This collection focuses mainly on the Media Centennial Celebration, which ran from June 3-10, 1950 and included thousands of participants and attracted tens of thousands of spectators. Besides covering the centennial activities for local newspapers, Zimmerman took many photographs of local business, churches, and community organizations for inclusion in a souvenir book sold during the events. (The page number of these photographs, in this publication, are noted in each item’s description). To view a selection of Centennial photos by Zimmerman, click here. For an overview of the Centennial activities, click here.
A smaller but fascinating group of aerial photographs of Media and other nearby Delaware County, Pennsylvania communities, taken in 1950, show how much open space existed in the area at the time, and how quickly that land was being bought up and built up as part of the post-World War II housing boom.
Thanks to Adeline Cianella, for scanning most of the 750+ negatives and choosing appropriate subjects for each image; also to Matt Lake, for kicking off the project with a few dozen scans of his own. Most of the photographer's captions were minimal, so thanks also to Adam Levine, who edited each image and fleshed out the descriptions by perusing the Centennial souvenir book along with captions of published photos and newspaper articles describing the events, from both online databases and MHAC’s own scrapbooks and newspaper collection.
Identifier
Francis F. Zimmerman Photograph Collection
Spatial Coverage
Media, Pennsylvania and surrounding municipalities in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Dorothy Southby (Mrs. Sydney Southby) is fourth from left. Someone with a better knowledge of fabrics and fashion could probably correlate more of the Chester Times dress descriptions with the women in this series of photographs. Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518.
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Left to right: Unknown woman in white dress; bending women in background, Mrs. Frank Hamilton, nee Jane Ottey Baker; Mrs. Mathias Usinger, Unknown, Mrs. Harold White, Unknown, Unknown, Mrs. George T. Lewis. Someone with a better knowledge of fabrics and fashion could probably correlate more of the Chester Times descriptions with the photographs. Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518.
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Left to right: May Valentinis-Dee, Mrs. Harold White, Mrs. Frank Hamilton, nee Jane Ottey Baker; unknown; Mrs. Richard Alexander, nee Eleanor Destler. Someone with a better knowledge of fabrics and fashion could probably correlate more of the Chester Times dress descriptions with the women in this series of photographs. Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518.
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." Of this women, the newspaper wrote: "Mrs. Clifford Harriz caused a stir when she arrived in a brown flapper dress with its 11 pounds of rhinestones and beaded fringe." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518.
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518.
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." Left to right: Mrs. Mathias Usinger, at punchbowl; Mrs. Frank Hamilton, nee Jane Ottey Baker, and Mrs. George T. Lewis. Of the three women at the right, May Valentinis-Dee is at the far right. (Chester Times, June 9, 1950).
"Approximately 250 women, many of them dressed in clothes of earlier years, gathered at the clubhouse to chat, drink tea, and view arts and crafts exhibits." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950). Some of these women may have appeared later on the parade float shown in ZM-3518. Of this woman, the newspaper wrote: "A variety of periods was represented in the ensemble of May Valentinis-Dee. She wore a purple velvet gown of 1876 vintage, white silk gloves that dated back to 1880, a veil from the Gay Nineties, and she carried a Venetian fan (1900) in one hand and a white embroidered parasol (1885) in the other." See other photos of this event, ZM-3488 to ZM-3493, inclusive.
"The [American] Red Cross float showed a Civil War soldier's wounds being dressed by Clara Barton, with exhibits indicating modern services, such as swimming and lifesaving programs." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950)
Float of the "Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary of Media showed a Colonial soldier standing by Betsy Ross as she sewed the flag, in the company of a couple of Quakers." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950)
Media Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) float with Pat Highfield, Miss Greater Media, and her court. See also ZM-3525 for view of same float later in the evening, and names of the members of her court.
"The Media Mother's Club again displayed its float with a dozen brides in the costumes of different periods, starting with 1853." (Chester Times, June 9, 1850)
"The Media Mother's Club again displayed its float with a dozen brides in the costumes of different periods, starting with 1853." (Chester Times, June 9, 1850). This image had no negative number, but based on the similar arrangement of women compared to ZM-3511, it appears to have been the same parade as that image.
"Viewing the parade from the post office steps, the judges, Rhona Lloyd, Margaret Wahl, and Creighton Stewart, selected the Women's Clubs of Media as the outstanding organization in the parade. Their "Passing Parade" float included women in all sorts and periods of costumes, coming down to today's sport togs. A large group of women marched holding ribbon streamers attached to the float." (Chester Times, June 9, 1950)
