Call Number:

18

Repository:

Philadelphia History Museum

Extent:

3.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

circa 1920-1940

Creator:

Fridy, Charles Duhring, 1910-2004

Abstract:

Charles Duhring Friday (1910-2004) was a civil engineer and architect who worked as a draftsman and designer in a number of firms during the 1930s and 1940s with his brother, John D. Fridy, until they formed their own partnership in 1947. The Charles and John D. Fridy lantern slides, circa 1920-1940, consist of about 215 lantern slides, most of which are hand colored, primarily depicting images from vacations taken by Fridy and his brother, John. The collection is organized into five series based on location: I. Washington D.C. and Virginia; II. New Jersey; III. Florida; IV. Pennsylvania and Maryland; V. Lancaster Research Laboratories (Hackensack, New Jersey). An application to the Kodak Correspondence College is also present in the collection.

"Charles Duhring Fridy [(1910-2004)] was born in Philadelphia [Pennsylvania], the son of Ella Swift Duhring and medical doctor Cyrus Ward Fridy. Charles and his older brother, and future business partner, John D. Fridy [(1908-2000)], [both attended Episcopal Academy in Merion, Pennsylvania and] studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania at the same time, earning...[bachelor's degrees in architecture] in 1932 and...[master's degrees in the same field] in 1933. Both Charles and John Fridy then entered the office of their relative, H. Louis Duhring, with Charles working as a draftsman and John working as a draftsman and designer. The brothers remained with Duhring until 1935, when they joined the engineering firm of Remington & Goff, where they worked as draftsmen and designers. They then worked for William A. Goff, Inc., from the point he left that partnership [Remington & Goff] in 1937 until 1946. In 1947, they [Charles and John Fridy] formed their own partnership, Fridy & Fridy, which became Fridy, Gauker, Truscott & Fridy, Inc., architects and engineers, in 1948. This firm was succeeded by Fridy, Gauker & Fridy in 1958 and then acquired by Betz, Converse Murdoch, Inc. [Charles] Fridy [stayed on with Betz and] retired in 1980.

"Charles Fridy joined the national AIA [American Institute of Architects] in 1936; he was a member of Philadelphia Chapter and of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He contributed technical articles to the periodical Consulting Engineer and designed lighting for Main Line Playhouse productions...[a traveling acting troupe based out of the Main Line area just outside of Philadelphia]."

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Philadelphia Architects and Buildings. "Fridy, Charles Duhring (1910-2004)." 2014. Accessed October 29, 2014. http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/23097.

Philadelphia Architects and Buildings. "Fridy, John Duhring (1908-2000)." 2014. Accessed October 29, 2014. http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/18745.

This collection consists of about 215 lantern slides, most of which are hand colored, primarily depicting images from vacations taken by Charles D. Fridy and his brother, John. The collection is organized into five series based on location: I. Washington D.C. and Virginia, circa 1920; II. New Jersey, circa 1920-1928; III. Florida, circa 1927-1930; IV. Pennsylvania and Maryland, circa 1920; V. Lancaster Research Laboratories (Hackensack, New Jersey), circa 1930. An application to the Kodak Correspondence College is also present in the collection.

Series I. Washington D.C. and Virginia contains approximately thirty-one images of historic and government sites such as the United States Capitol, Mount Vernon, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as fishing scenes from Oyster, Virginia.

Series II. New Jersey contains approximately thirty-four images of scenery, buildings, people, and recreational activities in Southern New Jersey shore towns such as Ocean City, Stone Harbor, Egg Harbor, and others.

Series III. Florida contains approximately seventy images of scenery, buildings, people, and recreational activities from two cruises, one from New York, New York to Miami, Florida and the other from Jacksonville, Florida to New York, New York. Other cities in Florida are depicted as well such as East and West Palm Beach, Tampa, and St. Augustine.

Series IV. Pennsylvania and Maryland contains approximately forty-five images of scenery, buildings, and historic sites such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Episcopal Academy (Merion, Pennsylvania), the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Kitty Knight House (Georgetown, Maryland), and other places.

Series V. Lancaster Research Laboratories (Hackensack, N.J.) contains approximately fifty-four images of a research facility, possibly a place that was associated with Fridy's work as an engineer and architect.

An item-level inventory is available on-site. The Philadelphia History Museum also owns objects associated with this collection.