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Title: Congress Hall and New Theatre, in Chestnut Street Philadelphia
Description: Street scene showing Chestnut Street near Sixth Street, including views of Congress Hall and the New Theatre. Depicts white men and women and an African American woman holding an African American baby in her arms and with a white boy at her side, strolling or conversing near a wooden post in front of the hall. In front of the theatre a large crowd is gathered, a white female peddler sells her goods, and a coach travels up Chestnut Street. Congress Hall, completed in 1789 to house the Pennsylvania district and county courts, was the first quarters of the U.S. Congress from 1790 until 1800. Completed in 1793, the New Theatre, or the First Chestnut Street Theatre, was established by actor Thomas Wignell and musician Alexander Reinagle. Modeled after a lavish English theatre, it quickly became the fashionable theatre of the city., Title from item., Illustrated in Robert Teitelman's Birch's views of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: Free Library of Philadelphia, 1982, rev. 2000), pl. 20., Accessioned 1979., 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 the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Creator: W. Birch & Son
Date: 1800
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Birch's views [Sn 20/P.2276.45]

Title: Mrs. Lena Mason's Chautauqua meetings, Aug. 1st - Sept. Phila, Pa
Description: Postcard showing an African American Chautauqua meeting. Depicts African American men, women, and children gathered near several tents. In the foreground, an African American woman and man, possibly Mrs. and Mr. Mason, stand and look at the viewer next to a wooden chair with a hat on top of it. Chautauqua meetings, developed from the Lyceum Movement, were traveling tent shows providing education and entertainment to early 20th-century audiences., Title and date from item., Photographic paper company's imprint on verso: Mermont Photo Paper Co., New York., Purchase 2001., Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Digitized with funding from a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Date: 1908
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department LCP postcards - Events [P.9933.9]

Title: Arch Street, with the Second Presbyterian Church
Description: Street scene showing Arch Street between Third and Fourth Streets including the Second Presbyterian Church. Depicts many well-dressed white men and women pedestrians walking down the sidewalks, a horse-drawn carriage and cart traveling up the cobblestone street, and an African American boy leaning against a lamp post upon which a saddled horse is hitched. The Second Presbyterian church, ministered by New Light Gilbert Tennent, was built between 1750 and 1753 after the split between the Old and New Light Presbyterians. It was demolished around 1838., Title from item., Illustrated in S. Robert Teitelman's Birch's views of Philadelphia. (Philadelphia: The Free Library of Philadelphia, 1982, rev. 2000), pl. 5., LCP copy has a large vertical crease down the center of the print., Accessioned 1979., 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 the Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Creator: W. Birch & Son
Date: 1799
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Birch's views [Sn 5/P.2276.9]

Title: Commissioners Hall, Northern Liberties, Phila
Description: Exterior winter view of the hall as it looked on February 22, 1852, with adjoining fenced property, adorned with an American flag, and containing the district's police station and Mayor's office, on the busy, snow covered Third Street between Buttonwood and Green streets. Several warmly dressed white pedestrians, hall officials, and a policeman mill about and converse on the sidewalk; white children throw snowballs and play with a sled; horse-drawn sleighs pass by; white men shovel snow off the street and hall steps; and an African American man carrying a basket of celery and a dead goose stops in the street and looks behind him and toward the passing sled. A broadside inscribed, "Washington, 22nd Feb. 1852" adorns a nearby building. Prior to the city's consolidation with bordering townships in 1854, neighborhoods maintained and housed their own police stations, mayors, and other government officials in Commissioners Halls, including Northern Liberties. Built in 1814, the Northern Liberties' hall served as the quarters of the Northern Liberty Barracks until the American Revolution, and was torn down circa 1869 for the erection of Northern Liberties Grammar School., Title from item., Date of publication supplied by Wainwright., Reproduced in Edwin Wolf's Philadelphia: Portrait of an American city (Philadelphia: Camino Books in cooperation with the Library Company of Philadelphia, 1990), p. 199. Incorrectly identified as Commissioners Hall, Spring Garden., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 151, Print described in Public Ledger, July 1, 1853., Accessioned 1982., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021.
Creator: Kuchel, Charles Conrad, 1820-, artist
Date: [1853]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department **W79 [P.2034]

