View showing the first building of the Old Central High School for Boys, the first public high school in the city, built 1837-1838 on Juniper Street between Market and Chestnut streets. Building contained an astronomical observatory tower. Razed in 1853., Title, date, and photographer from accompanying manuscript note by collector., Originally part of a series of eleven scrapbooks compiled by Philadelphia antiquarian Charles A. Poulson in the late 1850s entitled "Illustrations of Philadelphia" volume 5, page 59. The scrapbooks contained approximately 120 photographs by Philadelphia painter and pioneer photographer Richards of 18th-century public, commercial, and residential buildings in the city of Philadelphia commissioned by Poulson to document the vanishing architectural landscape., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., See Poulson's scrapbook, vol. 5, p. 13., 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. 101., Arcadia caption text: On October 21, 1838, Philadelphia’s first four-year public school opened with an enrollment of 89 boys. Central High School, located on Juniper Street between Market and Chestnut streets, offered superior courses taught by respected faculty. This photograph was taken in 1853, the year the school sold the site to the Pennsylvania Railroad and began construction of a larger school. The observatory tower visible in the background reportedly had better telescopes than Harvard University.
Creator
Richards, F. De B. (Frederick De Bourg), photographer
Date
[photographed ca. 1853, printed January 1854]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - Richards - Education [(5)2526.F.59]
View showing the first building of the Old Central High School for Boys, the first public high school in the city, built 1837-1838 on the Juniper Street between Market and Chestnut streets. Building contained an astronomical observatory tower. Razed in 1853., Attributed to F. De B. Richards., Title supplied by cataloguer., Originally part of a McAllister scrapbook., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited.
Creator
Richards, F. De B. (Frederick De Bourg), photographer
Date
[photographed ca. 1853, printed January 1854]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department photo - Richards - Education [(6)1322.F.115c]
