Monthly Archives: May 2006

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: Newsboy Turned Schoolboy

By Heather Newlin | Published: May 30, 2006
Here is another window into education reform during the Progressive Era. Still holding a stack of newspapers tucked under his arm, this Philadelphia newspaper boy looks as though he was just pulled from his job on the street and put in front of the camera at school. Indeed, this photograph is labeled “Compulsory Education-Newsboy.” Taken [...]
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Keeping the Children Well

By Heather Newlin | Published: May 22, 2006
  Today we take the school nurse for granted. Whenever a child scrapes his knee at recess or becomes ill and needs to go home early, the nurse is there. However, the school nurse and school medical inspections are, in America, largely a creation of the twentieth century. This photo, taken at the Alexander D. [...]
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Catch a Movie and See a Teen Idol in South Philly

By Zach Lechner | Published: May 19, 2006
  A bustling hub of the Philadelphia public transportation network, the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue is still a place where a person can get a hot meal and the latest news. The lavish, 2183-seat Broadway Theater (seen in the background) opened in 1913, originally featuring Keith Vaudeville productions. It had been converted [...]
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Look Mom, I’m Flying!

By Heather Newlin | Published: May 15, 2006
  Throughout Philadelphia’s history, photographers have enjoyed taking pictures from the upper levels of City Hall. This photo shows the hustle and bustle of Broad Street in the late 1920s. These kind of shots are helpful for seeing just how “broad” Broad Street really is, as well as for demonstrating traffic patterns during the period. [...]
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Finish Your Dinner, We’re Going to See a Show!

By Heather Newlin | Published: May 10, 2006
  The images found in the Department of City Transit record group are about so much more than simply recording the construction of subways and trolley lines. This photo, taken in 1919 around 10th and Arch Streets is a prime example. Yes, a trolley car and tracks can be seen in the picture, but we [...]
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Buy New & Used. . .

By Jay Sylvestre | Published: May 1, 2006
  Well, probably just new. Though not readily apparent from the darkness of the picture, the featured building is the Oakland Car Dealership on Broad St. Taken in 1926, this picture highlights an early example of the Art Deco style of architecture heavily favored by businessmen looking to sell cars. The smooth corner of the [...]
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