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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Records
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Held at: Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia [Contact Us]19 South 22nd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19103
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was founded in November of 1855 by Doctors Francis W. Lewis, R.A.F. Penrose, and T. Hewson Bache. All three had been trained in the same institution, serving their residencies at the Pennsylvania Hospital, located on the 800 block of Spruce Street in Philadelphia. It was after Lewis returned from London’s Hospital for Sick Children in Great Ormond Street, which was the first hospital for children in the English speaking world, that he was struck by the fact that there were no such institutions in the United States. Disturbed by the high mortality rate of infants and children in Philadelphia, and inspired by Great Ormond Street, Penrose and Bache joined with Lewis to found the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia between Pine and Lombard on Blight Street (now Watts Street in South Philadelphia). This first building had 12 beds, and saw 67 inpatients and 306 outpatients during its first year.
Pediatrics as a scientific specialty is a modern development. At the time of the Hospital’s founding, children had neither medical nor social importance. There were no hospitals exclusively for children in the United States, and pediatrics had not yet become its own separate specialty. CHOP was unique in many ways, the first and foremost being that unlike most children’s hospitals, domestic and abroad, CHOP was never a pest house or asylum for poor children. At the time of its founding, the few hospitals in the nation were intended to care for infectious disease, to house the mentally ill, or to care for adult injuries which had resulted from the growing industrial revolution. CHOP was exceptional in its being established solely to provide clinical care and continuing throughout the years to do this same thing. In the beginning, CHOP was open, free of charge, to all medical students and attracted students from Philadelphia schools such as Jefferson Medical College, and the University of Pennsylvania. This type of reciprocity soon extended to other institutions, and went beyond the lecture hall. Recent exchanges from the last few decades have included: the Children’s Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children in London’s residency exchange program; CHOP’s training relationship with the American Research Hospital for Children in Krakow, Poland; and CHOP’s resident physicians being instructed in psychiatric principles by staff members of the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic (which was later acquired by CHOP and became the Children’s Guidance Center). Other reciprocities include that between CHOP and the Children’s Seashore House (CSH) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1998, this alliance became a merger, when CSH was acquired by CHOP in 1998.
In 1866, CHOP moved to its second building, on the east side of 22nd above Locust, in Philadelphia. In 1870, children’s surgery was added, and for the first time, surgery and medical were considered separate. In 1889, CHOP’s Country Branch was founded near Overbrook. The Country House was used for convalescent care and was responsible for approximately 20 cases at a time. In 1899, the need for the Country Branch dwindled as patients in need of rehabilitation were sent to the Children’s Seashore House, in Atlantic City. The Country Branch slowly ceased operations.
In 1895, the Ingersoll Training School for Nurses was established. Between 1895 and 1900, two infant wards were opened, additions to the nurses building were completed, and the Catherwood Milk Laboratory was established. It was at Catherwood that nurses received instruction on the study of preparations of various milk mixtures and other special foods for infants were undertaken in this Lab.
Though what was to become the site of the third CHOP building was purchased in 1909, it was not until 1916 that operations officially moved to 18th and Bainbridge Streets. The cornerstone for this third building was laid in 1913, by Edward S. Sayres (please refer to the Scrapbook of Mrs. Edward S. Sayres in Series VIII: Images, Subseries F, “Scrapbooks”), president of the Board, and Charlotte Rush, daughter of the President Benjamin Rush. In 1914, just before the transition to the third building, the Department for the Prevention of Disease was established, the first such department in the nation.
It was in 1919 that CHOP lectures became available only to University of Pennsylvania medical students. Although CHOP and U Penn had been connected since CHOP’s founding, 1919 was the start of a formal relationship between the two. From this time forward, though CHOP maintained an independent Board of Managers, CHOP became an integral part of the university’s pediatrics department, and attending staff received faculty appointments. J. Claxton Gittings was the first Physician-In-Chief and William Bennett Professor in Pediatrics. He followed by Joseph Stokes, Jr. in 1939. It was Stokes who was heralded with transforming the Children's Hospital into a world leader in teaching and research. Around this same time, Charles C. Chapple, MD developed the first closed incubator for newborns, named the Isolette.