Title: Life in Philadelphia. A crier extraordinary
Description: Racist caricature of an African American town crier performing his duties in front of a storefront on a busy Philadelphia street. The crier, attired in worn clothing and a yellow straw hat, holds up his bell in his right hand and the sheet of news down with the other. He calls out the upcoming events, including sales of merchandise, a "sarmont on Temperance," and a "Colored Ball at Mrs. Johnsons." His attire includes a blue jacket, striped shirt with patches, a red cravat, white pants with patches, and black shoes. Several spectators listen, including an African American belle, attired in a striped, hooded cape over a dress with floral details; an African American street boy, attired in a worn jacket, vest, and pants and holding a broken mug; a white boy peddler, attired in a smock and boots and with his wares on a tray over his shoulder; and a white shopkeeper holding a cloth work in his hands as his stands in his store's doorway. The peddler boy walks a dog that has torn the crier's copy of the news. Drapery hangs in the store’s display window. Black figures are depicted with oversize and exaggerated features. White figures are depicted with exaggerated features., Signed W.S. for William Summers in lower right corner., Title from item., Date inferred from content and name of publisher., Contains five lines of dialogue in the vernacular below the image: Sale dis nite_Frying Pans_Grid Irons_Book_Oyster Knives and odder kinds of Medicines_Joe Williams will hab some fresh oysters at his stablishment_by tickler design, Mr. Hewlet will gib Imitations ober again_two or tree damaged Discussion Locks, and Rebd. Mr. P.Q. will deliver a sarmont on Temperance, half past 6 o’Clock precise, dats not all! Widout Money or Price _ de great Bull Phillip will be station at Squire S__s & dats not all nudder! dare will be a perlite & Colored Ball at Mr. Johnsons jus arter dis is bin done”_, Charles Hunt was a respected 19th century London engraver and etcher known mostly for his prints of sporting subjects., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022., Purchase 1968.
Creator: Summers, William, artist
Date: [ca. 1833]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [7689.F]

Title: Life in Philadelphia. A crier extraordinary
Description: Racist caricature of an African American town crier performing his duties in front of a storefront on a busy Philadelphia street. The crier, attired in worn clothing and a yellow straw hat, holds up his bell in his right hand and a sheet of news down with the other. He calls out the upcoming events, including sales of merchandise, a "sarmont on Temperance," and a "Colored Ball at Mrs. Johnsons." His attire includes a blue jacket, striped shirt with patches, a red cravat, white pants with patches, and black shoes. Several spectators listen, including an African American belle, attired in a striped, hooded cape over a dress with floral details; an African American street boy, attired in a worn jacket, vest, and pants and holding a broken mug; a white boy peddler, attired in a smock and boots and with his wares on a tray over his shoulder; and a white shopkeeper holding a cloth work in his hands as his stands in his store's doorway. The peddler boy walks a dog that has torn the crier's copy of the news. Drapery hangs in the store’s display window. African American figures are depicted with oversize and exaggerated features. White figures are depicted with exaggerated features.., Title from item., Date inferred from content and name of publisher., Contains five lines of dialogue in the vernacular below the image: Sale dis nite_Frying Pans_Grid Irons_Book_Oyster Knives and odder kinds of Medicines_Joe Williams will hab some fresh oysters at his stablishment_by tickler design, Mr. Hewlet will gib Imitations ober again_two or tree damaged Discussion Locks, and Rebd. Mr. P.Q. will deliver a sarmont on Temperance, half past 6 o’Clock precise, dats not all! Widout Money or Price _ de great Bull Phillip will be station at Squire S__s & dats not all nudder! dare will be a perlite & Colored Ball at Mr. Johnsons jus arter dis is bin done”_, Charles Hunt was a respected 19th-century London engraver and etcher known mostly for his prints of sporting subjects., RVCDC, Description revised 2022., Access points revised 2022.
Creator: Summers, William, artist
Date: [ca. 1833]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Life in Philadelphia (London Set) [P.9710.11]

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