Seventeen photographs (1894-ca. 1945) by Philadelphia amateur photographer, teamster, and machinist Eugene Davis. Images primarily document the electrification, beginning in 1894, of Philadelphia’s first horse railway line operated by the Frankford and Southwark City Passenger Railway Company. Includes views of horse-drawn cars and electric trollies. Collection also contains images of location of Davis’s machinist shop Walker & Davis, Inc. with partner Noah Walker, and other vehicles, including an autogiro, a Ford Model T truck, delivery carts and wagons, and the beached cruise ship, Morro Castle.

[The 108th Field Artillery, Pennsylvania National Guardsmen, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia]
Depicts uniformed Pennsylvania National Guardsmen from the 108th Field Artillery of Philadelphia riding in artillery tractors along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at Logan Circle. Tractors from Batteries A through F, all commanded by William A. March, are visible and pulling 155 mm howitzers. The Free Library of Philadelphia sits in the background., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Autogiro]
Depicts an autogiro on an open dirt landing area near a small wooden shed. The small airplane has four large blades that make up the rotor on top, a two-blade propellor in the front and two wings., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[The dead fleet, Pier 76, between Mifflin and Snyder streets, South Philadelphia]
Depicts three bare-masted, wooden schooners: the Francis J. McDonald, the Marie F. Cummins, and the Albert D. Cummins, known as the Dead Fleet, docked at Pier 76, between Mifflin and Snyder Streets in South Philadelphia., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Delivery wagon for Ellwood Allen, lumber & mill work, York & Richmond Sts., Philadelphia]
Depicts a man sitting in an Ellwood Allen lumber & mill work wagon in front of brick row houses on an unidentified cobblestone street. A white horse is harnessed to the wagon, which sits near a pile of bricks on the side of the street., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Ford Model T truck with signage "Walker & Davis Inc., Machinists, Ruth & Cambria Sts."]
Depicts a Ford Model T truck owned by Walker & Davis, machinists, sitting in front of their building at Ruth & Cambria Streets. Two small American flags hang over the car's headlights., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Henry Brenster driving a horsecar, Fifth & Sixth Street line, Sixth and Jackson Streets, Philadelphia.]
Depicts the driver, Henry Brenster, seated and holding the reigns and a whip in the number 16 horsecar at Sixth and Jackson Streets. The uniformed conductor stands next to Brenster and another man stands on the cobblestone street next to the vehicle. Two stalled white horses are attached to the car and wear blinders. A young boy stands on the sidewalk at the corner of the intersection, near brick row homes that line the street., Title, location, and imprint date from manuscript note on verso of duplicate., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Jackson Street and Mifflin Street electric trolleys, with drivers and passengers.]
Depicts two open-air Electric Traction Company trolleys, # 901 destined for Mifflin Street and # 1005 on a Jackson Street route in South Philadelphia. Passengers are seated on wooden "walkover" benches underneath of advertisements. On both cars are tacked identical posters advertising "Brooke and his Famous Chicago Marine Band" at Willow Grove Park. The conductors, attired in uniforms, stand on the ledge of the cars., Title from manuscript note on verso of duplicate., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[J.H. Davis driving a horsecar out of a carbarn, Fifth & Sixth Street line, Fifth & Jackson Streets, Philadelphia.]
Depicts J.H. Davis seated in the drivers position holding the horses' reigns in the number 20 horsecar, operated along the Fifth & Sixth Street line, also known as the Frankford-Southwark Passenger Railway. Four men and a boy stand near the car as it exits a carbarn at Fifth and Jackson Streets., Title, description, and location from manuscript note on verso., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[John Davis driving a horsecar out of a carbarn, Fifth & Sixth Street line, Fifth & Jackson Streets, Philadelphia.]
