Frank H. Taylor's 413 numbered "Old Philadelphia" prints,
published 1915-27 in his Ever-Changing Philadelphia and Old Philadelphia series,
a preliminary catalogue with links to images.

Notes:
-- print number is given on typeset labels, in print images, in sales lists, or in inscriptions;
-- title is taken from the typeset labels or text in the print image: i.e. "xx"; if taken from a sales list, it is given as ("xx"); if supplied from other indiciations, it is rendered as [xx].  A green background indicates that there has been a student research project on it; a yellow one indicates that the print has not yet found or identified.
-- date is offered in the image, usually near Taylor's signature, or occasionally mentioned on a label,  i.e., "1917";
-- general location is a rough indication of the part of the city (Center City E or W, breaking at Broad Street; West Philadelphia N or S breaking at Market Street; North and South Philadelphia, above Vine St. or below South St.; NE Philadelphia breaking off the NP grid, and same for NW, with the Wissahickon as a general boundary between NWN and NWS; there are also a few in Fairmount Park itself, FP); locations beyond the city are indicated by "sub" and county name or NJ, and subjects for less specifically topographic images, such as marine views, objects, or transportation apparatus, are rendered as "mar," trans," or "obj";
-- street locations given in the next column have been entered only occasionally so far, mainly derived from the label copy where the title or image was particularly unclear as to general district;
-- original wash drawings that were the bases for nearly half the prints have been identified in various collections, public and private;
-- alternative versions by Taylor treat some of the same subjects, but appear not to have been the drawing shot for his photolithographs;
-- special notes are offered to the right, and just beyond,
-- label links bring up individually photographed labels where they have not been included in the image of the print, as in the first two dozen, published in a separate pamphlet, or where there is a second label version. Where these haven't been separately shot or cropped down, these inactive link cells are grayed out for now.
Linked images will pop up in a second window, which may or may not come to the front, but they will typically be cued by a second tab at top or bottom of the browser window. One needn't hit the back button to get back from the images to the list; it will usually stay loaded in another window or tab.

The digital photographs themselves were quickly acquired shots in available room-lighting, barely manipulated or enhanced, meant mainly to identify each view. Most, over 300, were shot from the original portfolios at the Free Library of Philadelphia's Print and Picture collection, but others come from the Castner Collection albums there and from other collections, especially the Library Company of Philadelphia. Our thanks to all these cooperating collections. Generally, the prints were photographed with their label in view, as Taylor had attached these to their backing sheets in a way that allowed them to be flipped over the lower left corner of the print. (More links at right may ultimately go to larger images of the surviving labels for each print, but that work is only just begun, and these will be grayed out as mainly empty links for a bit.)  Again, the table cells in yellow indicate prints or labels that have yet to be located.

[link to intro, more about F. H. Taylor and his "Old Philadelphia" print series] [F. H. Taylor's wash and watercolor originals] [return to Places in Time]

[link to intro, more about F. H. Taylor and his "Old Philadelphia" print series] [F. H. Taylor's wash and watercolor originals] [return to Places in Time]