Collection of nearly 3,000 stereographs published and distributed in or of Philadelphia. The photographs mainly portray commercial and residential street scenes, particularly Market and Chestnut streets; religious, public, financial, and industrial buildings and institutions; and historic and prominent landmarks as well as a small selection of non-Philadelphia views.

The Court of Honor during the Elks' greatest parade, Philadelphia, July 18, 1907.
View of the "Elks Greatest Parade" on South Broad Street during the 21st Annual Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Convention held in Philadelphia in 1907. Depicts a float, a horse-drawn wagon carrying a large stuffed elk and passengers, and several costumed parade participants from various Elk Lodges throughout the country. Participants include a group dressed as minstrels in bowler hats and duster jackets and members attired all in white holding umbrellas. Spectators line the street. The south side of City Hall is visible in the distance., Title from item., Berry, Kelley & Chadwick was an early 20th century prolific publisher and retailer of stereoviews with locations in Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, and Atlanta., Purchase 1978., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
A darktown wedding, the ceremony
Racist depiction of the nuptials of a young African American couple officiated by a white-haired African American man and witnessed by six African American attendants. In the left, the officiant, attired in a suit, holds a paper as he conducts the ceremony. The bride, attired in veil pinned to the back of her hair, a white dress with a large boutonniere of flowers, and white gloves, has her head tilted down and holds the hand of the groom. The groom, attired in a white collared shirt, a waistcoat, a jacket with a large flower boutonniere, pants, and shoes, stands facing left towards the officiant. Two women and three men stand behind the couple and watch the ceremony. One man alters a placard on the wall that reads, “suffer little children to come unto me” by crossing out “me” and writing “us” inverting the “s.” The dilapidated wall with exposed brick is sparsely decorated with another placard, “God bless our home” and a framed picture. A top hat rests on a stool., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1901 by C.H. Graves., Publisher's blindstamp on mount., Distributor's blindstamp on mount: The Universal Photo Art Co. Philadelphia, Napierville, Ill., London, Paris, Hamburg., Stamped on mount: 4574., Purchase 2001., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Is yo' sho' lady when I wears dese stockings I won' fin' ma laigs all black.
Racist caricature reminiscent of the plate "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" from E.W. Clay's racist satiric series, Life in Philadelphia, originally published in the late 1820s and early 1830s. Depicts an African American man dressed as a woman attired in a brimmed hat, a long-sleeved dress tied with a bow at the back, a fur shawl, shoes, and with a closed umbrella and a basket at her feet. She sits in front of the counter of a dry goods store and inquires in the vernacular about a pair of dark stockings which she holds. A young white woman sales clerk smiles with her elbows on the counter and displays to the customer a second pair of dark-colored stockings. Bolts of fabric rest on shelves behind the clerk, and socks and hosiery hang above. A white woman customer shops at the other end of the counter, in the right., Title from item., Date from copyright statement: Copyright 1902 by Underwood & Underwood., Printed on mount: Works and Studios. Arlington, N.J. Westwood, N.J. Washington, D.C., Sun sculpture trademark printed on mount., Title printed on verso in six different languages, including French, German, and Spanish., Grey mount with rounded corners., See Life in Philadelphia. "Have you any flesh coloured silk stockings...?" [LCP Life in Philadelphia (Philadelphia) P.9701.9], Purchase 2002., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.