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
Photograph of architectural rendering. Centennial Book 86. This building was planned to be on the southwest corner of Front Street and South Avenue (now Veterans Square), but it was never built.
No identifications on negative envelope. Left to right, Bottom: Walter L. Rhodes, Crosby L. Smith, ?, J. Fred Schultz. Middle: ? (man behind Schultz's right shoulder). Top: Walter Strine, Paul Clark, Gus G. D. Houtman, ?, J. Orval Mancill, Frank Wiltshire, R. Dean White. Negative damaged. (Identifications made from other photographs and newspaper sources)
No identifications on negative envelope. Left to right, Bottom: Walter L. Rhodes, Crosby L. Smith, ?, J. Fred Schultz. Middle: ? (man behind Schultz's right shoulder). Top: Walter Strine, Paul Clark, Gus G. D. Houtman, ?, J. Orval Mancill, Frank Wiltshire, R. Dean White. Negative damaged; this image made from scan of 8x10 print. (Identifications made from other photographs and newspaper sources)
This is probably the office of the Recorder of Deeds, in the Delaware County Court House complex. If so, the man behind the counter, on the left, is William K. H. Linvill, county recorder of deeds. (See Chester Times, Feb. 7, 1949, p. 11, article with photo)
This is probably the office of the Recorder of Deeds, in the Delaware County Court House complex. If so, the man behind the counter, on the left, is William K. H. Linvill, county recorder of deeds. (See Chester Times, Feb. 7, 1949, p. 11, article with photo)
Anna Mary Walters School once occupied this site, and later, the Media Drug store. Frank Lees, in his photo caption on the print founded in Photo Folder 1345, called this the Haldeman Building.
