Title |
Murphy, William F. |
Alternate title |
Murphy, William F. & Sons |
|
William F. Murphy Sons |
Date |
1800-ca. 1863 |
Description |
William F. Murphy, born in New York in 1800, was the proprietor of William F. Murphy & Sons, the blank book manufactory, stationery,
and lithographic printing establishment in operation in Philadelphia from 1820 until after 1945. Murphy, originally trained
at a blank book manufactory in New York established his business in Philadelphia in 1820. By the late 1850s, the manufactory
included printing services and Murphy's sons Henry F. (b. ca. 1836) and Charles S. (ca. 1829) were partners in the firm located
on the 300 block of Chestnut Street (320, later 339 Chestnut Street). The elder Murphy died ca. 1863 and his sons assumed
the business as William F. Murphy's Sons.
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In 1872, the firm relocated to 509 Chestnut Street, which was commemorated in a series of stereographs by James Cremer showing
interior views of the firm's new site. The Murphy firm also often exhibited at local, state, and international exhibitions,
including the Paris Exposition of 1867 and the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 as well as at the Franklin Institute. The firm
withstood a fire in 1881 and remained in operation into the twentieth century (until at least 1945) with William H. Brooks
serving as president by the 1920s.
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Murphy was married to Ann (b. ca. 1815) with whom he had five children as listed in the 1860 census. In 1860, Murphy also
owned personal estate worth $10,000 and resided at 916 Morgan Street. At the time of his death ca. 1863, Murphy resided at
1103 Callowhill Street.
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Is part of |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
Call number |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
Bibliographic citation |
Biographical Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania of the Nineteenth Century (1874), 90 |
|
Census 1840, 1860 |
|
Groce & Wallace, 462 |
|
Library Company of Philadelphia research file |
|
Philadelphia Business and City Directories, 1820-1863 |
|
WWWAA, 2372 |