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
Individuals are not identified on negative envelope. Group includes Frank Lees, J. Fred Schultz, Edward Streeper, John Tipping, Frank Wiltshire, Walter Strine, Edward Young…
Individuals are not identified on negative envelope. Group includes Frank Lees, J. Fred Schultz, Edward Streeper, John Tipping, Frank Wiltshire, Walter Strine, Edward Young…
Individuals are not identified on negative envelope. Group includes Frank Lees, J. Fred Schultz, Edward Streeper, John Tipping, Frank Wiltshire, Walter Strine, Edward Young. This negative is moldy; scanning the contact print may produce a better image.
Individuals are not identified on negative envelope. Group includes Frank Lees, J. Fred Schultz, Edward Streeper, John Tipping, Frank Wiltshire, Walter Strine, Edward Young…
Address is given in newspaper advertisements as "South Ave and the Pennsylvania Railroad." The business was located east of Orange Street and north of South Avenue. "Made for Mr. Michener, used for advertisement." Centennial Book 85.
Identifications, from the negative envelope, are probably left to right: Michael Alexander, F. T. Dotts, Frank Lomas, and Samuel Abrams, who is coatless and was an employee of the company.
Left to right: William Hannum, Robert Ford, Charles Outland, Charles Higgins, Edward Gibson, Frank Lees, A. Randall Mathues, Bernard Cunningham, Richard Lavery, John Tipping, Centennial Book 26. Negative damaged.
Crowd listening to Crosby L. Smith, who was Media's tax collector in 1950 and former burgess (or mayor) of the borough. Date on negative envelope wrong.
Beer party in firehouse after the event. Edward Gibson, chief (left) with Mildred Gibson, his wife. As of 2020, four generations of the Gibson family have served the Media community though work with the fire company.
