[Chestnut Street Theatre]. North East corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. [graphic] / Drawn and engraved on wood, by D.C. Baxter, (successor to Wm. B. Gihon,)
Title
[Chestnut Street Theatre]. North East corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia
Description
View of the second building of the theater, built 1820-1822 after the designs of William Strickland, Pedestrians walk on the sidewalk and read playbills on display. Also shows partial views of neighboring buildings, including Hart’s Building owned by prominent Jewish publisher and philanthropist, Abraham Hart, erected 1848 (537-539 Chestnut). A gas light with a shade illustrated with a dancer adorns the Melodeon (611-613 Chestnut) and signage advertising D. C. Baxter, engraver on wood, is partially visible on Hart’s Building. Theater razed 1856., Forms part of Poulson scrapbooks, Illustrations of Philadelphia, volume 4., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Baxter, De Witt Clinton, ca. 1829-1881, engraver
Date
[ca. 1855]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Poulson scrapbooks - vol. 4 [(4)2526.F.73a]
Illustrated Philadelphia. Vincit qui se vincit. Vol. IV. [graphic] / Collected from fugitive sources only by Chas. A. Poulson.
Title
Illustrated Philadelphia. Vincit qui se vincit. Vol. IV
Description
Scrapbook containing clippings, prints, and ephemera predominately dated 1855 pertaining to the built environment, and social, cultural, economic, and political climate of Philadelphia. Contents include illustrated newspaper, periodical, and guidebook clippings describing prominent city landmarks, including cemeteries, benevolent institutions, and churches; columns reporting about city improvements; reports, lists, and statistics about mortality rates, market prices, and sheriff and real estate sales; and editorial and public interest stories related to local politics and mores, prominent trades, social events, municipal services, and city demographics. Subjects include the new Masonic Hall (history of the local organization, dedication ceremony, and description of building); the history and demolition of the second building of the Chestnut Street Theatre; the centennial anniversary of the Pennsylvania Hospital; the state of local trades, including Jules Hauel & Co.’s perfumery, the soda water business, "plaster images," lithography (P. S. Duval, p. 24), preserves and pickling (Jacob L. Wendall), milkmen, shipbuilding, manufacture of cassimeres, and over-worked and underpaid needle woman; municipal issues, including the mayor’s veto of councilmen wearing police badges, the reforms to street names and numbering, extended hours at the public squares, and the report of the Grand Inquest of 1850, including prison reform recommendations., Several articles describe new construction, predominantly churches, and improvements to the city infrastructure, particularly on Chestnut Street. Subjects include Fourth Baptist Church, First Reformed Dutch Church, First Baptist Church, Christ Church Germantown, New Moravian Church, and St. Jude’s Church;the opening of part of Delaware Avenue; the Market Street tunnel (1844); the extension of West Chester Railroad to Media; Reading Railroad Bridge; inauguration of the Wagner Free Institute; Germantown; the new offices of the Board of Surveys; the fancy and perfumery store of T. H. Peters & Co. (700 block Chestnut) and saddlery of Lacey and Phillips (700 Lodge Street); the opening of Belmont Avenue; the 1850 building season; and preservation of trees in areas of construction in West Philadelphia. Subjects addressed through editorials include the decrepit state of the Merchant’s Exchange (annotated "as written by G. G. Foster for the "Sunday Mercury"); the chimes of the Christ Church bell; the ca. 1765 cartoon “The Election, A Medley…” (p. 15); the horse market at Bush Hill; Chestnut Street and Custom House vendors; the omnibus system; a G.G. Foster article about “daylight ruffians" and their haunts; and "Negro Minstrelsy and Jakeyism." Other articles satirize "Philadelphia Customs" like cleanliness; advertise baby shows organized by P.T. Barnum and colleagues; and provide commentaries about the sale of the late Edward D. Ingraham’s library and estate; Phoebe Ann Rush’s mansion; Governor Pollock’s visit to the "colored High School in Lombard Street"; tariffs established by hotel keepers (1855); the extent of foot traffic at Third and Chestnut Street in one hour; the demographics of South Street; and stocking the Delaware with salmon., Ephemera includes seven lottery tickets, issued