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Title: Ruins of the National Theatre, s.e. cor. of Chestnut and Ninth St
Description: Watercolor showing a view of the ruins of the National Theatre built in 1837 at 824-836 Chestnut Street, which was razed by fire on July 5, 1854. Shows partial fragments of the brick walls left standing. A broadside or poster is pasted on a fragment of the brick wall in the center. Bricks and debris are visible on the ground. Partial view of unburnt adjacent building in the left and in the background. The fire also destroyed the neighboring Philadelphia Museum known as the Chinese Museum built circa 1836-1838 after the designs of Isaac Holden at Ninth and Sansom Streets. The museum served as an exhibition space including the display of Nathan Dunn's Chinese artifact collection, and as a concert, public meeting, and lecture space., Title and date from manuscript note on accompanying mount., Manuscript on the note reads "R.H. Wells" but is likely mistaken and probably should read "C.H. Wells" who created many sketches for Charles A. Poulson., Originally part of Poulson scrapbook of illustrations of Philadelphia.
Creator: Wells, C.H., (Charles H.), approximately 1832-1884, artist
Date: March 1857
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *drawings & watercolors - Wells [P.8756.11]

Title: Stand pipe, West Philada Waterworks, flying buttresses &c
Description: Architectural drawing showing the design for the flying buttresses for the standpipe erected at Thirty-Fifth and Sycamore Streets as part of the Twenty Fourth Ward Water Works (i.e., West Philadelphia Water Works) and completed circa 1855 after the designs of engineers Birkinbine & Trotter. Shows the flying buttress and three columns colored pink and blue. Part of the buttress is super imposed on the middle column depicted. The standpipe served as a reservoir for the waterworks located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River above the Fairmount Dam and was removed in 1870., Title from item., Date inferred from date of construction., Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell, 2019., Birkinbine & Trotter was a partnership between Philadelphia engineers Henry P.M. Birkinbine and Edward H. Trotter (1814-1872).
Creator: Birkinbine & Trotter, artist
Date: [ca. 1854]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Doret and Mitchell Collection – Drawings & Watercolors [P.2019.62.24]

Title: 8 pannells [sic] for stand pipe West Philada Waterworks
Description: Architectural drawing showing the design for the panels around the base of the standpipe erected at Thirty-Fifth and Sycamore Streets as part of the Twenty Fourth Ward Water Works (i.e., West Philadelphia Water Works) and completed circa 1855 after the designs of engineers Birkinbine & Trotter. Shows the panel with a decorative floral pattern and with measurements written in pencil around the piece and a label in the right indicating that it is “full size.” Above the panel image are two pieces, probably tabs to hold the panels, labeled “full size.” Also includes structural outlines marked with notes about “cement” and “1/2m” or “1/3m bolts.” The standpipe served as a reservoir for the waterworks located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River above the Fairmount Dam and was removed in 1870., Title from item., Date inferred from date of construction., Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell, 2019., Birkinbine & Trotter was a partnership between Philadelphia engineers Henry P.M. Birkinbine and Edward H. Trotter (1814-1872).
Creator: Birkinbine & Trotter, artist
Date: [ca. 1854]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Doret and Mitchell Collection – Drawings & Watercolors [P.2019.62.23]

Title: Plan of Cresson's land in the 23d ward, Philadelphia
Description: Map showing the Cresson property and including Erie, Venango, Tioga, Ontario, F, G, H, and I Streets. Shows the border lines of the property in red ink. Several rectangles, probably symbolizing buildings, are depicted between G and H Streets and Venango Street. Beneath the map is an American flag on a pole., Title and date from item., Text written on recto: Established Curl heights at corners in red ink. Grade per 100 feet in blue. Surface heights in black., Stamped on the verso: Alfred Fitler, Conveyancer, Phila., Jan. 13, 1869., Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell, 2020.
Creator: Shallcross, Isaac, surveyor
Date: 1860
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department ***Doret and Mitchell Collection – Drawings & Watercolors [P.2022.62.3.20]

