Call Number:

2011.012

Repository:

Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives

Extent:

• 452.0 plates
• 452 digitized glass plate negatives

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

[Description and date of item], FP.2011.002, The Walter Pertuch Digital Images Collection, Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives.

Date:

c. 1880- c. 1940

Creator:

Pertuch, Walter A. R. , Mr., 1888-1976

Abstract:

Mr. Pertuch was born on August 2, 1888 and died in January, 1976, when he was 88 years old. From 1904, when he was around 16, he started working at the Franklin Institute, probably as a stack assistant of some type. In 1940, he replaced Alfred Rigling as librarian and held the position until he became librarian emeritus in December, 1959. It’s interesting to note that Pertuch was only the third librarian at the Franklin Institute. The institute’s original librarian, Emanuel Hiltebrand, served from 1824 until 1887, and his successor, Alfred Rigling held the post from 1887 to 1940. While at the Franklin Institute, Pertuch wrote at least one brief work, titled Reminiscences and edited and compiled another, Horological books and pamphlets in the Library of the Franklin Institute. Additionally, the institute holds a collection of lantern slides that Pertuch made. This collection of images is made up of scans of the original glass plate negatives Pertuch either collected or created himself. The authorship of many of the images is difficult to ascertain because it is known that Pertuch was an avid amateur photographer but also purchased plates from other photographers.

The Walter Pertuch Digital Images Collection consists of 452 scans of original glass plate negatives. The collection features images from the late 19th century and early 20th century, and includes photographs of Philadelphia and Fairmount Park, Germany, several World’s Fair and sections of New Jersey.