Items

Historic resources from our archives - images, maps, documents, and more.

Black and white photo of a worker with darker skin, wearing protective clothing, gloves, and a hard hat with the number 25 on the front, reaching up out of a sewer manhole, only head, shoulders, and left arm visible.

Manholes like this give access to city’s sewer system, 1961

Black and white photo of a worker with darker skin, wearing protective clothing, gloves, and a hard hat with the number 25 on the front, reaching up out of a sewer manhole, only head, shoulders, and left arm visible.

Sewer Inspections: Vintage Images

Black-and-white photo of industrial tank installation with smokestacks and factories in the background

Emscher Tank Installation at Essen Nord, Germany

Black-and-white image of a brick sewer outlet that drains into a creek with trees and a hill behind it

Thomas Run sewer outlet at Cobbs Creek

Black-and-white image showing a man standing in a large concrete half-pipe

Thomas Run sewer outlet during construction

Black-and-white image showing sewer outlet, retaining walls and body of water

Cohocksink Sewer System outlet at Laurel Street

Philadelphia Underground, Jan. 29, 1961

“Philadelphia Underground,” Jan. 29, 1961

International Exhibition situation plan, 1876

Centennial Exhibition situation plan, 1876

69th St. Sewer and Culvert across Lansdowne

69th St. Sewer and Culvert across Lansdowne AVe.

Ventilating cover for manholes

Ventilating cover for manholes

Outhouse over Schuylkill near Pottstown

Outhouse over the Schuylkill near Pottstown

Sewage collection and disposal plan

Plan for the Collection, Purification and Disposal of the Sewage of the City of Philadelphia, 1912