Interior view of the hat, cap, and fur emporium. Shows hats and furs displayed on hooks, racks, and counters; umbrellas hanging from light fixtures; mirrors, stools, and signs. Architectural details include a marble floor and frescoed ceiling. Business established by Charles Oakford in 1827. The store relocated to the hotel in 1860., Title supplied by cataloguer., Photographer's imprint blindstamped on mount., Pale yellow paper mount with square corners., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., 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. 57., Arcadia caption text: The Continental Hotel rented space on its first floor to tenants including Charles Oakford & Sons’ hat store. The richness of the hotel’s interior extended into its commercial space with Italian marble floors and 16 foot-high frescoed ceilings visible in this early 1860s photograph. Gentlemen entered through the hotel’s main lobby, while ladies used a separate entrance off Chestnut Street. Charles Oakford began manufacturing hats in Philadelphia in 1827 and by 1850 had expanded the business into the wholesale market, sending hats all over the country. Family members remained in the hat business into the 20th century., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012.
Creator
W. & F. Langenheim, photographer
Date
[ca. 1860]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereos - Langenheim - Businesses [(8)1322.F.33c]
