The I. Frank Lees Collection forms the backbone of the collections of the Media Historic Archives Commission, and is its reason for being. MHAC--an official arm of the Media, Pennsylvania government--was created to administer a collection of photographs and other material which I. Frank Lees (1919-1999), a lifelong resident, donated to the borough in 1981. The collection contains roughly 15,000 items, including the more than 1,800 photographs which are presented here. More photographs from this collection, and from other collections donated after Lees' death in 1999, will be added to this site in the future.
THANKS TO
- Chris Welc, for scanning more than 1,000 photographs in the photograph folders that Frank Lees had created. and for creating the first version of the Excel spreadsheet that became the basis of the catalog records on this site.
- Adam Levine scanned hundreds more photographs, fleshed out the photograph descriptions, and created the final metadata now attached to each image.
- Media Borough Council approved the purchase of a new computer and scanners for MHAC, and funded the creation and upkeep of this website.
Spatial Coverage
Media, Pennsylvania and vicinity, as well as other locations (including the Panama Canal Zone) related to Media people.
Back of card reads: "Thirty minutes by R.R. from Philadelphia. Media and Vicinity. Photographed by Samuel McMullin, Landscape Photographer, No. 1128 South Ninth Street, Philadelphia. Taken by request of James R. Cummins, Residence, Media, Penna." Handwritten note on card reads: Bancroft Mills, off Orange Street.
Young people in woods: Girls left to right: Marian Cope, Carmen Major, Helen Janeway, Mary Macintyre. Boy at left is Lewis Cheyney Smith. Boy at right is Lewis Wood Easby. The other two boys are unknown. The title may not be literal; the location may be in or around Media.
"Red Ink" photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. This photo was entered in The John Wanamaker Exhibition of Photographs by Amateurs, February 1908.
Left to right, top: K. Broadbelt, J. Burrows, R. Frescoln, J. Pennington, W. Smith, F. Durnell, H. Moat; Center: Coach Willard Hess, H. Richardson, F. Worrall, E. Young, P. Wood, C. Bonsall, J. Tyler, J. Woods, F. Heacock; Bottom: C. Jefferis, C. Williams, H. Milliken, M. Pendleton, J. Highfield, J. Valenti, D. Burgoon, A. Mathews
Souvenir of Delaware County Peace Celebration, in honor of soldiers and sailors who served in World War I, June 27 and June 28, 1919.[Stored in Military Units & Personnel - Subject Box 28.2]
