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William Redwood Wright family papers, 1752-1928

Extent:

14.0 linear feet (; 37 boxes)

Abstract:

This collection contains correspondence and financial papers predominantly from William Redwood Wright (1846-1914) that were collected and retained by the Wright family of Jamestown, Rhode Island. Through decent and marriage, the family became connected with the Fisher and Logan families of Philadelphia. The papers are arranged into seven series that are arranged chronologically by generation.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John Neagle papers and related items, 1818-circa 1926, 1990, bulk 1820-1860

Extent:

1.2 linear feet (1 box, 7 volumes)

Abstract:

John Neagle (1796-1865) worked mostly as a portrait painter during the first half of the nineteenth century. Born in Boston, he worked primarily out of Philadelphia and studied under Thomas Sully. This collection of his papers and related items consists mostly of volumes and cased photographs. Among the collection items are his student notebook, personal blotter, listing of loaned items, and scrapbooks. There are also thirteen daguerreotypes and an assortment of miscellaneous engravings.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John Wanamaker collection, 1827-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:

193.2 linear feet (; 316 volumes, 438 boxes)

Abstract:

John Wanamaker (1838-1922) was a well-known merchant, entrepreneur, and lifelong resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was active in the city's religious, political, and philanthropic areas, founded several Presbyterian churches and Sunday schools, and served as postmaster general under President Benjamin Harrison from 1889 to 1893. He opened his first Philadelphia clothing store, Oak Hall, with partner Nathan Brown in 1861, and founded John Wanamaker and Co. in 1869. In 1876, he opened "A New Kind of Store" known as the Grand Depot at Thirteenth and Market Streets. This store later became the flagship store, with satellite stores eventually established in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey, Delaware, and New York City. Wanamaker was at the forefront in many areas of retailing including merchandising, employee relations and advertising. His sons Thomas B. Wanamaker and L. Rodman Wanamaker were also active in the business. Thomas ran John Wanamaker and...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Mutual Assurance Company (Green Tree) records, 1784-1995 (inclusive)

Extent:

455.0 linear feet

Abstract:

The Mutual Assurance Company for Insuring Houses from Loss by Fire was organized in Philadelphia in 1784, in order to make fire insurance available to those citizens who wished to have trees in front of their houses. A group of sixty-one men met on July 8, 1784 at the City (or London) Coffee House and agreed to create a new mutual fire insurance company. A deed of settlement was adopted and a green tree was selected as a symbol to appear on the company's policies and fire marks. The company archives of The Mutual Assurance Company, familiarly known as the Green Tree, consist of financial accounts and receipts, correspondence, histories, cancelled insurance surveys and policies, and miscellaneous material. The records date from the formation of the company in 1784 to 1995.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia records, 1857-1984

Extent:

14.25 linear feet (; 16 boxes)

Abstract:

The records of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia document a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collection of coins, medals, and other antiquities. The records include minutes, membership records, correspondence, inventories, information on operating expenses, preinted materails, photographs, and other items. Most of the collection is unprocessed.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Nelson A. Diaz papers, 1967-2011

Extent:

85.6 linear feet (, 219 boxes, 7 flat files)

Abstract:

Nelson Diaz (1947- ) is a Philadelphia attorney who served on the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas (1981-1992) and as general counsel for the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (1993-1996). In addition, he has been highly active in the Hispanic and overall Philadelphia community as an activist, businessman, and journalist. He has served on many boards and committees in the Philadelphia area, and his interests and involvement have ranged from youth groups to the Temple University Hospital to the William Penn Foundation. This extensive collection documents Diaz's activities relating to Hispanic issues, organizations, and events; his work with and for various boards and committees; his work as a judge and an attorney; and his numerous other activities. Materials include correspondence, memos, minutes, reports, transcripts, by-laws, mailing lists, financial data, petitions, clippings, personnel documents, photographs, and audio and video cassettes.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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William Curtis Bok and Nellie Lee Holt Bok papers, 1905-1984 (bulk) 1836-1991 (inclusive)

Extent:

26.0 linear feet (; 70 boxes, 36 volumes)

Abstract:

This collection documents the personal and professional lives of William Curtis Bok (1897-1962) and Nellie Lee Holt Bok (1901-1984). Curtis Bok (he rarely went by "William") worked as a lawyer in Philadelphia and was elected to the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and later to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. During his tenure on the Supreme Court he oversaw the famous obscenity case Commonwealth v. Gordon, which has yet to be overturned. He married twice, first to Margaret Adams Plummer in 1924, and then to Nellie Lee Holt in 1934. Nellie Lee was born in Nebraska and worked as an educator at Stephen's College, Columbia, Missouri. Between 1926 and 1927 she traveled around the world on behalf of the college interviewing various educational and religious leaders, including Mohandas Gandhi. She maintained a tradition of civic engagement throughout her life. The collection also documents to lives of their children (Curtis had three children with his first wife...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Foerderer family papers, 1894-1994 (bulk) 1865-2009 (inclusive)

