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)
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.
Historic Church in Chester, PA Burns
I’m really bummed about this; a while back a buddy of mine, who’s family is part of the Chester Historical Society, mentioned that the society took ownership of a very old and historic Presbyterian church in Chester. As such, we went to the church to help them start to clean it up as well as look around and get a bunch of pictures of the building, noting issues that would need to be addressed and so on.
4 years later, on May 27th 2020, the church burned to the ground.
Continue reading “Historic Church in Chester, PA Burns”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)”Video Finale of the Wanamaker (Macys) Christmas Light Show – Dec 22nd, 2018 (Philadelphia, PA)
This day last year (2018) I took my nephew to the city, and we went to watch the Wanamaker Light Show. As we waited a gentleman offered to show us the organ console up close, and we got to hang out and watch the light show from the console, then witness the finale get played on the mighty Wanamaker organ in Philadelphia, literally the largest fully-functional musical instrument on the planet…
Continue reading “Video Finale of the Wanamaker (Macys) Christmas Light Show – Dec 22nd, 2018 (Philadelphia, PA)”Early Franklin Institute Memorabilia – Taylor and Smith 1874
Being a serial/multiple hobbyist means I often have to weigh how much I want to invest into a particular hobby, and for my “collection” hobbies, this can come with a cost of “missed opportunity” per se. Although I would have REALLY liked to have it, I decided not to bid, and missed out on an extremely early piece of Franklin Institute memorabilia last weekend.
Continue reading “Early Franklin Institute Memorabilia – Taylor and Smith 1874”