Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Collection Items
African-American Bridge Workers, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1938.
Black workers constructing a bridge in Philadelphia.
Freight Handling, Pennsylvania Railroad Yards, Philadelphia, PA
African American workers hauling freight at the Pennsylvania Railroad Yards on March 28, 1938
Marsh Creek Section of the Central Railroad, Philadelphia, PA
A still image of the Central Railroad in Marsh Creek, near Philadelphia, August 5, 1938.
Female Students at The Berean School of Philadelphia
As a response to the growing social problems of urban industry in Philadelphia, Dr. Matthew Anderson founded the Berean Manual Training and Industrial School in 1899. The school trained African American workers who migrated to Philadelphia. This…
Studying at The Berean School of Philadelphia
As a response to the growing social problems of urban industry in Philadelphia, Dr. Matthew Anderson founded the Berean Manual Training and Industrial School in 1899. The school trained African-American workers who migrated to Philadelphia. Pictured,…
Part of Crowd of 1,000 Storming City Hall to Register to Vote
Crowd of diverse voters waiting to vote for the election of 1935.
W.L. Bright, First Negro Dining Car Steward
White people eating eating at Dining Car Steward being served by African Americans.
Robert Jones Registering to Vote
99 year-old Robert Jones waits in line to register to vote on September 19, 1944
Voter Registration Shack
Seven phantom voters register to vote at this shack on September 12, 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Joseph S. Clark, Mayor of Philadelphia c. 1968
Joseph S. Clark served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 1952 to 1956 and as United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1957 to 1969. He was a part of the Democratic Party, and had a major impact of desegregating City Hall in the 1950s, hiring…
Children at church meeting
This is a photo of a large gathering of children at a Philadelphia church meeting.
Outdoor religious meeting at night
This is a photo of a large outdoor religious meeting of African Americans one night in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Women at Berean Manual Training School
Female Students from the Berean Manual Training School reading Crisis and OpportunityMagazines.
Berean Manual Training School classroom
Students from the Berean Manual Training School work at blackboards and their tables.
Black factory girls in Philadelphia
Armstrong Association Tenth Annual Report (1918) featured a picture of African-American girls working in a factory.
Rotary Club Minstrel Show
An image of the Minstrel Show Rotary Club of Philadelphia, a group of White men who would dress up in black-face for their shows.
Machine shop workers, Philadelphia, PA, circa 1938.
Machine Shop Workers in Philadelphia circa 1938.
African American women railroad track workers, 1942
The first unit of female railroad workers near Downingtown, PA.
Freight handling at the Pennsylvania Railroad Yards, 1938
An African-American railroad worker handles freight at the Pennsylvania Railroad Yards in 1938.