wife Hannah E. Myers Longshore. Thomas Longshore was a teacher and a supporter of women's education and social reform, especially abolition. Joseph Longshore (1809-1879) was a physician who supported women in acquiring quality medical education. He was active in founding the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania and later, the Penn Medical University in Philadelphia. Hannah E. Myers Longshore, M.D. (1819-1901), enrolled in and graduated from the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania’s first class in 1851 and became Philadelphia’s first female physician in private practice. She lectured extensively first at the Female Medical College of Pennsylvania and then at the Pennsylvania Medical University. She operated her private practice in Philadelphia for forty years before retiring in 1892. The...(see more)

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

Lida Poynter collection on Dr. Mary E. Walker, circa 1850-1946

Extent:: 30.0 linear feet
Abstract:: The Lida Poynter collection on Dr. Mary E. Walker consists of Poynter’s unpublished manuscript and research notes on the life of Dr. Mary E. Walker. Mary E. Walker (1832-1919) was a physician who served as a surgeon during the Civil War. She was awarded the Medal of Honor for her service and remains the only woman to have received the Medal. Throughout her life, she wrote, lectured and taught on medicine, dress reform, suffrage, and women’s rights, in general. In addition to Poynter's manuscript and research notes, this collection features correspondence to and from Mary Walker, correspondence to and from Lida Poynter, and photographs of Mary Walker.

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

Martha Tracy papers, 1850-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:: 5.0 boxes
Abstract:: [ABSTRACT]

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

John F. Ballier papers, circa 1831-1892

Extent:: 2.5 linear feet (6 boxes)
Abstract:: The collection primarily includes records related to the Civil War service of John F. Ballier, including correspondence, guard reports, muster rolls, military orders, and other papers pertaining to the 21st and the 98th Regiments of Pennsylvania Volunteers, which Ballier commanded. Other papers of Ballier include a handwritten copy of a resolution of the National Guard of Pennsylvania, Third Regiment, acknowledging Ballier's retirement in 1876; and a personal scrapbook of correspondence, memorabilia, ephemera, and clippings documenting his Civil War service as well as other events throughout his life. Many items in the scrapbook relate to German-American societies and festivities in Philadelphia. Also included are records of discharges and payments to veterans of regiments in Pennsylvania and in other states; and a volume entitled Pennsylvania Militia Legion cashbook.

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