Extent:

3.8 linear feet (; 13 boxes, 1 volume, 1 flat file)

Abstract:

Percival E. Foerderer (1884-1969) was a Philadelphia businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist, although lived most of his life in the city suburbs of Merion and Bryn Mawr. His college-age medical education was interrupted when his father, Robert H. Foerderer, became ill and could no longer run the family’s decades-old leather manufacturing business. In response, Percival quit school and, in the early 1900s, joined Robert H. Foerderer, Inc, manufacturers of “Vici Kid” leather. Later in life, Percival served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of Jefferson Medical College and Hospital, and on the boards of many other companies and organizations in Philadelphia. He married Ethel Brown (1885-1981), daughter of a Philadelphia textile manufacturer, who presided over the Women's Board of Jefferson and was active in several other civic and philanthropic activities. Percival and Ethel Foerderer had three daughters, Mignon, Florence, and Shirley. This family collection spans from the...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle papers, 1938-1961 (bulk) 1912-1961, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

40.0 linear feet (; 109 boxes)

Abstract:

Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Jr. (1896-1961) was very active in Democratic politics, including serving as associate secretary of the Democratic National Convention in 1936. His activity in the political arena led to several appointments as a diplomatic officer. He served as minister to Norway, 1935-37, and ambassador to Poland, (1937-Sept. 9, 1939). After the invasion of Poland by the Germans, Biddle accompanied the Polish government to France, where he served as interim ambassador to France and ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the United States to the governments of Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and Luxembourg. He resigned from diplomatic service in 1944, and then served in various positions with the U.S. Army, including as a staff member to General Dwight Eisenhower and General Matthew Ridgway. From 1955 to 1961 he was adjutant general of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and in 1961 served as U.S. ambassador to Spain....(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Richardson Dilworth papers, 1940-1972 (bulk) 1881-2002, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

87.7 linear feet (; 258 boxes, 19 volumes, 7 flat files)

Abstract:

The papers of Richardson Dilworth include correspondence, office files, accounts, reports, political campaign materials, brochures, pamphlets, scrapbooks, and photographs that primarily pertain to the immediate years before and after he became mayor of Philadelphia (1956-1962). The collection also contains papers related to Dilworth’s role on the Philadelphia Board of Education, his failed run for Pennsylvania governor, and from his law firm Dilworth Paxson LLP.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania cartoons and caricatures collection, (1754-1975, undated; bulk 1860-1880)

Extent:

3.6 linear feet (; 12 boxes, 2 flat files)

Abstract:

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania's cartoons and caricatures collection spans almost two hundred years of imagery mostly lampooning local, national, and international political issues. Comprising the collection are reproductions of eighteenth century cartoons, prints and clippings of nineteenth and twentieth century cartoons, and a number of original drawings of cartoons that appears in newspapers during the mid 1930s. The collection is particularly strong in Civil War cartoons from 1861 to 1862 and 1864 and cartoons from the 1868 presidential campaign.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Balch Institute sheet music collection, 1890-1939 (bulk) 1824-1966 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.8 linear feet (; 7 boxes, 1 flat file)

Abstract:

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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John MacCarley collection of Willow Grove Park concert programs, 1904-1914, 1920, 1922-1923, 1925, undated (inclusive)

Extent:

0.4 linear feet (; 1 box [4 folders])

Abstract:

Located just north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Willow Grove Park opened in 1896 and was a popular regional attraction for several decades. This collection of concert programs dating from 1904 to 1925 highlights one of the park's main features that brought popular band leaders such as John Phillips Sousa to the area.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Harold E. Cox transportation collection, 1858-1960 (bulk) 1803-1967 (inclusive)

Extent:

199.5 linear feet (160 boxes, 624 volumes, 38 rolled items)

Abstract:

Prior to the 1870s, Philadelphia's public transportation system consisted of dozens of independently owned and operated horse drawn streetcar lines. In the 1880s and 1890s steps were taken toward electrification and unification, a goal finally achieved in 1902 with the founding of Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company (PRT). PRT constructed subway and elevated train lines, and managed public transportation until 1940, when the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) was established, absorbing PRT and all of its functions. The Dr. Harold E. Cox transportation collection is composed primarily of records from PTC and PRT, as well as PRT's subsidiary and predecessor rail lines. This collection dates from 1803 to 1967, with the bulk of materials ranging from 1858 to 1960. It consists of financial records, legal records, correspondence, administrative records, ephemera, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, atlases, and route maps and diagrams. The collection documents the growth and...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Belfield papers, 1697-1977 (inclusive)

