Library Company of Philadelphia
Imperfect History: Curating the Graphic Arts Collection at Benjamin Franklin’s Public Library, a two-year project funded by the Henry Luce Foundation and in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Graphic Arts Department, explores the development of the Library’s graphics art collection as it relates to historical and cultural biases within American history.
Imperfect History frankly examines the prints, photographs, original works of art on paper, and other graphics that epitomize the evolution of a pivotal public library.
The exhibition opens September 20th! Join us for the virtual opening HERE.
To celebrate #WorldPhotographyDay we are sharing this albumen print taken of the North side of the 500 block of Market Street in Philadelphia.
The photographer is unidentified, but a note on the back states that it was taken in May of 1868
A gentle Friday the 13th reminder to steer clear of ladders, broken mirrors, etc.
Clearly we’ve got the Olympics on our mind. Is the ladder an Olympic sport? Can it be?
Prof. Hillebrand & Lewis’ Gymnasium. [Philadelphia, ca. 1863]. Lithograph; 31 x 41 cm
If you’re heading to the Shore this weekend, be sure to stop and say Happy Birthday to Lucy!
Lucy the Elephant was constructed by James V. Lafferty in 1881. She will be 140 years old on July 20, making her the oldest surviving roadside attraction in America.
This is her in 1884, as photographed by Marriott C. Morris.
July is National Picnic Month, a fact which Marriot Morris clearly knew. This image was taken by Morris on July 7, 1888 at 2:30 pm.
Special shoutout to whoever balanced the egg on the wine bottle!
Morris, Marriott. Party at dinner in woods at Highlands, [NJ]. July 7, 1888.
#otd #nationalpicnicmonth #LCPprints #photography #glassnegatives #picnic #19thcenturyfashion #benslibrary
“What does identity, real or assumed, mean now in the U.S.? Can people’s implicit biases be unlearned? These were the questions I asked myself repeatedly as I looked over Portrait of an Unidentified African American Woman. The daguerreotype reminded me so much of the popular, stylized West African portraits that I’d seen my grandmothers, aunts, and mother featured in—the direct gaze into the camera, fixed posture, and with an air of confidence. While the black and white images may share some visual similarities, the individual stories of these women couldn’t be more different.”
The above excerpt is from a post authored by Imperfect History Digital Catalog guest cataloger Joy O. Ude about her experience writing for the platform. The full post, History and Representation is now available on our blog.
The Imperfect History Digital Catalog creatively engages with the Imperfect History exhibition themes of (un)conscious bias and multiple viewpoints. Four guest catalogers from the curatorial, art history, and studio art fields authored concise descriptions of the same visual material, from their individual perspective as affected by their discipline. A traditionally standardized, “objective” process was made pro-actively subjective and diverse.
In honor of Juneteenth.
On June 19, 1865, federal orders were read in Galveston, Texas announcing the emancipation of all remaining enslaved persons in the confederacy. Though formally freed two years earlier by the emancipation proclamation of 1863, word didn’t reach Texas due in part to its remote location, and by the lack of Union troops present to enforce the proclamation. This image by artist Thomas Nast was originally published in “Harper’s Weekly” on January 24, 1863 and depicts a series of scenes contrasting African American life before and after emancipation.
Nast, Thomas. Emancipation: the past and the future. Philadelphia: J. W. Umpehent, 1865.
We’ve made it to Wednesday, the weekend is in sight! We are almost as excited about that as these pigs are for their breakfast.
William Harvey Doering. [Woman feeding pigs.] ca. 1895.
It’s another sweltering day here in Philly, perfect for some ice cream. Or better yet, water ice!
We might even fight some cherubs for it if that’s what it came down to.
Tradecard from: American Machine Co., Phila. Philadelphia: Thos. Hunter, lith. [ca. 1880]