Depicts John Davis seated in the drivers position holding the horses' reigns in the number 12 horsecar, operated along the Fifth & Sixth Street line, also known as the Frankford-Southwark Passenger Railway. A uniformed conductor stands next to Davis and five men, including one policeman, stand near the car as it exits a carbarn at Fifth and Jackson Streets. A sign attached to the car above the windows reads: "Lincoln Park on the Delaware, Steamers every 45 minutes, Race and Christian St. Wharves. 3 concerts daily", Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[The Morro Castle (ship) beached near shore at Asbury Park, New Jersey]
Depicts a large crowd of people gathered near the beached SS Morro Castle on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Asbury Park, New Jersey. People inspect the right flank of the burned and abandoned ship facing the land., The SS Morro Castle was a cruise ship built in 1929 for the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, also known as the Ward Line, to operate between New York City and Havana, Cuba. On September 8, 1934, the ship caught fire on its way to New York and beached at Asbury Park, New Jersey., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[The Morro Castle (ship), near Asbury Park Convention Hall, New Jersey]
Depicts the SS Morro Castle in the Atlantic Ocean near the piers of the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey. A barge rides beside the once-luxurious cruise ship, possibly towing it away from the coast to be dismantled., The SS Morro Castle was a cruise ship built in 1929 for the New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, also known as the Ward Line, to operate between New York City and Havana, Cuba. On September 8, 1934, the ship caught fire on its way to New York and beached at Asbury Park, New Jersey., The Asbury Park Convention Hall was constructed ca. 1923 after designs by the New York architectural firm Warren and Wetmore., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Richard McAllister Coal Company delivery cart, Philadelphia]
Coal company cart driven by an African American man and drawn by a team of four ponies. The ponies wear harnesses, bridles, and blinders decorated with the name of "McAllister." The driver, attired in a cap, a white collared shirt, a bowtie, a jacket, and pants, holds the reins and looks at the viewer. In the left, an African American man, attired in a cap, a white shirt, and pants, stands beside a column or lamppost, which partially obscures him, as he looks at the viewer. In the background, an African American man, attired in a white shirt, is visible. McAllister, a coal dealer, had locations at 1310 North 2nd Street and 1144 Washington Avenue., Title supplied by cataloger., Gift of Emily Riese, 1991., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
[Steam dummies, Fifth & Sixth Street line, with crowd]
Depicts a crowd of people standing near the number 8 steam dummy that operated along Fifth and Sixth Streets, between Frankford and Southwark, at one point known as the Frankford-Southwark Passenger Railway. An engineer or driver stands alone in soiled overalls next to an open compartment, as if he's just repaired or inspected the car. The conductor and a uniformed policeman stand with other male passengers in the background, in front of the attached trailer, which has seats on the roof of the car., Title from manuscript on verso., According to Jackson's Encyclopedia of Philadelphia, steam dummies were first used on the Frankford branch of the Frankford-Southwark Passenger Railway in 1863 and operated until 1893 when electric streetcars replaced them., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Steam dummy, with crowd, near Frankford Dummy Depot, Frankford Avenue and Arrott Street, Philadelphia.]
Depicts two men attired in three-piece suits and hats standing in front of the number 7 steam dummy belonging to the Fifth & Sixth Street line, which operated between Frankford and Southwark. A group of men, including a conductor, stand in the back, near the attached trailer. The distinctive shingled, pyramidal roof of the Dummy Depot clock tower is visible in the background., Title from manuscript on verso., According to Jackson's Encyclopedia of Philadelphia, steam dummies were first used on the Frankford branch of the Frankford-Southwark Passenger Railway in 1863 and operated until 1893 when electric streetcars replaced them., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Street-cleaning car with workers, in garage]
Depicts four men posing near a steam dummy street cleaner inside an unidentified car barn. Barrels, bricks and other debris surround the car., Title from manuscript note on verso., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[View camera on a wooden tripod]
Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
[Walker & Davis, Inc. Machinists building at Ruth & Cambria Sts.]
Exterior view of industrial facility operated by Walker & Davis, Inc., showing four bays of large, multi-paned square windows that have smaller sections propped open for ventilation. In the center is a garage with large, open wooden doors. The entry is fenced off. A door marked "Office" is on the left side of the building., Gift of Emily Riese., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.