During the 1930’s the Center for Research in Children's Growth was established. Soon after, during the 1940’s and 1950’s, Drs. Werner and Gertrude Henle discovered vaccines for influenza and mumps. Along with Joseph Stokes Jr., MD, they developed the first convincing demonstration of vaccination against influenza and mumps. In the late 1930's, Dr. Irving J. Wolman and Dr. Bernard Spur completed the initial study on the use of homogenized milk for infants, which lead to its acceptance by the public.
During the 1950’s, Dr. Thomas McNair Scott developed a diagnostic test for herpes simplex (fever blister). The “Rheumatic Fever and Virus Research Building” (the first research building) is built for $800,000, including equipment. It was more commonly known as “The Research Building.” During this same time, development of a “control shunt” to drain fluid, designed and tested for treating hydrocephalus. This device is now used throughout the world. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, Dr. Lewis L. Coriell progresses in his research on the prevention of polio, and begins to lay the groundwork for the development of the Salk vaccine. At this time, Dr. Coriell and his associates also invent a laminar airflow system to keep operating rooms sterile.
The late 1960’s were rife with change, invention, and discovery. Dr. Alfred M. Bongiovanni was named as the successor to Joseph Stokes, Jr., MD, and became Physician in Chief of CHOP in 1962. Also in the 1960’s, Stanley Plotkin, MD, developed the rubella (German measles) vaccine and clinical trials were conducted. The Clinical Research Center (CRC) was established for hard-to-diagnose, hard-to-treat pediatric diseases and use of new treatments. Drs. Werner Henle and Gertrude Henle, along with Dr. Klaus Hummeler, discover the association between infectious mononucleosis and the Epstein-Barr virus, which ultimately proved that a common virus may produce disease.
In the 1970’s, the Research Institute was created, which contained 70,000 square feet dedicated to research. Also during this decade, one of the nation's first centers for pediatric craniofacial surgery opens at CHOP, where techniques for cleft lip and palate repair that were developed there gained international acceptance. CHOP was also named by the federal government as one of only three pediatric cancer research and treatment centers. Soon after, in 1974, the Hospital moved from 18th and Bainbridge, into its current location at 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, and the first DNA Laboratory in Philadelphia was established.
During the 1980’s at CHOP, Drs. H. Fred Clark, Stanley Plotkin and Paul Offit developed a rotavirus vaccine for infantile gastroenteritis. A Liver Transplant Program was established, and the Hospital's first liver transplant was performed in 1989. The early 1990’s saw Dr. Robert Levy cited for his research milestones related to the mechanisms and prevention of bioprosthetic heart valve calcification, and discoveries concerning the first report of a gene delivery stent, Dr. Stuart E. Starr proving that a combination of antiviral drugs controls HIV infection in children. The Hospital was designated a Human Genome Center by the National Institutes of Health, and the Human Genome Project was completed in April of 2003. The Hospital was also awarded a major federal grant for the mapping of chromosome 22, a project which was completed in 1999.
In 1995, the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center opened on the Hospital's Main Campus, consolidating all the laboratory research of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. This same year, Dr. Scott Adzick led the establishment of the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment, which is at the forefront of research and clinical practice in the emerging field of fetology.
In 1997, Drs. Nancy Spinner, David Piccoli and Ian D. Krantz discover the gene responsible for Alagille syndrome, a disorder associated with congenital liver, heart, kidney, spine, eye and pancreatic disease. This same year, the Center for Outcomes Research is established to create new methods of health service research, with an emphasis on developing new pediatric outcomes measures. Drs. Flaura K. Winston and Dennis R. Durbin initiate Partners for Child Passenger Safety, and these findings lead to a wide range of enhanced legislation, safety regulation, and automobile and child restraint design.
