Vintage Philadelphia

[KevinFromTexas]

I couldn't find another thread for old Philly photos, so here goes.


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search/label/street%20scenes


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search?q=philadelphia


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search?q=philadelphia


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search?q=philadelphia


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search?q=philadelphia

[Johnland]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I couldn't find another thread for old Philly photos, so here goes.


http://abakusplace.blogspot.com/search?q=philadelphia

Awesome pics. Especially the last one. Such orderly density in South Philly. It's amazing that such urban form developed without today's technology or massive government funding.

[TempleGuy1000]

Philly's history is well-documented and https://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Home.aspx has endless awesome pictures.

Broad Street Station, The HQ of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Before all the rail lines were buried







Reading Terminal Station before converted to the convention center and the rail station buried underneath




The progression of the Ben Franklin Parkway






Independence Hall before and after the creation of the Independence Mall

[Velvet_Highground]

I love the old Independence Hall neighborhood. Yeah it’s gritty and chaotic looking but there’s an undeniable beauty that fits with the deep history of the site. I would have loved to see the old buildings around the square preserved and restored, nothing against the mall it’s nice but it’s sad to see the loss of history around our original Capitol. That being said I do understand the desire to make use of such a unique location for the general public, hence why I’m weighing my statement.

[TempleGuy1000]

Originally Posted by Velvet_Highground

I love the old Independence Hall neighborhood. Yeah it’s gritty and chaotic looking but there’s an undeniable beauty that fits with the deep history of the site. I would have loved to see the old buildings around the square preserved and restored, nothing against the mall it’s nice but it’s sad to see the loss of history around our original Capitol. That being said I do understand the desire to make use of such a unique location for the general public, hence why I’m weighing my statement.

In 70 years retrospect, I think most people would agree that the wholesale clearing of the land was a mistake. They absolutely would have been redeveloped at this point.

[PHL10]

I posted this in one of the other threads recently (1929):

[TempleGuy1000]

Going real vintage for this one, but as we near closer to 2026, it's got me thinking about the World's Fair of 1876, America's first official World's Fair to mark a century of existence.

The fair took place in Fairmount Park over several event halls

from: https://www.phillyhistory.org

Horticultural Hall:




The Main Hall:




Memorial Hall:


Nearly the entire fair was powered by a Corliss Steam engine dubbed 'The Centennial Engine'. The power switch was ceremoniously flipped on by President Ulysses S. Grant and Emperor Pedro II of Brazil. The fair was one of the first large displays of electrical light featuring an early arc light called the Wallace-Farmer dynamo



The fair was most known for it's public displays of new inventions including the first public display of the telephone, the introduction of Heinz Ketchup, Root Beer, and the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, also known as the Remington No. 1 which introduced the world to the QWERTY keyboard.