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Title: Illustrations of Philadelphia
Description: Scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, prints, and manuscript notes, predominantly dated between 1856 and 1860, pertaining to the built environment, and social, cultural, economic, and political climate of Philadelphia. Subject matter includes the Sunday Dispatch newspaper column series “Indian Names”; reports on municipal services, including the fire department; population, trade, and crime statistics; mortality rates; real estate sales; descriptions of new building construction, including the Continental Hotel, Jayne Building (1856), new Bank of Pennsylvania (1856), churches, and storefronts on Arch, Market and Chestnut streets and in various wards, including the Twenty-Fourth and Fifteen, and near Rittenhouse Square; commentaries about city businesses and industries, including Harvey & Ford, turners in ivory and bone, Lacey & Phillips, saddler, markets, flour mills, sawing machines, omnibuses, joiner, and envelope and paper bag machinery, and the publishing trade. Other articles discuss fashion trends; the Schuylkill Rangers gang; “Street Nomenclature”; the early histories of Philadelphia, Germantown, Roxborough and Manayunk; benevolent and educational institutions and societies, including the Alms House, Philadelphia Orphan Society and the City Institute; food ways and manufacturing; the growth of Philadelphia; and a “Fistic”, i.e., fighting exhibition at Franklin Hall (1860). Also contains classifieds dated 1786; vignette wood engravings showing top hats, a stove, a plane, and a city fire plug; and satirical articles and illustrations, including African American characters, about the “Fine Arts”, i.e., street trades, fashion, the 1857 mayoral election, and improper use of a heating stove titled "A Picture of the Season.” Majority of graphics are wood and intaglio engravings, predominately advertisements showing storefronts., Graphics depict the Custom House; the Northern Home for Friendless Children; Mills B. Espy, pickels and fruits (109 S. Third.); the exteriors and interiors of Samuel Simes, store and family medicine laboratory (S.W. cor. Chestnut and Twelfth) and Wm. D. Rogers, coach manufactory (Sixth & Master); Loxley House (307 S. Second St.); Church of the Epiphany and Residence of Mr. Godey; Henry A. Bower (“N.E. cor. 6th and Green Sts.”); United States Hotel; Farmer’s and Mechanic’s Bank; Franklin Swimming Bath (68 N. Twelfth); Charles Ellis & Co., wholesale druggists (65 Chestnut.); Jones & Co., clothing store (200 Market); Baker & Williams, ranges & warm air furnaces (406 Market); "Schuylkill River, below Norristown, Pennsylvania"; Philadelphia Steam Marble Works (1700 block Chestnut); Continental Hotel; Consolidation Bank (331 N. Third St.); Union Saw & Tool Manufactory. Johnson & Conway, Office and Wareroom (Fourth & Cherry); and the Bulletin Building., Majority of contents annotated with a date by Poulson., Title page illustrated with a ca. 1856 lithographer's advertisement issued by Wagner & McGuigan. Depicts an allegorical, patriotic scene with the figure of Columbia, attired in a toga, American flag, and laurel wreath, and with a broken shackle under her foot as she stands on a pedestal., Verso of title page contains Poulson inscription: "The dates of the articles herein, are those of the Newspapers &c from they are cut." Inscription framed with cut out designed with ornamental pictorial details., Artists, engravers, printers, and publishers include D. C. Baxter, George T. Devereux, David Scattergood, and Joseph M. Wilson., "Index to set in back part of vol. XI.", Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Loxley House engraving (p. 14) accompanied by extensive manuscript note by Poulson.
Creator: Poulson, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1789-1866, compiler
Date: 1786-1860, bulk 1856-1860
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Poulson scrapbooks - vol. 8 [(8)2526.F]

Title: The pious Mr. All-bone, taking leave of his directors previous to his departure for Europe
Description: Cartoon about the Panic of 1857 satirizing the dubious overseas departure of the Bank of Pennsylvania president Thomas Allibone preceding the failure of the financial institution in the fall of 1857. Allibone claimed he departed for Europe for health reasons with the support of the Board of Director. The board later charged he resigned while in debt $200,000 to the bank. Shows the Bank of Pennsylvania board wishing a teary-eye Allibone farewell at the "Steamer Europe Sail" wharf. The board stands on "Bank of Pennsylvania" charters and many sneer and hold handkerchiefs to their faces. To the rear of the group, a white woman "reduced to absolute want" from the bank failure, stands with her children, including a baby at her breast, and asks one of the board members "could you not through your influence, obtain me a situation as housekeeper or school teacher?" The member jeers that his influence is "for his friends" and she should get "some tickets for soup." At the front of the group, the wart-nosed, rotund head of the board, shakes Allibone's hand. He assures the departing president of the entire respect and sympathy for his "good care" of the funds of the "Board, and the Widows, and Orphans." He hopes Allibone will return with "renovated health and strength" as well as a purchased title that includes "Gentleman of the Grand Order of the Rag Mill and the Check Marked Good.", Allibone stands on several sheets of "stock" near his valises. He holds a handkerchief to his face, and carries the book of "Common Prayer" in his coat pocket. He responds that if "a liberal expenditure of THEIR money" restores his health that he will attempt to purchase a title. He also suggests that his well-wisher go to church regularly, keep out of jail, and keep his breeches buttoned up and he "will sail through this crisis with flying colors." In the right, an African American woman peddler holds her nose and states in the vernacular that it is because of the "bad odor of dis paper! won't git much fur dis." Beside her, a white boy fishing at the pier remarks to his wriggling, hooked worm that "yer bound to be catched at last." Also shows an African American man, attired in worn and torn clothing, seated and chewing a stick in front of an overturned barrel while a white cabman races his horse-drawn coach down the street of grocery stores in the background. The driver hollers "Stop him! He owes me 130 dollars for Cab-hire." Groceries advertised include onions, molasses, soft sawder (i.e., blarney), sugar, oil, and vinegar., Artist probably John L. Magee., Title from item., Date inferred from content., Weitenkampf incorrectly provides date of 1837., John L. Magee's print "The Dreadful Accident on the North Pennsylvania Railroad" (1856) lithographed on the verso. [7663.Fb], Purchase 1968., RVCDC, Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., 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.
Creator: Magee, John L., artist
Date: [ca. 1857]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department political cartoons - 1857-Pious [7663.Fa]

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