In 1998, the Children's Clinical Research Institute (CCRi) is established. The CCRi is the United States first non-profit clinical research organization dedicated to pediatric clinical trials. Soon after, in 1999, a number of advancements in genetics are achieved at CHOP. Dr. Beverly Emanuel's efforts contribute to the complete sequencing of chromosome 22, making it the first human chromosome to be fully sequenced. Also, Dr. Katherine High's groundbreaking studies on AAV-mediated gene transfer for hemophilia lead to Dr. Catherine Manno and Dr. Alan Flake performing the first human gene transfer studies for hemophilia.
Children's Hospital becomes one of 13 academic sites designed by the NIH as a Pediatric Pharmacology Research Unit (PPRU) in an effort to address the lack of pharmacological information about drugs used in children. CHOP began a $1.2 billion facilities expansion project in 2001, which sought to double the size of the main campus, and add significant patient care and research space.
In 2002, the first tandem transplantation of peripheral stem cells in a pediatric oncology center was performed at CHOP. In 2005, the supernumerary der(22) syndrome (or Partial Trisomy 11/22) was renamed Emanuel Syndrome in honor of Beverly Emanuel, PhD, chief, Division of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, who spearheaded research efforts into the syndrome.
Today, CHOP is a major primary care provider for south and west Philadelphia and a ternary referral center for the greater Delaware Valley. The hospital has greatly expanded in its 150 years of operation, and annually provides care for 16,000 inpatients and 190,000 outpatient visits.
Note: Throughout the collection are various examples of CHOP histories. For example materials, please see the following folders: Box 21, folders 3 and 4, “CHOP History: ‘100 Years of Progress in Child Health’" Box 22, folder 7, “Shirley Bonnem’s Complete CHOP History File” Box 23, folder 6, "1855 to 1974: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Perspective"
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Records provide a catalog of the administrators, doctors, nurses, and patients who shaped and served this pediatric hospital between the years 1855 to 2006. The records span three centuries, from the hospital’s founding by Dr. Francis West Lewis in late 1855, to the year 2006, as CHOP was ranked the #1 pediatric hospital in the United States for its third successive year by “Child” Magazine. The bulk of the materials in this collection are concentrated within the years 1960 to the late 1990’s.
There are a number of material formats present in the collection. Primary types include paper documents, bound volumes, photographs, and slides. Remaining formats include: newspaper clippings, film reels, oil paintings, framed prints, oversized documents, and Betamax, VHS, and audio cassette tapes.
The collection has been arranged into nine series: “Administration,” “Public Relations,”, “Planning and Development,” “Departments,” “Biographical,” “Clippings,” “Bound Volumes,” “Images,” and "Ephemera." The bulk of the records are concentrated within the thirty year time span of 1960 to 1999.
Within and across these series are a number of notable subjects, which include:
The changing nature of healthcare in the United States over the past two centuries, and the impact of the rise of managed care since the 1970’s.
The “Bound Volumes” series contains a number of Doctor’s Case Books, dating to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Contained in these volumes are a number of charts within which information was recorded such as race, age, address, parent information, housing type, diet, stools, and medicine administered.
Pediatric medical advancements spearheaded by physicians at the Children’s Hospital, such as the development of vaccines and successful organ transplants. Information on these types of advancements can be found in specific doctor files within the "Biographical" series.
Modern medical ethics, specifically issues related to a number of cases of conjoined twins operated on at the Children’s Hospital between the years 1957 and 2002. Materials on medical ethics can be found throughout the “Public Relations,” “Clippings,” and “Biographical” series.
Primary types of materials include:
Public Relations materials. Documents originating from the Public Relations department are plentiful and consist of reports, correspondence, brochures, press materials, and newsletters. These materials begin in the 1940s and stretch into the early 2000’s.
