The City of Philadelphia’s photo archive contains over 2 million images that date back as far as the late 1800s, i.e. the last time a Republican won in this town. In all seriousness, this is an INCREDIBLE visual record of the city’s evolution and a relatively new web site, PhillyHistory.org, is making it available for online consumption and purchase. To date, some 22,000 images have been digitally scanned, at a rate of roughly 2,000 images a month. So, if you’ve been wondering why the line at Kinko’s is so goddamned SLOW, well, now you know. Phawker will be showcasing images from the PhillyHistory archive and their respective backstories on a regular basis. And to just to make local history fun, let’s have a WRITE YOUR OWN CAPTION CONTEST right fuckin’ NOW! Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend us your wit! Send in your idea of a clever caption for the above image to Feed@phawker.com. First prize is a pair of tix to see Pig Iron Theatre Company’s production of Chekhov Lizard Brain on March 28th at the Latvian Society (a $60 value)!!! Second prize, a set of steak knives. Third prize, YOU’RE FIRED!
[Photo Courtesy of PhillyHistory.org]