Topics Infrastructure

Birch’s Views of Philadelphia, 1800

The Worry of the Wires

Dauphin and Sydenham car crash, Jan. 17, 1978

“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

A section of wooden water pipe, long out of service, removed from a Philadelphia street in 1901. It had been installed about 1801.

Wooden Water Pipe, removed from Market Street, December 6, 1901

Black and white photo of a man wearing a hat and standing on a bridge with his arm on a post

Wood truss drawbridge, Orthodox Street over Frankford Creek, 1899 [Detail]

Black and white photo of two men facing the camera and several facing away while standing and sitting on a board

Bridge Street Draw, construction of piers, ca. 1896

Black and white photo of a man checking his watch in front of a creek with construction around it

Bridge Street Draw, looking north, ca. 1896

Bridge Street Draw. Southwest side of bridge. April 19, 1896. [Detail].

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

Cumberland Street pipeline, 1907

Bureau of Water, Cumberland, west of 13th Street, pipe line, 1907