Author Archives: Hillary Kativa
Oh Where Can This Be?: Photos Without a Location
When we enter new photographs into the PhillyHistory.org database, we include as much information as possible about an image from the date and photographer’s name to the location. Without a doubt, location is one of the most important parts of our photo collections as many of the historic images depict street scenes and the exterior [...]
Posted in Behind the Scenes Comments closed
A Special Relationship: Philadelphia and Great Britain
With the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton dominating the news, we here at PhillyHistory.org have been reflecting on the historical ties between Philadelphia and Great Britain, many of which are captured in our photo collections. As a former colony of Great Britain, the United States has always maintained a special relationship with [...]
Posted in Events and People, Urban Planning Comments closed
Something New in Your Neighborhood: Augmented Reality
One of the coolest features of PhillyHistory.org is the ability to browse historical photographs alongside the contemporary Google street view, enabling users to meld past and present at the click of a mouse. But what would that feature look like in real time – not through a computer screen but rather on a smart phone [...]
Posted in New Features Comments closed
Philadelphia at the Movies
As the film industry’s annual awards season gets underway, Philadelphia’s connections to Hollywood and the movies is a fascinating topic to explore through the various entertainment-related photographs available on PhillyHistory.org. For Philadelphians and film buffs alike, Sylvester Stallone’s 1976 film Rocky exemplifies the intersection of Hollywood storytelling and the spirit of the city more than [...]
Posted in Entertainment Comments closed
“Sleigh Bells Ring…:” Philadelphia’s Winter Wonderland
Even as a winter chill descends upon the Northeast, Philadelphians have always known how to keep the season fun and festive with a variety of recreational activities and events. From ice skating on Reyburn Plaza to sleighing through Fairmount Park, the Philadelphia region has historically provided residents and visitors with myriad opportunities to lift their [...]
Posted in Entertainment Comments closed
Floats, Balloons, and Celebrities, Oh My!: Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
By Timothy Horning and Hillary Kativa Since 1920, Philadelphia’s annual Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a city tradition. Although the Macy’s parade in New York City is perhaps better known, Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is recognized as the oldest in the country and was originally the brainchild of Ellis Gimbel, one of the founding brothers [...]
Posted in Entertainment Comments closed
The City that Might Have Been: Edmund Bacon’s Philadelphia
Heralded as the father of modern Philadelphia, famed city planner Edmund Bacon was the man behind many of the city’s most notable post-WWII redevelopment projects, from Penn Center and Market East to Penn’s Landing and Society Hill. While these projects are well-known and have become essential parts of the Philadelphia landscape, the plans and projects [...]
Posted in Urban Planning Comments closed
Goats Versus Mules: The Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia
Much like the city of Philadelphia itself, the annual college football match-up between the U.S. Military and Naval Academies, colloquially known as the Army-Navy Game, has a storied history that echoes that of the city in which the match has been held more than any other. Since the Army-Navy Game’s inception in 1890, Philadelphia [...]
Posted in Entertainment, Events and People Comments closed
‘There’s A Party Going On Right Here:’ Philadelphia Civic Celebrations – Part Three: Race, Redevelopment, and the Bicentennial
From their inception, Philadelphia’s civic celebrations were invested with political messages and social values that, as the city’s population grew more diverse, often betrayed the politics of inclusion and exclusion in the City of Brotherly Love. As celebrations increasingly became city-wide endeavors, they served as a means to build communities, both real and imagined, [...]
Posted in Entertainment, Events and People Comments closed
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