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Thomas H. Shoemaker Germantown and Philadelphia portraits and views collection
Thomas H. Shoemaker (1851-1936) was a resident of Germantown and author of “The Inhabitants of Germantown of Chestnut Hill in 1809,” which was published in volumes fifteen and sixteen of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. He was an informal Germantown historian and recognized, in...
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| Collection: | Thomas H. Shoemaker Germantown and Philadelphia Portraits and Views Collection |
| Collection Number: | V86 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
| Tags: | Add Tag |
| Physical Description: |
9.0 Linear feet 9 linear feet, 33 boxes, 4 volumes |
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| Summary: |
Thomas H. Shoemaker (1851-1936) was a resident of Germantown and author of “The Inhabitants of Germantown of Chestnut Hill in 1809,” which was published in volumes fifteen and sixteen of the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. He was an informal Germantown historian and recognized, in the late 1880s, that his hometown’s landscape was changing. Many of the local old colonial homes were being torn down in favor of shops and row houses, and Shoemaker wished to somehow document the disappearing buildings. In 1888, Shoemaker met artist John Richard, who had already begun making pen and ink drawings of many old Germantown houses. Shoemaker took to opportunity to work with Richard and began collecting his works. Unfortunately, Richard died several months after their first meeting, and Shoemaker decided to carry on the documentation process using photography.
The Thomas H. Shoemaker Germantown and Philadelphia prints and views collection consists of over twelve thousand images of historical places and colonial houses (many of which no longer exist) in and around the Germanton, Chestnut Hill, and Mount Airy sections of Philadelphia. In addition to exterior shots of houses, there are also images of doorways and some house interiors. There are also photographs of views along the Wissahickon Creek; images of graveyards, meeting houses, and churches; various portraits, and pictures of historic houses in other states, such as South Carolina and Massachusetts. While the collection contains mostly photographs, there are also lithographs, india ink drawings, prints, engravings, and silhouettes.
Most of the photographs in the collection date from between 1889 to 1915; however, those by Shoemaker date from about 1910 to 1915. The earliest item is a pen and ink by Richard dated 1863; the latest item is a photograph (with Shoemaker in it) dated 1922. All of the photographs were mounted onto heavy cardstock and the majorities of them are labeled with typed captions. Shoemaker also included his own “sketches” for many of the photos, which primarily consist of clippings and handwritten notes, descriptions, and anecdotes. Shoemaker’s extensive knowledge of Germantown in evident in most “sketches,” as are his connections to local residents from whom he garnered much of his information. In particular, the portraits often contain genealogical information concerning each person, including family trees, occupations, wives, and children. While his sketches are in-depth, he assumed much about the reader’s knowledge of Germantown, and often did not describe the locations of specific houses or the relationships between unrelated people. |