Fondly, Pennsylvania

Fondly, Pennsylvania is a joint blog of HSP's archives, conservation, and digitization departments.  Here you will find posts on our latest projects and newest discoveries, as well as how we care for, describe, and preserve our collections.  Whether you are doing research or just curious to know more about the behind-the-scenes work that goes on at HSP, please read, explore, and join the conversation!

Learning to Be a Distance Intern
10/31/12
Author: Kathryn Skull

I decided apply to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania because of the opportunity to work remotely all the way from Racine, Wisconsin. I work fulltime and I didn't want to try to figure out when to take a day off to physically work at another repository, especially when this is my only source of income. I’m enjoying the distance internship because I have the opportunity to work whatever hours during the day or night. This kind of flexibility is exactly what I need during my hectic school and work schedule.

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The James Gibson Papers, and Other Adopt-A-Collections
10/24/12
Author: Cary Hutto

Earlier this year, I completed a very interesting collection, and one that had been adopted: the James Gibson papers (Collection 236).  James Gibson was a lawyer from Philadelphia who, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, worked with several companies that dealt with the speculation in and distribution of Northern and Western Pennsylvania lands.  These companies included the Holland Land

Topics: 18th century, Government and civics, Pennsylvania
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You must be a historian, right?
9/27/12
Author: Cary Hutto

Recently, I was called down to the library to assist with a particular patron who had a question about a collection I had processed. During our conversation, he asked me about being an archivist at HSP. What fun it must be, he posited, to roam the stacks looking at various historic wonders of the greater Philadelphia area! I told him that it certainly was an interesting job, but that my days, alas, were not filled with treasure-hunting, but rather a seemingly never-ending variety of duties that, on any given day, may or may not involve finding fun historic stuff.

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Samuel H. Barker: A Key Player in the Bankers Trust Story
9/24/12
Author: Faith Charlton

As Dana and I have mentioned in previous posts, we're currently conducting research and writing annotations for the people and organizations that are featured in the Bankers Trust Company story. We have recently begun focusing on some of the story's key players. One such pivotal figure is Samuel H.

Topics: 20th century, Banking, Business, Depression
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New in the Digital Library: The Edith Madeira Papers
9/19/12
Author: Hillary Kativa

With 21 million manuscripts and hundreds of thousands of graphical items in HSP's collections, choosing what materials to digitize and make accessible via the Digital Library is a daunting challenge.  To assist us in this endeavor, we recently revamped our Digital Collections and Humanities Internship to focus on describing and digitizing one entire collection.  Throughout the spring, Digital Center staff nominated collections for

Topics: 20th century, Science and Medicine, Women, World War I
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What kinds of records does a cemetery keep, anyway?
9/12/12
Author: Sarah Newhouse

One of the projects currently underway in the HSP archives is the processing of the Woodlands Cemetery Company records, which document the growth of the historic cemetery from its founding in the 1840s through the 1980s. Although still an active cemetery, the WCC has donated some of its records to HSP to be processed, conserved, cleaned, and permanently housed here.

Topics: 18th century, 19th century, 20th century, Architecture, Genealogy, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Comments: 1
Now launching: New Digital Library features and services
9/5/12
Author: Hillary Kativa

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is excited to unveil several new Digital Library features and services. Looking for an interesting illustration for your next book or an eye-catching image to display in your home? Now digital images, archival prints, and permission to reproduce, publish, exhibit, and distribute these materials are available directly through HSP’s Digital Library, a growing online repository of over 50,000 images.

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League Island before the Navy Yard
8/22/12
Author: Cary Hutto

When William Penn established Philadelphia in 1682, he and his settlers no doubt sailed around several islands in the southern part of the Delaware River. Today a few islands still exist in this region, such as Petty's Island and Pea Patch Island, the site of Fort Delaware. But this expansive waterway between southern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey also once included several islands where the Delaware and Schuylkill River met – Mud Island, Little Mud Island, Hog Island, and League Island. Located just off League Island were once sandbars known as the Horseshoe Shoals. 

Topics: 19th century, Industry, Philadelphia
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HSP's Newest Blog: Roots and Branches
8/15/12
Author: Cary Hutto

A couple months ago, HSP lauched a new blog, Roots and Branches, to help highlight HSP's genealogy and family history resources. I just wrote a post for the blog on a  new collection we receivedly received, the Vauclain family papers and genealogical research materials (Collection 3666).

Topics: Genealogy
Comments: 0
George Wharton Pepper for United States Senator
8/8/12
Author: Maggie Goddard

As an intern for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, I’m spending this summer researching people connected to the story of Bankers Trust Company, the first large Philadelphia bank to default during the Great Depression. I’m currently writing a brief biography about George Wharton Pepper (1867-1961), a lawyer, law professor, author, and Republican senator.

Topics: 20th century, Banking, Government and civics
Comments: 2