Subjects Natural Environment

Cobbs Creek in the Days of the Old Powder Mill

Gritty and the Phanatic in Ida’s Floodwaters

“Fairmount Waterworks. From the forebay.” (From nature & on stone G. Lehman; Published by C.G. Childs & G. Lehman, 1833. Free Library of Philadelphia, Print & Picture Collection)

Fairmount Water Works from the forebay, 1833

Fourth of July in Centre Square, John Lewis Krimmel, ca. 1812. The wooden statue in the fountain, “Allegory of the Schuylkill River (Water Nymph and Bittern)”, was carved in 1809 by Philadelphia sculptor William Rush.

Fourth of July, Centre Square, ca. 1812

This Philadelphia street scene, with dogs facing off with pigs for a pile of tasty garbage, was captured by artist Augustus Kollner in 1844, but would have been very familiar to 18th-century Philadelphians.

“Town street scavengers from life,” Kollner, 1844

Bridge Street Draw, April 19, 1896. [Detail of men]

Benezet House Clarke Hall Chestnut St. Bridge

Benezet House, Clarke’s Hall, and Chestnut St. Bridge (Watson’s Annals)

Dock Creek Watson's Annals

Drawbridge and Dock Creek, Watson’s Annals