Philadelphia Stories: A Photographic History, 1920-1960 [Hardcover]

Morris Vogel (Author), Fredric Miller (Author), Allen Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 8, 1988

"Philadelphia Stories" is a kind of family album. As in their earlier volume, "Still Philadelphia: A Photographic History, 1890-1940", Miller, Vogel, and Davis have collected photographs of ordinary lives and daily events from 1920 to 1960 that have shaped the collective memory of people in the Philadelphia area. Through a series of photo essays, "Philadelphia Stories" evokes the mood of an era that embraced the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and the complacent prosperity of the 1950s. Contemporary photos document physical changes in the metropolitan area: the developing skyline, the streets of rowhouses, the expanding suburbs. Details on homelife, food prices, school activities, local politics, shopping, social mores, and neighborhood customs chronicle experiences that are in many ways distinct to Philadelphians but also indicative of dramatic social, political, and economic shifts in the United States over forty years. Using photojournalism as the dominant style of documentary photography and consciousness making the book also features three prototypical family albums. These collections of snapshots taken by local residents to record weddings, holidays, and other family events not only depict how people saw themselves at various times but reveal the kinds of memories they wanted to keep. While major national events create the context for this social history, the book focuses on the daily lives of Philadelphians: as they cope with the Depression, participate in New Deal programs, buy automobiles and television sets, grow Victory Gardens, hold air raid drills, visit the Freedom Train, move to the suburbs, cling to old neighborhoods, and maintain tradition amid flux. "Philadelphia Stories" celebrates the recent past in the words and images of those who experienced it. It is a family album for all who know and love the city. Fredric M. Miller is Curator of the Urban Archives Center, Paley Library, Temple University. Morris J. Vogel is Professor of History, Temple University. Allen F. Davis is Professor of History, Temple University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Some 350 photos inform, fascinate and touch the heart." --The Philadelphia Daily News "This volume attempts to translate social history, the story of ordinary citizens, into a visual and readable form, and to show the impact of outside events on the city's history... [I]t is simply the best book of its kind that we've seen." --History of Photography "I loved both the pictures and the stories... They make a fine record of the period and reminded me of my whole life in Philadelphia." --E. Digby Baltzell "Miller, Vogel, and Davis have succeeded once more in making a thoughtful illustrated history of the city." --Sam Bass Warner

From the Publisher

Photographic Philadelphia memories, volume 2

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 319 pages
• Publisher: Temple University Press; First Edition edition (October 8, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877225516
• ISBN-13: 978-0877225515
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,355,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philadelphia Stories - A Wonderful Photo Journey !, December 19, 2000

By 

LindaF (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Philadelphia Stories: A Photographic History, 1920-1960 (Hardcover)

Philadelphia Stories is an outstanding photo-journal chronicling the years 1920 through 1960; the photos are excellent and really took me back to my childhood days through Port Richmond, Kensington, Juniata and Frankford! A "Must-Read" for anyone interested in Philadelphia History or just to Stroll down Memory Lane. Thoroughly enjoyable - I was thrilled to find this terrific book at Amazon.com !

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, March 4, 2009

By 

D. J. Marconi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philadelphia Stories: A Photographic History, 1920-1960 (Hardcover)

I felt that it was not as comprehensive as it could have been. Most of the photos featured the northern part of the city, and the emphasis was very heavy on showcasing Jewish residents and their neighborhoods.

South Philadelphia, which is probably the most colorful and interesting part of the city, was virtually ignored as was the beautiful areas in the northwest.

Philadelphia, during this period of time, was a very diverse city with many different ethnic neighborhoods. It was also the home of many blacks who lived in a variety of areas, yet this was largely ignored.

Perhaps the book should have been titled differently

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just your usual book of old photos, February 8, 2008

By 

H. G. Factor (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philadelphia Stories: A Photographic History, 1920-1960 (Hardcover)

For former Philadelphians who retain any residual interest in the city's social/economic/labor history or, for that matter, for anyone from anywhere who's interested in the 20th century history of Billy Penn's old creation, this is a winner. Not only does it contain an abundance of great old photos but the narrative commentary is chock-full of interesting (even jaw-dropping, in some cases) bits of historical info of the "who knew?" variety. The best book of its kind I've ever read.