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
Church building no longer exists. Approximate location was determined by comparing historic aerial photographs that showed the church to a current map of the location.
This originally was called the Chestnut Grove Hotel, later renamed the Colonial Hotel. Media Real Estate Company's colonial-named apartment houses now (2020) stand on this location. Print originally in Folder 1344.
In the old vernacular, a pond and a dam were synonymous. Palmer's Dam was located on Ridley Creek just north of Baltimore Pike, upstream of the Media Water Works. Copy of original photo; source not noted. For Media Coal & Ice Company ad in Centennial Book 85. Negative damaged. See also P-01189.
John H. Doherty, chairman, sits in the center chair, with Albert J. Crawford, Jr., right, and Fred F. Duke, left. The man sitting in front of the table is Edward H. P. Fronefield, county solicitor. The commission offices were in the court house complex.
