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.
Frank Lees caption on reverse: "Also the residence of Harry Garner. Date unknown. Was once an inn and stage coach stop. Very old. Aunt Lizzie Hanley on porch."
Photograph, probably by E. V. Streeper, of the hardware store that occupied the Media Ledger building for more than 75 years. The store closed sometime between 2004 and 2008.
Bishop Nursing Home was located at 318 S. Orange St.; newspaper references start in 1960. According to Frank Lees caption, the building in this photograph is the same (with many additions and alterations) as the Hill Farmhouse. This may be incorrect. More information on this photograph would be welcome.
Caption by Frank Lees: "Edgemont St., S.W. from 3rd and Edgemont." This house no longer stands, but its location was confirmed by comparing the house in the background of P-01308B with the one that still stands (in 2020) at 206 N. Edgemont. The Sanborn atlas in the MHAC Collection gives the address of the house with the tower as 218 N. Edgemont. It was demolished in the 1970s, and three small houses built on the block. See also P-01308B.
Caption by Frank Lees: "Edgemont St., S.W. from 3rd and Edgemont." This house no longer stands, but its location was confirmed by comparing the house in the background of P-01308B with the one that still stands (in 2020) at 206 N. Edgemont. The Sanborn atlas in the MHAC Collection gives the address of the house with the tower as 218 N. Edgemont. It was demolished in the 1970s, and three small houses built on the block. See also P-01308A.
"Red Ink" photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. This is probably the house (still standing in 2021 but added onto on the north side after the photo was taken), at 322 Providence Road, on the east side of the road south of Plush Mill Road, in Nether Providence Township.
"Red Ink" photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. Frank Lees wrote that this house is now on what is known as the Upper Bank Nursery property. The property is entered near the intersection of Ridley Creek Road and Park Avenue. Media Park was the section of houses along South Orange Street and South Avenue, below the Media Railroad Station.
P-01276, P-01277 and P-01278 are mounted on identical boards, with identical handwriting in the captions, so they were all probably taken at the same time.
Haldeman was the first president of the bank, which was founded in 1864. Photograph is of an engraving and heavily retouched. This portrait and others decorated the bank's board room (see P-17026).
