Welcome to the Philadelphia Historical Photograph Index

This index is a work in progress drawing from the vast photographic collection of the Philadelphia City Archives. The collection includes photographs taken or gathered by Official Photographers of the Department of Public Works, 1894-1951; Department of City Transit, 1914-1951; Departments of Streets, Water, and Public Property, 1952-1963; and Department of Records, 1964 – present. Added to these are numbers of photographic copies of older prints of City maps, views, etc.. While the original negative number series and order established by each photographer has been preserved for the negatives, prints have been catalogued and filed according to location and subject to facilitate reference. The collection consists of a negative and print of each image and is held by the Philadelphia City Archives under Record Group 78.1.