Fondly, Pennsylvania
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Fondly, Pennsylvania
Fondly, Pennsylvania is HSP's main blog. Here you will find posts on our latest projects and newest discoveries, as well articles on interesting bits of local history reflected in our collection. 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!
While I've made announcements to many people about my departure from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, I have not shared this news with you, readers of Fondly, Pennsylvania. Since blogging about archives at HSP moved forward because of my desire to see it happen, I feel a deep attachment to the community of readers we have reached through our efforts here. I have been delighted to see how hungry people are for information about our collections and about our behind-the-scenes view of the work of archivists and conservators. When I began the Chew collection blog in February 2
HSP has a large collection or programs, playbills, and other ephemera from Philadelphia's Academy of Music (once called the American Academy of Music), dating from its beginnings in the late 1850s to the late 20th century. The collection was recently adopted and is my current processing project. Though I’ve barely scratched the surface (having just completed rehousing 13 of 157 boxes), the collection is already proving to be a joy--it presents a veritable history of performing arts an
Recently the Historical Society of Pennsylvania acquired a small collection called the Pisano and Siciliano Families Papers. Through photographs, vital records, family histories, and other materials, this collection documents two Italian families whose members came to the United States in the early 1900s and settled in South Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. A highlight of the collection is the handwritten poetry of Antonio Nicola Pisano (1894-1979). Mr. Pisano, who immigrated to the U.S.
Just a typical document box? Not so!
In my research on Jay Cooke, I read that Cooke had a private telegraph line. When Matthew and I first surveyed the collection, we discovered several folders full of ticker tapes and queried one another about best practice for housing them. It was helpful to have this piece of information to explain the quantity of telegrams in the Cooke papers. They are rather fun to read, and add a bit of behind-the-scenes perspective on Cooke's voluminous formal correspondence.
I was going to start this blog post with a grandiose essay on the centuries-old relationship between man and dog that expounded upon some of the greatest philosophical thoughts of our time. This was going to be followed by an exposition on the transformation of fashion in early 20th century America.
But really, why say in a thousand words what pictures can simply show:
Finding aids are now available online for the following collections:
George G. Meade collection (#410) [This collection combines formerly separate collections 410 and 1407.]
Grand Army of the Republic. Philip R. Schuyler Post No. 51 records (#1825)
Today marks the anniversary of the death of Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth. While there is little need to recount the events of April 14-15, 1865, when Lincoln and members of his cabinet were mortally wounded, the echoes of mourning in correspondence from the days following are worthy of a look.
When the Conservation Department received this 1807 land agreement from the Louis H. Carpenter Collection, it looked like this:
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