Abstract This collection contains photographs, notes and interpretations of multiple aerial mapping projects conducted over the city of Philadelphia. The largest of the “Aerial maps” series (1981-1982) contains two linear feet of black and white photos which are the result of a major Fairmount Park Commission mapping project undertaken between 1981 and 1983. The survey was performed by Aerial Data Reproduction Associates, Incorporated. This series contains visual documentation of East and West...

Abstract The Centennial Exhibition, officially designated the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, marked the first World’s Fair to be held in the United States. While it was an international event, the theme of the fair was clearly American as the impetus to hold the event was the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the achievement of American independence. Operating from May 10th to November 10th, 1876, the fair hosted...

Abstract Stereographs represent an early form of "three dimensional" photography. Images are duplicated and placed side-by-side in order to create a three dimensional effect, an effect which is greatly enhanced with the use of a stereoscopic viewer. Stereographs were an extremely popular commercial success in the late 19th century, largely because they were easily reproduceable. This created an availability and affordability which attracted a variety of classes. Many of the stereographs featured in...

Abstract

Partial set of preliminary topographic surveys used as the basis for Fairmount Park construction plans and maps.

Scope and Contents note

The drawings included in this collection are limited to the region of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from Logan Circle to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is comprised primarily of landscape plans, but also contains related sketches of details, decorations and embankments.

Scope and Contents note

This collection consists of various items related to Manayunk, the Manayunk canal, the Schuylkill Navigation System, and the Manayunk Development Corporation. The collection includes photographs, photographic negatives, slides, blueprints, waterfront plans and sign designs, complete newspapers, individual articles, books, reports, correspondence, and publication preparation materials.

Abstract Sarah Logan Wister Starr (1873-1956) was a prominent philanthropist and member of Philadelphia society throughout the early 20th Century. A descendant of the wealthy and well-known Wister and Logan families, she became a public figure throughout the region for her humanitarian activities. Starr served as State Vice-Chairman of the World War I- era National League for Women’s Services and from 1921 to 1941 as President of the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. The correspondence in this...

Scope and Contents

Personal photographic prints, slides, and paper material primarily featuring the Mai family who operated the Carl Mai Restaurant at the Belmont Mansion. Beyond the Mai family, material features the restaurant dining area, serving staff and landscape views of Belmont Mansion and West Fairmount Park. Items included are generally from the mid-1950s, although there are a few items dated as early as 1924 and as late as 1982.