Continuing on with more Philadelphia ephemera; it constantly amazes me that I can still find this stuff from 70+ years ago. I recently came across this flyer and pass (ticket) for the Franklin Institute, dated April 1944. I actually had this back in Feb 2023, but decided it would be cool to wait until April 2023, to reflect the Franklin Institute a short 79 years ago.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute – Flyer and Day Pass – April 1944”Franklin Institute – Very Early Member Letters
Just when you think finding 70 year old stuff is cool, finding 111 year old stuff is even cooler! These two letters were both addressed to the same person in Philadelphia, as they were likely a “member” back then. The postmarks on the cards match the dates seen.
Just to put things into perspective, if you’re familiar with the Franklin Institute, the older of these letters pre-date the current 1936 building by more than two decades! At the time, they had a building on 7th Street, which is actually still there and had housed the Philadelphia History Museum after the Franklin Institute moved to the current building.
In this first letter, they mention the outing at Woodside Park, which was an amusement park located just outside Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.
And with a quick search or two, I believe this may have been the grain elevator the second letter refers to! I’m assuming there was a park or place nearby?
(Image from the Philadelphia Free Library)
Postcards – Early Wanamaker Organ & Store, Philadelphia
I was going through some postcards I recently acquired and thought I should post these up. These are the only postcards of the Wanamaker store and Organ that I’ve ever found. The Wanamaker organ is the world’s largest fully-functional musical instrument, and is still at the former Wanamaker’s Store (now Macy’s) in Philadelphia. The organ has been fully restored, and the facade was restored in 2020.
Continue reading “Postcards – Early Wanamaker Organ & Store, Philadelphia”R. R. (Dick) Farr – Political Calling Card
I recently got to raid the attic of my cousins’ former historic house in Virginia, as they’ve moved to a new place. In the attic though was tons of ephemera from the former owners of their house. I grabbed a handful of things, although in hindsight I wish I grabbed more.
In the collection was a shoe box of letters and ephemera from Mr. and Mrs. Richard (Dick) Farr, a former politician and lawyer in Fairfax County, VA. Mr. Farr was really Richard Ratcliff (Dick)Farr III, succeeding his father Richard Farr II, who had a storied life in both politics and the confederate war. (His father’s story can be found in various places, such as here and here, and is worth a read.)
Continue reading “R. R. (Dick) Farr – Political Calling Card”Franklin Institute 1874 Exhibition Stereograph – I got one!
I previously talked about the 1874 Franklin Institute Exhibition in a couple of past posts like this one, which had some links to various stereographs; a primitive way to present 3d-like images, similar to the VR goggles we use today with cell phones. (Makes me wonder if there’s an app to view these old pics). Anyway, I’m pleased to share one I actually found myself!
Continue reading “Franklin Institute 1874 Exhibition Stereograph – I got one!”Recording Booth Record – Parents to Vietnam Vet still Overseas
I don’t think I posted this before, but in my thrift shop adventures, I’ve found a few recording booth records, which are records that were recorded in an actual recording booth. The machines that used to make these are pretty rare now and worth quite a bit.
Continue reading “Recording Booth Record – Parents to Vietnam Vet still Overseas”1876 Philadelphia Centennial Trade Card – Potsdamer & Co.
Ok, I’ll readily admit this site likely seems boring and conservative; even I wouldn’t have imagined that despite having more hobbies than brains, that the thing I’d be posting about the most are…postcards? Really?? Like I needed another hobby. I promise I’ll post some more fun stuff in the near future, until then…the boring stuff LOL. I’m not all “conservative” either; the heavy metal music rattles the antiques too much.
Continue reading “1876 Philadelphia Centennial Trade Card – Potsdamer & Co.”Leeland Mansion Postcard – 1917
As I’m from Conshohocken, PA, I got interested in the history of it in the recent past, with books like this one, as well as other books, events, and web sites hosted by Jack and Brian Coll of Coll’s Custom Framing.
Conshohocken is a small town with a big name, and even bigger history. Having had it’s place in the industrial revolution, Conshohocken, or “Conshy”, was known for immigrants, and industry; including (but not limited to) steel, textiles, surgical supplies, and tires. (It was also known for supposedly having a record for most churches, bars, and funeral homes in a square mile, or something like that?) ANYWAY, a notable figure in that history was J. Ellwood Lee, a Conshohocken native-turned-inventor who was awarded a number of patents, earlier with surgical supplies he started making in his attic, and later to rubber, eventually founding the Lee Tire Company.
Continue reading “Leeland Mansion Postcard – 1917”Grail Acquired: Teletype Model 19
After watching a CuriousMarc’s series of videos restoring a Model 19 Teletype on Youtube, I HAD to have one. As someone who has an unexplained penchant for vintage stuff, technology, and steampunk (like?) aesthetics, this not only checks the boxes, it hammers them home!
Continue reading “Grail Acquired: Teletype Model 19”Historic Church in Chester, PA Burns
I’m really bummed about this; a while back a buddy of mine, who’s family is part of the Chester Historical Society, mentioned that the society took ownership of a very old and historic Presbyterian church in Chester. As such, we went to the church to help them start to clean it up as well as look around and get a bunch of pictures of the building, noting issues that would need to be addressed and so on.
4 years later, on May 27th 2020, the church burned to the ground.
Continue reading “Historic Church in Chester, PA Burns”