Images. There is a huge number of photographs, slides, negatives, and film in the collection. These images primarily concern buildings, patients, and staff. Many duplicate images can be found within the “Prints,” “Slides,” and “Negatives” subseries’.
Bound volumes. Materials from the late 19th to the early 20th century are almost exclusively in the form of bound volumes, which consist of annual reports, and patient and visitor registries. The bound volumes are primarily older, starting with original material from 1855. Many of the volumes are fragile and folder stock enclosures have been made to protect them.
Custodial History Note
Series V, "Biographical," contains some restricted materials: Box 75 has been restricted as per Shirley Bonnem's request, and a number of the CV's included in the individual biographical files contain Social Security numbers.
People
- Bongiovanni, Alfred M., 1921-
- Bonnem, Shirley
- Chapple, Charles C.
- Henle, Gertrude, 1912-
- Henle, Werner, 1910-1987
- Koop, C. Everett (Charles Everett), 1916-
- Radbill, Samuel X., 1901-1987
Subject
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Conjoined twins
- Hospital design and construction
- Hospitals--United States
- Pediatrics
- Urban hospitals
Place
- Publisher
- Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia
- Finding Aid Author
- Meredith McCusker, "Images" series processed by Jessy Brody
- Finding Aid Date
- 2010
Collection Inventory
Series I: Administration
The first series, “Administration,” covers the years 1855 to 2003, and consists of 8 boxes. There are two subseries, “Board of Managers,” and “Administration.” The bulk of the “Board of Managers” subseries is in the form of Annual Reports. The Annual Reports represent a complete history of CHOP’s Board activities, from the year of CHOP’s founding, in 1855, to 2003. Annual Reports are present in a number of formats, such as: original booklets, photocopies, and microfiche. Please refer to Series VI, “Bound Volumes, Books,” for originals of CHOP Annual Reports, bound in 8 volumes, and covering the years 1854 to 1994. Series VI also includes both handwritten and typed Minutes of the Board of Managers, present in the form of 13 bound volumes which span the years 1855 to 1951.
Subseries B, “Administration,” contains information pertaining to a number of CHOP Administrators and their work throughout the years. Strong points of this subseries are present in the correspondence files of CHOP Presidents Charles E. Ingersoll and Noel Kronke. Also present are policy manuals and memos on CHOP’s rates and charges from 1958 and a set of official guidelines entitled, “Care of Indigent Foreign Nationals.”
Physical Description8.0 boxes
Series II: Public Relations
The second series, “Public Relations,” is one of the most complex series within the CHOP Records. Consisting of 26 boxes, divided into 6 subseries, this series has a date range from 1949 to 2004. The majority of these files were generated and/ or collected by Shirley Bonnem, whose tenure at CHOP stretched from the years 1966 to 2000. Bonnem worked in a number of capacities within CHOP’s Public Relations Department, and claimed the following successive titles: Assistant Administrator, Assistant Vice President, and finally, Vice President of Public Relations. Bonnem wrote two books on the CHOP, including: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 1974-1994: Two Decades : An Informal Report (of which two copies can be found in Series IV), published in 1995, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 1995-2001: A Hospital on the Move: A Report on Change, published in 2003. Notes for A Hospital on the Move, and Two Decades, An Informal Report can be found in Subseries A, “Correspondence, Internal Files, Committees.” Please refer to Series V, “Biographical Files,” for transcripts of historical interviews conducted by Shirley Bonnem as part of her research for these two books.
Highlights of the first subseries, “Correspondence, Internal Files, and Committees,” include a number of files pertaining to race relations in Philadelphia during the late 1960’s. In 1968, a Race Relations Committee was established at CHOP, the purpose of which was to address tensions and educate people on contemporary race relations. The Race Relations Committee was formed in the after math of the Reasoner Report, which had in turn been written in response to the race riots in Detroit during the previous year of 1967. The seminars sponsored by the Race Relations Committee were all delivered by African Americans, and were attended by CHOP medical and administrative staff. Topics covered were cultural and included such issues as housing discrimination and the psychological roots of prejudice.
