PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records
Collection Items
Chestnut Street Bridge
A view of the Chestnut Street Bridge, where Milo Manly watched the Race Riot of 1918.
58th Street North from Girard Avenue
This is an image of homes on 58th street, a block in West Philadelphia of housing for black families.
Gimbels Brothers Department Store
This is the Gimbels Department Store in 1966 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This store was once the largest department store chain in the nation as well as the founder of the oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States. This store served as a…
Corner of Broad Street at South Street
Image of the corner of Broad Street taken from South Street in Philadelphia
Philadelphia High School for Girls
A street view of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, 1933, 17th and Spring Garden St.
Hog Island Ship Ways
The U.S. government established shipyards at Hog Island during WWI. Hog Island employed many Black Philadelphians during the war years.
Central High School
Previously located on Broad and Green Street, Central High School was the best of the public boys schools in Philadelphia, PA. Neo-Gothic architecture.
Galen Drug Store
Electric sign extending from the Galen Drug Store located at South 15th Street and Market Street. Showing the location and what was offered to the people on that block.
West Philadelphia High School
An image of West Philadelphia High School taken on October 19, 1934 with students in front of the building.
Stanley Theatre
The Stanley Theatre located on the corner of 16th Street and Market Street segregated African Americans in the gallery of the theatre, separate from White patrons. I. Maximilian Martin Jr. became involved in the desegregation of the theatre when he…
Grain Elevator at a pier in Port Richmond, 1928
An image of a grain elevator at a pier located at East Ann Street and Richmond Street at Port Richmond, Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Grain elevators like this were used to place grain and other foodstuffs on tramp ships for transport to…
Rail Condition - 82nd Street and Eastwick Avenue Looking Northeast, October 31, 1927
A view of the rail condition at 82nd Street and Eastwick Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
South Street at 22nd Street
South Street at 22nd Street looking West, the neighborhood in which many African-American migrants settled and the center of Black entertainment in South Philadelphia.
Citizens Republican Club S. Broad Street Location
The Citizens Republican Club called 503 S. Broad Street home after their formation. In the early years of the club, the organization was housed in the basement of the Union League. 503 South Broad Street, the middle building in this image, was the…
Trolley Car on the intersection of 5th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia
This photograph features a trolley car on the intersection of 5th and Arch Streets, as a police officer directs traffic. Philadelphia had one of the nation’s largest trolley systems, which enabled people without cars to travel inexpensively almost…
Stanton Theatre, Market Street, Philadelphia, PA
Image of the Stanton Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, where Isadore Martin Jr. attempted to have the owner desegregate the theatre.
Students at the Thomas Durham School
Students doing calisthenics in the Thomas Durham School, 16th and Lombard, Philadelphia, PA, June 1914.