Extent:

106.0 linear feet (235 boxes and 99 volumes)

Abstract:

The Belfield papers include materials from families who lived in the Belfield mansion in Germantown, Pennsylvania from 1826 until 1984; however, the papers span the years 1679 to 1977. Featured individuals include William and Sarah Logan Fisher Wister, their son John Wister and his wife, Sarah Tyler Boas Wister, their granddaughter Sarah Logan Wister Starr and her husband, James Starr, and their great-granddaughter S. Logan Starr Blain and her husband, Dr. Daniel Blain. The collection also houses papers from related individuals in the Emlen, Fisher, Hall, Lindley, Logan, Meigs, Wister, and other families. This collection includes correspondence, financial records, ephemera, photographs, scrapbooks, pamphlets, periodicals, and other items. Topics that are particularly well documented in the Belfield papers include: Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania; Colonial Dames of America; the Sesquicentennial Exposition; stamp collecting; world travel during the Great Depression;...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Samuel H. Ashbridge letters, 1899-1900, undated

Extent:

0.4 linear feet (1 box)

Abstract:

Samuel H. Ashbridge was born December 5, 1849 in North Philadelphia and died March 1, 1906. He was mayor of Philadelphia from April 3, 1899 to April 5, 1903. The letters in this collection are of a time when Philadelphia was “the workshop of the world.” During Ashbridge’s mayoralty, the industrial districts within the city contained mills and plants of striking diversity. It was the heyday of John Wanamaker’s “new kind of store.” The letters, which include the years 1899 and 1900, in many respects serve as a window into the commerce and politics of the city during the turn of the twentieth century. Most of the letters are from inhabitants of the city, although there are a few from other states. Letters from Mexico, France, Russia and Germany, written in those countries’ respective languages, make up a small part of the collection. Several letters discuss the issues of the day. The correspondence ranges from April 4, 1899 to December 26, 1900. Only the first two years of Ashbridge’s...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Marilyn and Edward Fernberger collection on Philadelphia professional and amateur tennis tournaments, 1962-1992

Extent:

110.0 linear feet (; 78 boxes)

Abstract:

The Marilyn and Edward Fernberger collection on Philadelphia professional and amateur tennis tournaments, 1962-1992, consists of large amounts of tournament files for the U.S. Pro Indoor, the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia, and other tournaments, as well as scrapbooks, scorecards, photographs, posters, audio-visual materials, and ephemera for the Virginia Slims of Philadelphia tournament, the U.S. Pro Indoor, and other tournaments and tennis activities, including the Fernberger's involvement in local youth tennis.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Frank McGlinn collection, 1950-1993 (bulk) 1835-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:

52.0 linear feet (; 51 boxes, 10 flat files)

Abstract:

The Frank McGlinn collection consists of the ephemera collection and professional materials of Frank Cresson Potts McGlinn (1914-2000) who was a Philadelphia lawyer, corporate executive, humanitarian, museum trustee, and patron of the performing arts. He earned degrees from the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. During World War II, he served as a naval officer on a minesweeper and was awarded the Purple Heart in 1944. After the war, he worked as a legal counselor, a marketing executive for several banks, and a consultant for over forty years. Outside of his career, McGlinn was a prominent fundraiser for the Republican Party, serving on the Executive Committee of the Republican National Finance Committee. He was also active in various community organizations, but especially those associated with theater, throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. Among other institutions, he served on the boards for Walnut Street Theatre, Theatre of the Living...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Historical Society of Pennsylvania World War II propaganda collection, (1939-1946)

Extent:

0.6 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 18 folders)

Abstract:

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

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Marie Ward collection of New York Turn Verein memorabilia, 1925-1975

Extent:

0.42 linear feet (; 2 boxes)

Abstract:

The New York Turn Verein was founded under the name Sozialistischen Turnverein of New York in June 1850. Established by German immigrants who came to the United States as political refugees, the NYTV served as a social, athletic, and political club based on the ideals of Friedrich Jahn's Turnverein movement. This collection of memorabilia dates from the 1920s to the 1970s and consists of anniversary programs, copies of bylaws, objects, and other materials related to New York-based Turn Verein and other German-American clubs. There is also a small amount of printed matter related to travel in Germany and Austria between 1925 and 1940.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]