This subseries also contains correspondence concerning the implementation of the “Philadelphia Plan” in October 1969. CHOP was awarded the first contract under the “Philadelphia Plan,” for which the US Department of Labor required federally assisted contractors to hire a certain percentage of minority workers. This contract was for construction of the new CHOP building at 34th and Civic Center Blvd. for which construction began on in the late 1960’s, and was completed in 1974. The second subseries, “Programs and Affiliate Hospitals,” highlights various national and international institutional alliances that CHOP fostered over the years. Included is information on local CHOP affiliations, such as with the Ronald McDonald House of Philadelphia, and satellite locations in the tristate area. International affiliations include the Great Ormand Street Hospital in London, the American Children’s Hospital in Krakow, Poland, and CHOP’s participation in Project HOPE.
The third Subseries, “Events and Historical Exhibits,” contains a number of PR-planned events which occurred throughout the years. This subseries provides insight into the planning and execution of a number of such events at CHOP, such as the groundbreaking and dedication of the new building at 34th and Civic Center Boulevard in 1974. Other events include memorial services for CHOP doctors and staff, medical conferences and seminars, and a number of historical exhibits for which the displayed items and text were prepared by Shirley Bonnem.
The fourth subseries, “Press Releases, Fact Sheets, and Histories,” include all information released by CHOP’s PR department to local, regional, and national news outlets. Press Releases are filed chronologically, with those on seven sets of conjoined twins separated by CHOP surgeons concentrated together. Quick reference can be made to the Fact Sheets and Histories, as they provide excellent summarization of CHOP medical departments, procedures, new medical advancements which occurred at CHOP, as well as dated hospital histories and list of medical “firsts” achieved at CHOP.
Subseries E, “Publications,” contains all serial and unique publications produced by the PR department. These include early newsletter, such as “Pediatric Brevia” and “”Thermometer.” Also included is a sub-subseries entitled “Informational Brochures,” who were aimed toward a public audience and provided information on CHOP services. In separate sub-subseries are publications such as “Children’s Hospital Times,” “Notes,” and “Children’s View.” Bound copies of these publications can also be found in the “Bound Volumes, Books” series, along with a bound volume of “Pediatric Pioneering” issues.
The final sub series in the “Public Relations” series is “Volunteer Organizations.” There were a number of volunteer organizations which served CHOP throughout the years, the largest and most long standing of which included the Auxiliary and the Women’s League. The Auxiliary was responsible for Daisy Day, and the Women’s League was responsible for the Carousel Ball, both annual fundraisers for CHOP.
Also in this series are files pertaining to the Executive Council of Volunteer Organizations (EVCO), an umbrella volunteer organization formed to encompass the Auxiliary and Women’s League. Please refer to Series VI, “Bound Volumes, Books,” for 7 volumes of meeting minutes recorded by the earliest CHOP volunteer organization, the Lady Visitors. These volumes date from 1858 to 1925.
Physical Description26.0 boxes
Series III: Planning and Development
The “Planning and Development” series consists of five subseries, 10 boxes, and spans the years 1954 to 2003. The first subseries contains a correspondence file from Alexander B. Wheeler, who served as Director for many years. Wheeler was responsible for much of the material contained in this series, and spearheaded such efforts as Long Range Planning Committee, CHOP’s participation in the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) and the institution wide reporting that comprise the sub-subseries, “USPHS Project/ W-133.” The USPHS/ W-133 Project was funded by a grant from the United States Public Health Service during the early 1960’s for which members of CHOP’s medical and administrative staff conducted studies and wrote reports on various considerations in the planning of a children’s medical center in an urban environment. Much of the work from this project can be said to have lead to the new CHOP facility completed in 1974 at 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard. Within the USPHS Project sub-subseries, there are a number of draft reports, including edits, and memos on the project’s progress, as well as final versions.