Title: Raising colored infant - ry
Description: Racist satiric print comprised of a watercolor drawing and a photograph showing a white man in civilian clothes feeding an African American doll. The man, attired in a white shirt, a black bowtie, a gray vest, gray pants, and black shoes, sits on a wooden chair and holds a spoon to the doll, costumed in a white layette gown. A bowl labeled "Bounty" is set upon a wooden chair in the left. A photograph cut-out of a head, presumably of a white commander of an African American regiment, rests on the drawn body of the man., Title from manuscript note written on the recto., Date inferred from content., Originally part of a McAllister Civil War scrapbook of humorous views and photographs. McAllister Collection, gift, 1886., Created postfreeze., RVCDC, 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 Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Date: [ca. 1863]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Drawings & Watercolors - unidentified - R [5780.F.5c]

Title: Illustrations of Philadelphia
Description: Scrapbook containing newspaper clippings, prints, drawings and manuscript notes, predominantly dated to the 1850s, pertaining to the history, the built environment, and social climate of Philadelphia. Subject matter includes clippings about Federalists, Leiper Railroad, beer brewing, historic private houses, and Patrick Lyon from the newspaper column series "Reminiscences of Philadelphia" (Christian Observer, 1856), "Philadelphia Peculiarities" (Philadelphia Sunday Mercury, 1856), and "Recollections from the Past" (authored by Poulson) and "To Readers and Anxious Inquirers" (Sunday Dispatch, 1856); articles about the early history of Germantown and Independence Hall, the origin of April Fools, a “Venerable document,” i.e., a 1747 indenture between the Library Company and librarian Robert Greenway, and the 1859 cholera epidemic at the Arch Street Prison; and newspaper advertisements for the Zoological Institute (48 S. Fifth St.), Page's Patent Safety Cab, and Colonel Chaffin, “The Celebrated Dwarf, at the Masonic Hall" (1845). Also contains an editorial about the poor quality of the Philadelphia Directory for 1865; a song sheet "Social Quoit Club" by Charles Alexander inscribed with a note about its provenance by Poulson on the verso; Poulson manuscripts about notable houses, including the Butler Mansion (Chestnut & Eighth Sts.), William Waln House (Chestnut & Seventh Sts.), and James Fisher mansion (Chestnut & Ninth Sts.); and prints, watercolors, and sketches, several created and signed by Poulson, predominantly showing Philadelphia residences, landmarks, and city and landscapes., Graphic materials include a Charles Magnus print after the Trumbull painting, "Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776"; the captioned George Gilbert illustration "A View of the Grand Civic Arch... in Honor of Lafayette" (1824); a Le Met miniature portrait of Timothy Palmer; a James McClees photograph of the engraving "The Hour of Sunset, on the Fourth of July 1776" and Poulson watercolor and sketches (often with extensive manuscript captions) showing "Episcopal Academy," "A House on the North side of Chestnut Street, next to that on the N.E. corner of Eighth Street, lately occupied by Danl. W. Coxe, Esq. who deceased there June 3, 1852" (1857), "Sketch of the river Schuylkill at Fairmount. The wooden floating bridge and tavern &c by C. A. P. under the tuition of Jemmy Cox, the drawing master," "Jonathan Leedom’s Iron Store, no. 211 S. Front St. or now no. 343," "Sketch of the Emlen or [Benendye?] house Chestnut St. opposite the State house and next to Jacob Ridgway’s house on the east" (1858); and advertising vignettes and cameo stamps for businesses, including a segar store (Mulberry St.), G. S. Appleton, bookseller, publisher & importer of foreign books (148, i.e, 600 block Chestnut St.), W. C. Allen, broom & variety store, and a multi-manned press of “The Saturday Evening Post.” Other images include satiric women's fashion vignettes and a cut out caricature of an African American man advertising Sanford's Opera House., Majority of contents annotated with a date by Poulson., Title page illustrated with a ca. 1856 lithographer's advertisement issued by Wagner & McGuigan. Depicts an allegorical, patriotic scene with the figure of Columbia, attired in a toga, American flag, and laurel wreath, and with a broken shackle under her foot as she stands on a pedestal., Verso of title page contains Poulson inscription: "The "Articles" in the book are taken from fugitive sources only; and the dates affixed to each are those of the newspapers &c from which they were procured.", Back free end paper contains Poulson inscription: "The dates of the articles herein, are those of the Newspapers &c from they are cut.", "Index to set in back part of vol. XI.", 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: ca. 1824-1864
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Books & Other Texts | Rare Poulson scrapbooks - vol. 2 [(2)2526.F]

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