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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]

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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]

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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]

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William H. Sliker glass plate negatives, circa 1905-1937

Extent:

3.33 linear feet

Abstract:

William H. Sliker (1872-1951) was a photographer based in Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 20th century. Sliker and his son, Charles L. Sliker (1892-1968), traveled periodically throughout various Northeast Philadelphia neighborhoods photographing scenery, events, buildings, people, and other subjects. The William H. Sliker glass plate negatives, circa 1905-1937, consist of over three hundred glass plate negatives. Almost every glass plate negative has a corresponding modern paper print. The images primarily depict the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhoods of Bridesburg, Bustleton, Fox Chase, Frankford, Somerton, Tacony, Torresdale, and Wissinoming, but other locations are also shown.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

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Alfred P. Smith glass plate negatives, circa 1890-1900

Extent:

7.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Alfred Percival Smith (1863-1944) was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania lawyer who had a strong interest in Pennsylvania history, especially the history of its law courts, the history of the Presbyterian Church, colonial and revolutionary history, and Pennsylvania-German history. The Alfred P. Smith glass plate negatives, circa 1890-1900, consist of about 200 glass plate negatives and approximately the same number of prints made from those negatives that primarily depict government buildings, residences, and other structures in Philadelphia. The images contain interior views of court rooms, offices, and residences, as well as exteriors of buildings and street scenes. In addition, there are images of people, documents, and other subjects.

Held at: Philadelphia History Museum [Contact Us]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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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]

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"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]