Photographic Views of Philadelphia's New City Building
Title
Photographic Views of Philadelphia's New City Building
Description
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.
Views of construction of New City Building, Philadelphia, John McArthur, Jr., architect.
Title
Views of construction of New City Building, Philadelphia, John McArthur, Jr., architect
Description
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; and partially completed walls and abutments. Several of the views include scaffolding; horse-drawn carts; pulleys; piles of construction debris; 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 west and south elevations of Masonic Temple (Broad and Filbert); the Pennsylvania Railroad freight depot (13th and Market); the towers of the gothic-style St. John the Evangelist Church (23-25 South 13th); West Penn Square Academy (s.w. corner of Market and Merrick); the spire of the Arch Street Methodist Episcopal Church (s.w. corner Broad and Arch); La Salle College High School (n.e. corner Broad and Filbert); and dwellings facing Penn Square. Also shows broadsides posted to the fence surrounding the construction site advertising Pugh & Creauthers furniture manufacturers and dealers (228 So. 2nd St.); Fox's New American Theatre; Arion Pianos (1308 Chestnut); and Secor Sewing Machines (Eighth and Walnut)., Six are from the Views of construction in sub-basement series and eight are from the Views of construction series., Series titled "Views of construction in sub-basement" (P.9840.3-7) copyrighted 1873 by James Cremer., Photographer's imprint on mounts., Dates on versos., Printed text on versos list names of architects and the Board of Commissioners., Yellow mounts with rounded corners., See also albums - Cremer [(1)23455.D and (2)23455.D], Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., From 1873 to 1875, Cremer documented the construction of Philadelphia's City Hall in a series of stereographs produced for the Commissioner for the Erection of the Public Building.
Creator
Cremer, James, 1821-1893
Date
December 1873-September 1875
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Cremer - Construction [P.9006.1-8; P.9079.5; P.9840.3-7]
Photographic views of New City Building
Title
Photographic views of New City Building
Description
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., Volume 1 (Oct. 1873-Aug. 1874) contains two tipped in letters, dated December 26, 1873 and June 27, 1874, from President of the Commissioners for the Erection of the Public Buildings Samuel C. Perkins. Correspondence presents the stereographs, "authorized to be taken by the commissioners," as a means for the library to "have for preservation in [the] archives a complete photographic record of the progress of a work which under any aspect must be considered as of marked importance in our local history.", Stereographs numbered, dated, and printed with the series title "Views of Construction in Sub-Basement" or "Views of Construction" and the names of the architect, chief assistant, and board of commissioners on the verso., Calf bindings, polished and mottled., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Volume 1 image 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. 116., Samuel C. Perkins, a Philadelphia lawyer, served as president of the Commissioners for the Erection of the Public Buidlings 1872-1891., Housed in phase boxes.
Creator
Cremer, James, 1821-1893
Date
1873-1875
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department albums - Cremer [(1) 23455.D & (2) 23455.D]