Physical Description10.0 boxes
Series IV, “Departments,” consists of five boxes, spanning the years 1936 to 2004. Subseries are arranged alphabetically by department title, and chronologically within these subseries. Of note is subseries G, “General Pediatrics,” which contains extensive information on the Infant Intensive Care Unit’s Neonatal Follow-Up Program. Subseries H, “Nursing,” contains a precise record of the planning and execution of moving patients to the new CHOP building at 34th and Civic Center Boulevard are contained.
Physical Description5.0 boxes
Series V: Biographies
Series V contains 26 boxes, and spans the years 1942 to 2003. The series is organized alphabetically by last name and includes members of medical and administrative staff at CHOP. Types of materials within each of these files consists of: curriculum vitae, published journal articles, newspaper clippings, and obituaries. Most importantly are transcripts of two series of Historical Interviews of staff members executed by Shirley Bonnem, first in 1992, and then again in 1999. Some of these files will contain interviews from one or both rounds of interviews. Participants were asked to review the transcripts, submit changes or clarifications, which would then be incorporated by Bonnem. Information from these historical interview transcripts were used in Shirley Bonnem’s books, “ The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 1974-1994: Two Decades: an Informal Report,” published in 1995, and “The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 1995-2001: a Hospital on the Move: a Report on Change,” published in 2003.
A few of the interviews are restricted for a period of 15 years. The rest of the biographical information on these people have been kept in the accessible parts of the collection. Restricted interviews have been placed in box 75. There are two outstanding files within the Biographical series. The first is of Jean Cortner, Physician in Chief at CHOP from 1974 to 1986. In addition to his biographical file, which contains historical interviews, speeches he gave, press, and information on his memorial service, also included are the contents of his bibliography, with copies of each of his published medical articles.
Second is the C. Everett Koop files, which are contained in boxes 60 to 64. Koop was Surgeon in Chief from 1946 to 1981, when he left CHOP to serve under Ronald Reagan and George Bush as Surgeon in General. Koop’s biographical files are extensive, and cover his career at CHOP, as Surgeon General, and after. The Koop files contain his bibliography and copies of his published works, awards he was nominated for, as well as correspondence within and to CHOP throughout the years. Coverage of such surgeries as the separation of conjoined twins (most notably the Rodriguez twins in 1975) can be found in these files as well. There is also coverage of medical ethics issues, such as that surrounding the Baby Doe Controversy, which lead to Congress’s passing of the “Baby Doe Amendment.”
Physical Description26.0 boxes
Series VI: Clippings
The “Clippings” Series covers the years 1874 to 2006, and is contained in 10 boxes. There are two subseries, which separate news coverage of CHOP into two categories: subject and chronological files. The “Subject Files” subseries is the larger, and contains extensive coverage of conjoined twins surgeries, the dedication week ceremonies and move to the new building at 34th and Civic Center Boulevard in 1974, and volunteer events such as Daisy Day and the Carousel Ball. The second subseries is unique in that it contains clippings related to CHOP from the late 19th century.
Physical Description10.0 boxes
Series VI: Bound Volumes, Books
The “Bound Volumes, Books” Series contains 36 volumes and books, covering the years 1855 to 1997, with bulk dates from CHOP’s early history between the years 1855 to 1940. The series is broken out into six subseries: “Treasurer’s Accounts,” Minutes of the Board of Managers,” “Annual Reports,” “Lady Visitors,” “Patient Histories, Doctor’s Case Books,” and “Other Bound Volumes and Books.” Within these subseries, volumes are arranged chronologically.
Of all of the volumes, of greatest interest may be subseries “Patient Histories, Doctor’s Case Books,” dating from 1879 to 1927. Contained in these volumes are a number of charts within which information was recorded such as race, age, address, parent information, housing type, diet, stools, and medicine administered. These volumes record the types of medicine administered which are no longer in use, such as heroin, and whisky.
