Among the many treasures of the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania are two handwritten drafts and four printed
documents that trace the genesis of the new form of government
proposed by the Constitutional Convention. Family photographs
can be difficult to date, especially the farther back in time
you go. Unless an ancestor diligently dated and identified
sitters it can be hard to figure out who is the subject of a
photograph. Using early photographs selected from the Historical
Society of Pennsylvania’s large collection of cased photographs,
along with the aid of primary research on ladies’ fashions from
Godey’s Lady’s Books, this exhibit illustrates key examples of
mid- to late-nineteenth century fashions used to date our
photographs This exhibit, originally mounted at the Balch
Institute for Ethnic Studies in 2001, explores many aspects of
the experiences of the new African immigrants living in our
midst. The exhibit was the result of 2 years of fieldwork in the
African communities of greater Philadelphia.