Menus and ephemera related to Philadelphia restaurants, including announcements and invitations, mid-19th century. The collection was started with menus from the John A. McAllister collection and additional menus have accrued over the years. Most significantly, in 1984, Charles E. Rosenberg donated eleven menus from the anniversary dinners of the Shakespeare Society, dating from 1855 to 1874. The collection is open to new additions.
Bound volume of portraits primarily delineated by Max Rosenthal showing prominent Philadelphians, and historical and military figures, including members of the Continental Congress, clergyman, legislators, government officials, physicians, military officers, artists, and authors. Contains full-length, half-length, bust-length, and profile portraits, with some containing backgrounds and props. Also includes the front page of a September 1885 edition of "Paper and Press" containing a portrait and biography of Philadelphia publisher Henry Carey Baird and an article about printed blanks.
Two volume set of albums containing predominately cartes-de-visite photographic portraits of prominent American 19th-century figures in politics, education, and the arts, ca. 1870.
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.
