Continuing on with more Philadelphia ephemera; it constantly amazes me that I can still find this stuff from 70+ years ago. I recently came across this flyer and pass (ticket) for the Franklin Institute, dated April 1944. I actually had this back in Feb 2023, but decided it would be cool to wait until April 2023, to reflect the Franklin Institute a short 79 years ago.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute – Flyer and Day Pass – April 1944”Franklin Institute Science After Hours “Flannel and Frost”
The last time I attended a Franklin Institute “Science After Hours” event was 2020; with a 1920s theme. From science facts about alcohol to a jazz band parading down the marble staircase with 100+ people in tow, it was certainly awesome. Little did we know that only a couple weeks after that event, things would get very different. Fast forward to last week, I finally got back for another science after hours: Flannel and Frost!
Continue reading “Franklin Institute Science After Hours “Flannel and Frost””Franklin Institute – Very Early Member Letters
Just when you think finding 70 year old stuff is cool, finding 111 year old stuff is even cooler! These two letters were both addressed to the same person in Philadelphia, as they were likely a “member” back then. The postmarks on the cards match the dates seen.
Just to put things into perspective, if you’re familiar with the Franklin Institute, the older of these letters pre-date the current 1936 building by more than two decades! At the time, they had a building on 7th Street, which is actually still there and had housed the Philadelphia History Museum after the Franklin Institute moved to the current building.
In this first letter, they mention the outing at Woodside Park, which was an amusement park located just outside Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.
And with a quick search or two, I believe this may have been the grain elevator the second letter refers to! I’m assuming there was a park or place nearby?
(Image from the Philadelphia Free Library)
Franklin Institute 1874 Exhibition Stereograph – I got one!
I previously talked about the 1874 Franklin Institute Exhibition in a couple of past posts like this one, which had some links to various stereographs; a primitive way to present 3d-like images, similar to the VR goggles we use today with cell phones. (Makes me wonder if there’s an app to view these old pics). Anyway, I’m pleased to share one I actually found myself!
Continue reading “Franklin Institute 1874 Exhibition Stereograph – I got one!”1876 Philadelphia Centennial Trade Card – Potsdamer & Co.
Ok, I’ll readily admit this site likely seems boring and conservative; even I wouldn’t have imagined that despite having more hobbies than brains, that the thing I’d be posting about the most are…postcards? Really?? Like I needed another hobby. I promise I’ll post some more fun stuff in the near future, until then…the boring stuff LOL. I’m not all “conservative” either; the heavy metal music rattles the antiques too much.
Continue reading “1876 Philadelphia Centennial Trade Card – Potsdamer & Co.”More Frankin Institute Cards
Got in a few more Franklin Institute cards today. These appear to be from the 60s. I found these interesting as you contrast what the place looks like today.
Franklin Institute W3TKQ Station – 1990s to 2002
As I mentioned in a previous post, a lot of my Franklin Institute… obsession?…is related to what used to be called the “Futures Center”; a massive addition to the Franklin Institute in the early 1990s that not only added on a large portion of the building, but filled it with all things modern, like computers, virtual reality, automation, space, and so on.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute W3TKQ Station – 1990s to 2002”Franklin Institute W3TKQ Amateur Radio Station Updated in 1962 (With Sound!!)
You may recall a previous post HERE where I show an original QST card from the original W3TKQ ham radio station, located in the Franklin Institute in 1958.
Well as all things go with technology, the station needed an update after a few years, and in May 1962, Dr. Wynn Laurence LePage, W3QCV, then president of the Franklin Institute, introduced a new, updated W3TKQ station…
Continue reading “Franklin Institute W3TKQ Amateur Radio Station Updated in 1962 (With Sound!!)”Franklin Institute – Flyer from 1930s?
Here’s another piece of Franklin Institute ephemera, likely from the late 1930s. One interesting aspect of this, is that its printed on waxed paper (like a magazine), which surprises me considering the age. A lot of this stuff likely got printed in FI’s own functional print shop, which I believe used to be housed behind glass walls (for public display) in the basement level (now office space). It was only natural for them to have a print shop, as Ben Franklin himself worked in a print shop for quite a while in his lifetime.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute – Flyer from 1930s?”Franklin Institute – Fire Island Lighthouse Light Postcard (1936)
After reviewing my FI stuff on here, not only did I find I goofed a bit on the tags and categories, but I found I didn’t even scan/post all of my FI stuff yet! That said, with my new-found time, let’s get to correcting that!
Show below is a postcard, postmarked in 1936 (when the current Franklin Institute building opened), showing a lighthouse light (originally from Fire Island Lighthouse in NY), that was taken out of service in 1933, and placed on display in the Franklin Institute likely from when the building opened, to around 2000, when the actual light was taken down and placed in storage.
Continue reading “Franklin Institute – Fire Island Lighthouse Light Postcard (1936)”