Answer: Photography.

The Lantern and Lens Gild was established as the Drexel Camera Club in 1905 during Mathilde Weil’s photography class at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now Drexel University).  Led by Margaret Bodine, the ladies met on a weekly basis at 24 South 17th Street and later 24 South 18th Street for lectures, classes, and exhibitions.  They changed their name to The Photographers for a year before officially naming the group the Lantern and Lens Gild of Women Photographers in 1912. 

The women traveled throughout the city and surrounding area to photograph people, animals, landscapes, buildings and many other subjects.  They hosted many visiting artists and subscribed to the leading photography publications of the time.  The Bryn Mawr Art Center and the Franklin Institute represent just two of the many places that exhibited their photographs.

The women also held photography competitions within the Gild and awarded four cups each year to honor the artistry of members.  The Lantern and Lens Gild moved into the New Century Guild Building at 1307 Locust Street in 1946 in order to expand their facilities.  They would remain here for almost twenty years, before discontinuing activities and club elections in 1965.

The Lantern and Lens Gild of Women Photographers records (#3085) span from 1904 to 2004.  This small collection is rich in images of the group’s outings; their works; meeting minutes; and twentieth century photography magazines. The majority of the collection is photography publications and images with a lesser portion devoted to manuscripts.
 

An expanded version of this article appeared in the 4/19 Currents section of the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer.