DISCOVERING TRACES OF "PHILADELPHIA'S GOLDEN AGE OF RETAIL."
On April 16, Larry Arrigale and I gave our talk on "That's Retailtainment: Philadelphia's Golden Age of Retail" at the Ambler branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library. We ended it by talking about finding lost traces of the Golden Age of Retail at various venues, such as the Rocket Express Monorail from the old Wanamaker's toy department at the Please Touch Museum; or scenes from the Lit Brothers Enchanted Christmas Colonial Village at the American Treasure Tour Museum in Oaks.
Today, Larry and I visited the American Treasure Tour Museum for the first time. We saw the scenes from the Christmas Village on our trolley tour, but we also noticed five colorful little musicians who looked vaguely familiar. We checked, and there they were on page 100 of our "Philadelphia's Golden Age of Retail" -- five merry pipers who made their debut in the Wanamaker's toy department in Christmas 1926 as part of "The Candy-Stick Toy Band, with Tinkle-Terry on the Candy-Sticks." Shown above is the entire ensemble as they appeared at Wanamaker's with the full ensemble a century ago.
And here are the five survivors today at the American Treasure Tour Museum.
ROGUES' GALLERY at the Springfield Township Historical Society:
In 2024, I gave my presentation on "Rogues' Gallery: When Rich People Spend Good Money on Bad Art" to the Springfield Township Historical Society (Montgomery County) to a sellout crowd at the Flourtown Country Club. Recently, STHS posted a recording of the talk on YouTube. You can check it out here.
ON THE AIR:
On October 25, 2024, I was interviewed at Laurel Hill Cemetery by Stephanie Nolan for "The Art of Aging," a feature of 6abc Action News. We talked about why I conduct tours at Laurel Hill, my love of Philadelphia history, the need to remember those who have gone before even if we didn't know them in life, and how much better it is to be above ground at Laurel Hill than below! My "Art of Aging" feature is scheduled to air on Thursday on the 6abc Noon News, with a re-air on Saturday, Nov. 2 on the 7:30 a.m. news. There will also be an online link at https://6abc.com/tag/art-of-aging/.
"Contractor Bosses" on The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
My second essay for the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia was posted this week: Contractor Bosses (1880s-1930s), a look at how Philadelphia's contractor kings dominated the city from the period of the building of City Hall until the Great Depression. Another opportunity for me to put to use the mass of information on the Vare Brothers, "Sunny Jim" McNichol, Boies Penrose, and all the other colorful characters I learned about while writing Sesqui! To read the essay, click here: philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/contractor-bosses-1880s-to-1930s/.
My essay on Laurel Hill Cemetery, my home away from home, was posted on the web site in 2013 (to read it, click here). The page also features a gallery of historic images of Laurel Hill, many from the cemetery's own archives. Take some time to check out this fascinating and worthwhile web site, which is growing all the time. You can even suggest topics to include!
My essay on Laurel Hill Cemetery, my home away from home, was posted on the web site in 2013 (to read it, click here). The page also features a gallery of historic images of Laurel Hill, many from the cemetery's own archives. Take some time to check out this fascinating and worthwhile web site, which is growing all the time. You can even suggest topics to include!
The first time I saw Laurel Hill...
In 2011, I was asked to be one of the speakers commemorating the 175th anniversary of Philadelphia's historic Laurel Hill Cemetery. In the YouTube video below, I recount my first, chilly encounter with the Victorian necropolis, and how our relationship has warmed over the years.
Tom the Talking Head on PBS39's "Philly Firsts."
Here's a brief glimpse of me, discussing Philadelphia history alongside such luminaries as Mayor Michael Nutter and John Andrew Gallery in a trailer for "Philly Firsts," Grover Silcox's wonderful documentary on the Quaker City, which debuted on PBS39 in June 2011 (don't worry, there's more of me in the full program!).