Photographic views of New City Building
Title
Photographic views of New City Building
Description
Albums of progress photographs of the early construction of City Hall built 1871-1901 on Penn Square after the designs of John McArthur, Jr. Photographs show different stages of the construction of the foundation and lower floor of the building between 1873 and 1875. Includes images of the dirt sub basement; construction materials, equipment, and workers; aerial views of the built foundation; partially completed walls and abutments; and studio views of columns and architectural ornaments. Several of the views include scaffolding; horse-drawn carts; pulleys; piles of construction debris; Pennsylvania Railroad cars on Market Street; and workers and well-dressed men, probably the commissioners, reviewing and posed on or near constructed parts of the building and construction materials. Views also show surrounding cityscape, including the Masonic Temple (Broad and Filbert); United States Mint (1331-1337 Chestnut Street); the Seventh Presbyterian Church (Broad Street above Chestnut Street); Pennsylvania Railroad Freight Depot (13th and Market); La Salle College High School (Filbert and Juniper); Sharpless & Watts, flooring tile (1325 Market Street); the spires of Arch Street Methodist Episcopal Church (s.w. cor. Broad & Arch) and First Baptist Church (n.w. cor. Broad and Arch); and other surrounding businesses (beer hall, wall paper, and furniture) and residences., Volume 1 (Oct. 1873-Aug. 1874) contains two tipped in letters, dated December 26, 1873 and June 27, 1874, from President of the Commissioners for the Erection of the Public Buildings Samuel C. Perkins. Correspondence presents the stereographs, "authorized to be taken by the commissioners," as a means for the library to "have for preservation in [the] archives a complete photographic record of the progress of a work which under any aspect must be considered as of marked importance in our local history.", Stereographs numbered, dated, and printed with the series title "Views of Construction in Sub-Basement" or "Views of Construction" and the names of the architect, chief assistant, and board of commissioners on the verso., Calf bindings, polished and mottled., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Volume 1 image reproduced in The Print and Photograph Department of the Library Company of Philadelphia's Center City Philadelphia in the 19th century (Portsmouth, N.H.: Arcadia Publishing, 2006), p. 116., Samuel C. Perkins, a Philadelphia lawyer, served as president of the Commissioners for the Erection of the Public Buidlings 1872-1891., Housed in phase boxes.
Creator
Cremer, James, 1821-1893
Date
1873-1875
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department albums - Cremer [(1) 23455.D & (2) 23455.D]
The City Hall Philadelphia. Architecture, sculpture and history.
Title
The City Hall Philadelphia. Architecture, sculpture and history
Description
Limited edition volume, organized in 18 topical sections, containing photomechanical reproductions of engravings (by Faust) and photographs showing views of the interior, exterior, and architectural and sculptural details of the municipal building built 1871-1901 after the designs of John McArthur, Jr. Sections, predominately titled, include Modeling of the William Penn statue; views of court rooms, Mayor's Office, entrances; Window Spandrels Tower; Bronze Groups on Towers; Centre Pavilion Dormers; Caryatides (i.e., supporting columns sculptured in the form of a draped female figure); Medallions in Conversation Hall of Councils; Doorway Spandrels. Northern & Eastern Entrances; Keystones; Panels. Stairway; Impost Panels of Windows; Spandrels and Statuary Centre Pavilion; Panels; Tower Capitals; Spandrels Interior of Tower; Panels in Eastern Entrance; Spandrels in Northern Entrance; and Window Spandrels in Northern Entrance. Interior views often include pedestrian traffic., Architectural and ornamental details depict allegorical, historical, ethical, anthropological, and political and governmental figures and tableaux, including "Distinguished Early Philadelphians"; the continents; the four natural elements and seasons; "Indians"; Swedes; mammals, reptiles, and birds, including eagles, bears, and buffalo; the natural and social sciences, arts, and humanities; industry, mechanics, and commerce; civilization and barbarism; prayer and meditation; victory and fame; admonition and repentance; and liberty and law; and youth. Details also show the seal of Pennsylvania and stereotyped, ethnographic facial studies, and cherubic figures., Edition de luxe limited to one thousand copies. Copy no. 48., Frontispiece shows a view engraved by Faust of the exterior of City Hall. Includes street and pedestrian traffic., Front matter is misordered ([p. 4] and [p. 5] reversed) and includes an "Historical" overview of the location and construction of the building; "Description of the Buildings," including the styles of "Architecture" and dimensions; the "Comparative Heights of the Principal Buildings of the World"; and the "Inscription upon face of Corner-stone in centre of tower foundation.", Reproduced wood engravings contain artist's signature or initials: F. Faust; F.F., Original cloth bindings, brown cloth grained with gilt stamped front cover and endpapers removed and rehoused with rebound album for conservation., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Frederick Faust, born in Germany in 1849, immigrated to the United States in 1870 and worked as a wood engraver in Philadelphia by the early 1880s. He continued in the trade as an illustrator into the early 20th century and was retired by 1930.
Creator
Faust, Frederick
Date
c1897
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department albums - Faust [It 7 2779.F]