Details
Title Pharazyn, Alfred
Date b. ca. 1833-ca. 1878
Description Alfred Pharazyn, born ca. 1833 in England, operated a print coloring establishment, particularly lithographs, in Philadelphia from the 1850s to 1870s. By 1850 Pharazyn and his family had relocated to Philadelphia where he worked as a clerk and resided in the Pine Ward with his mother Maria (b. ca. 1805), a colorist, and his siblings, except for his brother, artist and colorist Henry (1822-1903). Within six years, Pharazyn was listed in credit reports with the jewelry, book, and coloring establishment he had taken over for his father at 103, i.e., 229, South Street. He employed 20-30 female colorists, entered a partnership to establish a dry goods store in Delaware, as well as issued three variants, with lithographer John L. Magee, of the sensational news event lithograph "Terrible Conflagration and Destruction of the Steamboat 'New Jersey,' on the Delaware River."
Despite a judgment in favor of payment of $875 to lithographer James McGuigan in 1861, Pharazyn continued his coloring and dry goods establishment and earned enough income during the 1860s to be taxed by the I.R.S. By 1867 he also expanded his South Street business to include housewares; owned several properties worth about $60, 000; had endured a robbery; and owned his store valued at $10,000. By the early 1870s, Pharazyn remained in the coloring trade, with a less than desirable credit rating due to his slow payments first cited in 1871. Pharazyn remained listed in city directories until 1878, with his last entry as a bookseller at 121 Dock Street.
Pharazyn was married to Mary (nee McDevitt) who "principally attended" the dry goods business and with whom he had several children. Pharazyn lived in Center City throughout his career, with residences at 63 Prune Street (1853), 1700 block of Addison Street (1855), 530 Barron Street (1874), and 218 Spruce Street (1878). Pharazyn died before 1885 when his wife was listed as a widow at 221 McClellan. Given his lack of entries in city directories after 1878, he probably died around this time.
Is part of Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
References See Magee, John L. , McGuigan, James and Pharazyn, Henry.
Call number Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Bibliographic citation "Pharazyn," Ancestry.com message boards
Census 1850
Pennsylvania, Vol. 3, p. 487, R.G. Dun & Co. Collection, microfilm, Hagley Museum & Library
Philadelphia Business and City Directories, 1853-1878 (intermittently)