PHILADELPHIA – The Art Institute of Philadelphia and PhillyHistory.org are proud to announce the opening of “Philadelphia Stories: The Building of a Great American City,” a new exhibit of more than 80 remarkable historic photographs pulled from the vast City Archives, managed by the City of Philadelphia Department of Records. The exhibit will run from August 3 – 31, 2007 in the 1622 Chestnut Street Gallery of The Art Institute of Philadelphia in Center City.
From the building of City Hall, to the oldest church in Pennsylvania, to American’s most historic penitentiary, the City of Philadelphia Department of Records holds one of the country’s largest municipal archives of historic photographs, totaling an estimated 2 million images. Through the website PhillyHistory.org, the Department of Records has made over 34,000 images available to the public, with approximately 2,000 more images being added each month.
In partnership with The Art Institute of Philadelphia (AIPH), PhillyHistory.org’s online collection, which dates from the late 1800s, will come to life with over 80 stunning prints – some, never seen before by the public. From images of trade, commerce, education, municipal services, arts and entertainment to photos of men actually building the city, and the blueprint of City Hall before its construction, the exhibit reflects the vitality, vibrancy, growth, and the development of Philadelphia over the past 150 years.
Professionally printed by AIPH’s Robert H. Crites, Academic Director of the Photography and Digital Filmmaking and Video Production departments, the images paint a fascinating portrait of the city, its people and icons.
AIPH faculty member and Philadelphia native Maria DiElsi-Connolly is curator of the show. “These photos really bring the past to life, from the busy neighborhoods and the markets and the city streets to the construction of city icons like City Hall,” she says. “You can see the faces of the men who built the massive infrastructure of a modern American city – the bridges, the railways, the water system. It is a remarkable record, not only historically fascinating, but visually breathtaking.”
Records Commissioner Joan Decker says, “The photographs really track the development of the city through its height as a great center of industry. We’re thrilled to partner with The Art Institute of Philadelphia to showcase the collection in a gallery setting. Exhibit visitors will also have the opportunity to delve even deeper into our city’s rich history through our innovative online service PhillyHistory.org.”
In addition to the City Archives’ photographs, several current-day photographs will be exhibited alongside their historic counterparts to fully display the city’s development over time. Modern photographs have been provided by Philadelphia Inquirer Senior Photographer Clem Murray and AIPH’s Robert H. Crites.
Framed images from the show will be available for purchase, and all proceeds from sales will benefit the protection and preservation of the municipal photo archives.
A public opening reception with refreshments will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 3rd. Internet access to PhillyHistory.org will be provided at the reception for the public to browse the complete digitized archives and order prints.
Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. The exhibit, running August 3 – 31, is free and open to the public.
“Philadelphia Stories: The Building of a Great American City” was made possible thanks to the support of The City of Philadelphia Department of Records, The Art Institute of Philadelphia and its students, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Private opening sponsor: Barefoot Wine.
About PhillyHistory.org
With nearly 95,000 unique visitors to-date, PhillyHistory.org has attracted the attention of historians, geographers, genealogists, researchers and history buffs in Philadelphia and around the world. The unique search features of PhillyHistory.org allow users to search the online archive of over 27,000 images, making them available to a worldwide audience for the first time. Drawing from the archive of an estimated 2 millions images which date from the late 1800s, nearly 2,000 negatives are scanned every month at the City Archives.
The Department of Records partnered with Avencia, Inc, a Philadelphia-based geographic analysis and software firm, to create an online application which allows the public to search for photographs within a certain neighborhood, by address, intersection, a place name, year or other keywords. Images are also linked to street maps detailing their exact locations. PhillyHistory.org also features a blog detailing the history behind many of the images, written by history graduate students who catalog and scan the photographs and research some the city’s most fascinating stories, as well as historian guest bloggers. To view photographs and read about Philadelphia history, visit www.PhillyHistory.org.
About The Art Institute of Philadelphia
The Art Institute of Philadelphia (www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia) is a private, four-year college with student enrollment reaching 3,600 in the fall of 2006. Located in Center City Philadelphia, the college offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Culinary Management, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Photography, and Visual Effects & Motion Graphics. Students may also earn Associate of Science degrees in Culinary Arts, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, and Visual Merchandising. Diploma programs are offered in Baking & Pastry, Culinary Arts, and Digital Print Production.
Founded by artist Philip Trachtman in 1971, the college was acquired by Education Management Corporation in 1979. The Art Institute of Philadelphia occupies 1622 Chestnut Street, a building originally designed in 1928 as the CBS flagship radio station affiliate. Designated a historical site by the Philadelphia Historical Commission, the Art Deco building became home to the college in 1982. Today, The Art Institute has additional academic facilities at 1610 and 1510 Chestnut Street and 2300 Market Street. New facilities housing the interior design department and additional dormitory space will open at 1530 Chestnut in the fall of 2007.
The Art Institute of Philadelphia is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) with 36 educational institutions located throughout North America, provides an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.
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To request interviews, high-resolution photographs, and more information, please contact:
Megan Wendell, Canary Promotion, (215) 242-6393, megan@canarypromo.com