Physical Description36.0 volumes
Series VIII: Images
The images in this series originate from the Public Relations department of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, with the exception of the medical lecture slides. The images range in date from circa 1855 to the early 2000’s. The bulk of images date from the 1960’s through the 1990’s, with a significant number of photographic prints from the 1920’s.
The series is broken into subseries according to medium: Prints, Slides, Contact Sheets, Negatives, Film, and Paintings. Subseries are divided into sub-subseries according to subject.
Highlights, all from the “Prints” subseries, include: images of the interior of the third building (at Bainbridge) from the 1920s, in the “Buildings” sub-subseries; large numbers of formal and informal portraits of C. Everett Koop, M.D., Jean Cortner, M.D., Audrey E. Evans, M.D., Richard D. Wood, and images of the Rodriguez conjoined twins, in the “People” sub-subseries; extensively documented construction and dedication of CHOP’s fourth building, especially the dedication ceremony on May 6, 1974 and the visit of HRH Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon for that event, in the “Events” sub-subseries; and a number of prints from the 1950s, a decade otherwise scarcely represented in this series, in the “Scrapbooks” sub-subseries.
Prints
This series is divided into the following sub subseries, according to subject: “Buildings,” “People,” “Departments,” “Procedures,” “Events,” and “Scrapbooks.”
The "Buildings" sub-subseries contains photographic prints of buildings belonging to CHOP, including exterior and interior shots and aerial views. Only one exterior image of the first building appears to have survived. There are a particularly large number of images of the interior of the third building on Bainbridge Street from the 1920’s. The prints are arranged so that the four main buildings appear first, in chronological order, succeeded by all other buildings in chronological order of their construction.
The “People” sub-subseries contains formal and informal portraits of doctors, residents, nurses, other hospital staff, patients, administrators, donors, and members of voluntary organizations. Highlights include large numbers of photographs of C. Everett Koop, M.D., Jean Cortner, M.D., Audrey E. Evans, M.D., Richard D. Wood, and images of the Rodriguez conjoined twins. The "Doctors" and "Administrators" categories are arranged alphabetically according to last name; the "Residents", "Nurses", "Staff", "Patients", and "Donors" categories are arranged chronologically. The "Voluntary Organizations" category is arranged alphabetically according to the name of the organization.
The images in the “Departments” sub-subseries document the activity of particular departments at CHOP. Highlights are prints of the pioneering Department for the Prevention of Disease and collections of images compiled by the Public Relations department, including a complete collection of photographs and illustrations from v.36-76 (1891-1931) of CHOP’s Annual Reports, in the form of low-quality computer printouts of digitally scanned copies, accompanied by captions. This sub-subseries is arranged alphabetically by department name; prints for each department are arranged chronologically.
While the “Procedures” sub-subseries is sparse, it documents a few of the many procedures, techniques, and treatments which were developed at CHOP, such as: ultraviolet light treatment, a treatment for whooping cough, incubators for premature infants, and fetal surgery. It is arranged chronologically.
The “Events” category is arranged chronologically. It includes social events, presentations of awards to doctors and administrators, and visits of dignitaries such as Hillary Rodham Clinton. A major highlight of this category are photographs extensively documenting the construction and dedication of CHOP’s fourth building, especially the dedication ceremony on May 6, 1974 and the visit of HRH Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon for that event. Also notable are photographs of events celebrating CHOP’s 125th Anniversary, held by institutions such as the Philadelphia Free Library, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The “Scrapbooks” sub-subseries is arranged chronologically. When possible, these materials have been left in their original form. Other scrapbooks, because of preservation and access issues, have been removed from their original housing, but foldered and boxed to reflect their original order. These scrapbooks contain newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs of patients, photographs documenting the construction and dedication of CHOP’s fourth building, and milestones and innovations at CHOP. The “CHOP and CAD Scrapbook” is notable for containing photographs from the 1950s, a decade otherwise scarcely represented in the collection.
Note: One folder of oversized of oversized prints, depicting events and the Rodriguez conjoined twins (1964-1974), are filed in the “Negatives” subseries because of their size. They can be found in Box 100, Folder 21.
Slides
Much of the contents from the “Slides” sub-subseries are duplicates from the “Prints” subseries; it is divided into similar sub-subseries: “Buildings,” “Departments,” “Events,” “Procedures,” and “People.” The only unique sub-subseries is “Presentations,” which includes both Public Relations presentations and an extensive number of medical lecture slides. The "Buildings" sub-subseries is arranged so that the four main buildings appear first, in chronological order, and then all other buildings in chronological order of construction.
“Departments” documents the activity of particular departments at CHOP. It is arranged alphabetically by department name; prints for each department are arranged chronologically. “Procedures” is arranged chronologically and documents a few of the many procedures, techniques, and treatments which were developed at CHOP. The “Events” category is arranged chronologically. It includes social events, presentations of awards to doctors and administrators, visits of dignitaries such as Hillary Rodham Clinton, and events relating to the construction and dedication of new buildings.
The “People” sub-subseries contains formal and informal portraits of doctors, residents, nurses, and other hospital staff, patients, administrators, donors, and members of voluntary organizations. The "Doctors" and "Administrators" categories are arranged alphabetically according to last name; the "Residents", "Nurses", "Staff", "Patients", and "Donors" categories are arranged chronologically. The "Voluntary Organizations" category is arranged alphabetically according to the name of the organization.
“ Presentations: Public Relations” consists of slides from the PR department used for presentations. Slide presentations are arranged chronologically. Some slides were no longer in their original order and are arranged by subject (“Newspaper Clippings”, “Graphics”, “Plaques and Works of Art.” The “Medical Lecture Slides” sub-subseries consists of medical lecture slides created by doctors for teaching residents. Many are undated. Some medical lecture slides are labeled with the name of a doctor; C. Everett Koop, M.D.’s name is prominent. Original order was according to disease or by lecture. However, the original order was disturbed at some point and slides were rehoused according to the order in which they were found.
Contact Sheets
The subseries is divided into the following sub subseries, according to subject: “People”, “Events”, “Buildings”, and “Graphics”. Many are duplicates of images in the “Prints” subseries. Each sub subseries is arranged chronologically.
Negatives
This sub series contains many duplicates of images from the “Prints” subseries and is divided into the following sub-subseries: “Unnamed,” “People,” “Buildings,” “Departments,” “Procedures,” and “Events.” The arrangement is similar to that of the “Prints,” “Slides,” and “Negatives” subseries, and is in chronological order.
The exception to this is the sub-subseries entitled, “Unnamed” which did not have any metadata. The numbering system, which constitutes original order, appears to reflect the order in which the photographs were taken but may be arbitrary. Negatives are primarily formal and informal portraits of patients, staff, and other people (none of whom are identified), with some images of events and buildings. They seem to date from the 1990s. These negatives do not appear to correspond to any prints or slides. At least some of the negatives may be from the Children's Seashore House (CSH) (please see the collection "Children's Seashore House").
Film
This subseries contains educational films and news spots. They are predominantly on 16 mm reels of film. There are also several UMatic tapes, some of them reproduced from films on 16 mm, Betamax, and VHS tapes. There are three educational kits with resources on audio cassettes and 35 mm reels. Interviews conducted by Shirley Bonnem of the CHOP PR Department with staff and researchers are on audiocassettes. Please refer to the “Biographical Files” series for transcribed copies of these recorded interviews.
Paintings
Two of the paintings are oil portraits of donors Rose and Harold Lecks (1974) and the other is a lithograph print “Indian Faces” by Leonard Baskin.
Physical Description23.0 boxes