J.G. Brill Company Photographs

Topics

 

Industry,

Philadelphia

The J.G. Brill Company and its various incarnations dominated the world of trolley and undercarriage manufacturing for most of its seventy-year history. Based in Philadelphia, Brill was founded in 1868 by a German immigrant and held in family hands well into the 1930s. At its height, The J.G. Brill Company owned plants in six states as well as in Canada and France.

Records of the J.G. Brill Company include approximately 16,000 photographs, 6000 glass-plate negatives, 10,000 acetate negatives, and thirteen order books documenting the wide array of products manufactured by Brill. The photographs include interior and exterior views of railroad cars, trolleys, buses, ambulances, and trucks, as well as images of undercarriages, small parts, and seats. The collection also documents the factory grounds at 62nd and Woodland, particularly for World War I. Order books provide information on the quantity and types of items purchased, the companies purchasing them, and their dates of order and delivery.

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Building the Gold Mountain

As part of the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Philadelphia's Chinatown in 1995, a plaque was affixed to the wall of the H.K. Golden Phoenix Restaurant at 913 Race Street, where the city's first Chinese laundry was established in 1870. It reads: "In commemoration of our forefathers, this plaque is dedicated to those who came to the gim san (gold mountain) to seek their fortunes."

While this plaque communicates the hopes of the early Chinese immigrants, it doesn't communicate how they came to Philadelphia and built a community through years of unremitting effort and struggles against discrimination.

The photographs and objects in this exhibition illustrate how these immigrants, under changing social and political conditions, tried to maintain their cultural identity while becoming a part of American society.

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Preserving the Legacy of Richardson Dilworth

Topics

 

20th century,

Government and civics,

Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, 

Politics

A politician and liberal reformer, Richardson Dilworth served as mayor of Philadelphia from 1956-1962.  His vision for the city shaped much of what we recognize about Philadelphia today: Independence Mall, Society Hill, SEPTA, and the public park system.  With the support of political ally and personal friend Joseph Clark, he denounced municipal corruption, supported civil rights, fought segregation in private schools, rallied for public housing, and restored much of the city’s history as part of an urban renewal program that would bring the City of Brotherly Love back to life.  This exhibit explores and celebrates his life, his service, and his legacy to Philadelphia.   

The images featured in this exhibit are from the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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The Japanese-American Experience

Topics

 

Civil Rights,

Ethnic history,

Immigration

Asian immigration to the United States has, until recently, been limited. The New World was settled primarily by Europeans and the majority wished to keep it that way. That is why the Chinese, after they helped build the Central Pacific Railroad, were excluded from immigrating to the United States by an 1882 act of Congress. Similarly, by the notorious "Gentlemen's Agreement" of 1907, the government of Japan agreed to limit the emigration of its people to this country. Californians, who resented the phenomenal success of Japanese farmers, were thus mollified.

When World War II broke out, anti-Japanese feeling in California, which had always been high, exploded. Rather than take the lead in cooling passions, the federal government gave in to nativist demands to intern an entire ethnic group. Not since American Indians had been rounded up and forced onto reservations had the United States government committed such an injustice.

The Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies presents this exhibit on "The Japanese American Experience" with a mixture of pride and shame. Shame at what our government did to Japanese Americans during World War II. Pride at how these people, in spite of all the injustices inflicted upon them, overcame their difficulties and eventually became one of America's most successful ethnic groups. Japanese Americans, as our exhibits demonstrate, stand as a model of perseverance in the face of adversity. These are qualities that we can all emulate.

Learn more about the Japanese-American Experience

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Richard Allen: Apostle of Freedom

Topics

 

Abolition,

African American, 

Civil Rights, 

Philadelphia,

Religion

February, 2010, marks the 250th birthday of Bishop Richard Allen, a revered figure in African American history and one of the nation’s leading abolitionists. Allen's life story is nothing short of extraordinary. Enslaved at birth, he eventually bought his freedom and became one of the most important African American leaders of his day. 

In honor of his birthday, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has partnered with its neighbor the Library Company of Philadelphia to bring you the online display, Richard Allen: Apostle of Freedom. Learn about Richard Allen and his incredible story through a display of documents and images from both societies' collections.

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Research materials used for this exhibition were compiled from the following sources:

Nash, Gary B. Forging Freeedom: The Formation of Philadelphia's Black Community, 1720-1840. Cambridge, Harvard University Press. 1988.

Newman, Richard S. Freedom's Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers. 2008.

Switala, William J. Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. Mechanicsburg, Stackpole Books. 2001.

Original source material from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Library Company of Philadelphia. 

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Any item in the exhibition that includes mainly text, whether it is handwritten or typeset, can be enlarged.  Simply click on the image and a larger format, better quality PDF of the image will open. 

To purchase a digital reproduction of an image seen in the exhibition that is part of the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, contact Rights & Reproductions at rnr@hsp.org

To purchase a digital reproduction of any image seen in the exhibition that is part of the collections of the Library Company of Philadelphia

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Building on History: 100 Years at 13th and Locust

Founded in 1824 by a group of seven men, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest historical societies in the country. Along with an impressive manuscript and graphic collection that span over 300 years of history, the Society holds many documents important to the founding and collective identity of the nation, including the first handwritten draft of the U.S. Constitution and a printed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln.

It was only 100 years ago that the Society found a permanent home at 13th and Locust Streets. In its first 60 years, the Society was nomadic, moving from one rented space to the next, always in search of a permanent home. Through these wanderings the Society’s collection and prominence continued to grow, and today it is one of the finest research libraries in the country.

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1865 - Eyewitness to History

Topics

 

Government and civics, 

Civil War,

Politics, 

Slavery

1865 was a pivotal year in American history. With the end of the Civil War, Lincoln’s assassination, and the beginning of Reconstruction, politics were forever changed. Lives were changed too.

In this document display on view at HSP from March 17 through May 1, we showcase eye-witness accounts of these major events that helped soldiers and the formerly enslaved readjust to a new American political landscape. Please click the link below for the complete transcriptions of several of the items featured in the display

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