between 1796 and 1833, and playbills for Chestnut Street Theater and Deutches (i.e., German) National Theater. Lotteries represent the Union Canal of Pennsylvania, Washington Canal, Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Delaware. Scrapbook also includes detailed manuscript notes about "Morris’ Palace"; the Farmers & Mechanics Bank; Chestnut Street Theatre signage; "List of American Theatres"; "St. Peter’s church steeple and bells"; and "The German Theatre.", Graphic materials, predominately views and illustrations of landmarks, and advertisements, include wood engravings, engravings, and cameo stamps. Views and illustrations include images of Fairmount Water Works; "The Coal Wharves at Richmond, near Philadelphia"; Masonic Hall; Philadelphia Bank; "Front View of the American Sunday School Union Buildings, 146 Chesnut St., Philadelphia"; St. Mark's Church; the Philadelphia Library (i.e., Library Company); and the Orphan Asylum. Advertisements depict “A View of the Laboratory and Residence of Dr. Schenck, S.E. corner of Coates and Marshall Streets…”; Charles Ellis & Co., wholesale druggists (56 Chestnut); Beck & Co., perfumery (205 Arch, i.e., 500 block); "Messrs. Glenn & Co.’s Store, 180 Chestnut Street" (i.e., 700 block); Dr. McClintock’s Family Medicines (Ninth and Filbert); Blanchard & Co., wallpaper and upholstery (227 Chestnut, i.e., 700 block); James, Kent, Santee & Co., wholesale dry goods (147 N. Third, i.e., 200 block); M. Walker & Son, wire railing manufactory (Sixth and Market); Fritz, Williams & Henry, leather (29 N. Third); S. A. Harrison, warming and ventilating warehouse (Walnut near Sixth); "Northeast corner of Third and Chestnut Streets" (includes Moran & Sickels, printers); “Anthy. Finley’s Bookstore, corner of Chesnut and Fourth Streets”; Joseph Maples, sculptor and marble cutter (Arch near Broad); F. H. Smith, pocket book and port monaie manufacturer (Fourth and Chestnut); Fowler, Wells & Co., phrenologists (231 Arch, i.e., 600 block); Lippincott’s clothing warehouse (400 block Market); W. P. & G. W. Hacker, china, glass, queensware (60 N. Second); Henry Duhring & Co., hosiery and yarns (22 N. Fourth); and Lindsay & Blakiston, publishers., Cameo stamps advertise Jones’ Exchange Hotel (77 Dock); W. & E. H. Hawkins, flour & feed mills (Ninth above Poplar); and William Gorman boys clothing establishment (Ninth and Market). Majority of the advertisements include street and pedestrian traffic. Graphics also include prints from William Birch's and C.G. Child's "Views of Philadelphia" series; vignettes depicting an "ice water" fountain, trunks by T.W. Matson, "chamber furniture," a woman using opera glasses, a spit, an arm chair, the exterior of the “Book & Stationary, No. 104 South Third Street,” “Statue of William Penn,”and ladies bonnets; and illustrations of “the fashion of ladies costume of 1853 – not exaggerated!” including shawls and overcoats and military and fireman’s caps “worn in 1854”., Majority of contents annotated with a date or explicative manuscript notes by Poulson., Cut outs pasted on title page. Imagery includes allegorical female figures representing art and writing, a pedestal, and a gilted memorial vignette., Verso of title page contains Poulson inscription: “The dates of the articles herein, are those of the newspapers &c from which they were cut. Cutout of vignette of roman garbed woman holding a mirror frames the inscription., "Index to set in back part of vol. XI.", Insert opposite p. 40: Lettersheet inscribed with explicative text about “picture representing the building at N.E. corner of Third and Chestnut street." Insert opposite p. 44: 2 lettersheets inscribed with explicative text about contents (Wetherill Family and Finley's Bookstore) on p. 44. One signed by Thompson Westcott and dated 1858. Insert opposite p. 88: Lettersheet dated 1855 and inscribed with explicative text about the Philadelphia Bank received by Poulson from “Mr. Robins the present Prest. Of Philadelphia Bank”, Scraps with manuscript notes about the estates "Solitude" and "Landsdown House" tipped in before p. 80., Artists, engravers, and printers include Beller; Joseph H. Brightly; J. H. Byram; Edward Clarkson; W. Croome; George Devereux; W. E. Gihon; Gilbert & Gihon; A. Kollner; Jacob Maas; H. L. Stephens; William Strickland; H. Tanner; and R. Telfer., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
Poulson, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1789-1866, compiler
Date
1796-1855, bulk 1855
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Poulson scrapbooks - vol. 4 [(4)2526.F]