Indoor plumbing in mid-19th century Philadelphia
December 27, 2023
Some statistics about early indoor plumbing, illustrated with pictures of early toilets.
Supporting the party in power
December 26, 2023
Records of “voluntary” donations by Philadelphia Department of Public Works employees to the city’s Republican Party, 1903-1914
Delaware River Harbor Police Report, 1884
December 20, 2023
The bare-bones report of the Delaware River Harbor Police in 1884 gets some tasty fleshing out, thanks to online newspapers from that year.
Schuylkill River Harbor Police Report, 1884
December 20, 2023
Activity along the Schuylkill River, as reported by the Harbor Police in 1884.
CITIZENS’ BUSINESS: 1939-1946
December 19, 2023
A collection of concise, informative pamphlets about water problems of the time.
Smith and Windmill Islands
December 19, 2023
Images from the Castner Scrapbooks of the Free Library of Philadelphia Print & Picture Collection, and others (along with my musings on changing technology)
High Water: Flooding in Philadelphia
December 18, 2023
A video of Adam Levine’s fascinating illustrated talk, “High Water,” along with links to printed resources on flooding for Philadelphia residents.
The Schuylkill and Wissahickon banks in 1858
December 17, 2023
Pictures from the First Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, and other resources about the state’s geology.
Petition of manufacturers along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia for a new upstream water supply, 1868
December 17, 2023
This self-serving petition, which would have allowed manufacturers to continue polluting the water supply of Philadelphia, was rejected by the Pennsylvania Legislature, but manufacturers kept polluting the river anyway.
The Worry of the Wires
December 16, 2023
A cartoon for the holidays, showing that the problem of unsightly overhead wires is hardly new.
Wooden Pipes in Philadelphia
December 16, 2023
A brief explanation, with pictures, of the use of wood to convey water (but not sewage).
Beauty from Utility: The Architect of the Southwest Sewage Pumping Station
December 16, 2023
Celebrating a pumping station built 100 years ago with recently-discovered drawings.