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: “This old covered bridge, still known to many as the Red Bridge, carries Rose Tree Road across the Ridley Creek, connecting Upper Providence Township with Middletown Township. The date of this photo is unknown. Although the bridge was torn down many years ago, the bridge, with the same lead in walls, remained a one-way bridge for years, until in 1985 it was replaced with a modern two-lane bridge.” Copy of original photo; source not noted.
Red Ink photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. Duffs may be the mill that now houses the borough offices for Rose Valley, Pa. It is possible that the photographer misheard "snuff" mill for Duffs mill, as this was once a snuff mill.
Red Ink photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. P.M.S. is the Philadelphia, Morton & Swarthmore Street Railway Company. This line did have a bridge in Wallingford. Location given by photographer is wrong, as no part of Ridley Creek is in Media.
"Red Ink" photo, series by same photographer named for red ink used for writing descriptions on reverse side of similarly-mounted images. Photo shows a stream that may be Vernon Run, a Ridley Creek tributary.
