Item Info

Historic Street Address: 233 S. 4th Street
Historic Street Address: Broad & Spring Garden Streets
Historic Street Address: NW corner of 13th & Spring Garden Streets
Historic Street Address: NW corner of Juniper & Locust Streets
Historic Street Address: SW corner, 19th & Race Sts (today, 1900 B F Pkwy)
Media Type: Scrapbooks
Source: Print and Picture Collection
Notes:

Item 1, top left:  Image of the Academy of Natural Sciences, at 19th & Race Streets (today, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway).  The Academy was founded in 1812, for research, exploration, and education in the natural sciences, being the first of its kind in America.  As its collections outgrew its earlier locations, the Academy moved to this building, designed by James H. Windrim, in 1876.  The building has since undergone many changes, and since 1910, looks very different from its original design.   Since 2011, the Academy is affiliated with Drexel University.  Reproduction of a photograph for an unidentified publication, 10 x 11 cm, undated.

Item 2, top right:  Image of the Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP), at the NW corner of Juniper & Locust Streets.  The LCP was founded by Benjamin Franklin and others in 1731, as a subscription library of cultural, educational, and historical collections.  In its earliest years, it operated out of a succession of several Center City locations, before its collections were split between the in-town branch in this photograph--designed by architect Frank Furness in 1880--and the more distant Ridgway Library, at Broad & Christian Streets.  This building was demolished in 1940, and the Library Company eventually moved to its present location at 1314 Locust Street.  Reproduction of a photograph for an unidentified publication, 12 x 10 cm, undated.

Item 3, center left:  Image of the old Pennsylvania Railroad office building, on 233 S. 4th Street, which temporarily housed (1871-1876) the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, America's first museum devoted to promoting and collecting the products of America's national and international commerce.  This building was eventually demolished, after the Museum moved to West Philadelphia, to a new building which eventually became the Civic Center and Convention Hall. Reproduction of a photograph for an unidentified publication, 10 x 11 cm, undated.

Item 4, center right:  Image of the Philadelphia Normal School for Girls, on the NW corner of 13th & Spring Garden Streets.  The Normal School was founded in 1848, primarily tasked with educating women to become teachers for primary and secondary school.  Its mission enlarged and became Girls’ High School of Philadelphia, adding business and college preparartory courses.  In 1893, the schools separated, and this photograph shows the new building for the Normal School for Girls, designed by architect Joseph H. Anshutz.  This building has since been demolished (date unknown), and Girls' High School still exists. Reproduction of a photograph for an unidentified publication, 10 x 11 cm, undated.

Item 5, bottom:  Image of Central High School for Boys, at Broad & Spring Garden Streets.  Central was was originally founded in 1836.  This building was the third location for the school, comprising the entire block bounded by Broad, Green, 15th, and Brandywine Streets, and used from 1900-1939. Reproduction of a photograph for an unidentified publication, 13 x 10 cm, undated.

Creation Year: 1845
Geocode Latitude: Geocode Longitude:-75.163567
Geocode Latitude:39.948481

Call Number: A917.481 P536 v.17
Creator Name: Castner, Samuel, Jr., 1843-1929 - Compiler
James H. Windrim - Architect
Joseph H. Anshutz - Architect