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
Art for Friendship was a program sponsored by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which Maude Muller served as the local chapter president. See Chester Times, March 23, 1950, page 37, and other stories. Negative damaged.
Art for Friendship was a program sponsored by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which Maude Muller served as the local chapter president. See Chester Times, March 23, 1950, page 37, and other stories. Negative damaged.
Clockwise from front left: Ambrose H. Smedley, Frank T. Wiltshire, William H. West, Jr., G. D. Gus Houtman, council president; Maude A. Allen, secretary; Paul L. Clark; J. Orval Mancill, Walter M. Strine, J. Fred Schultz, burgess (or mayor) (Identifications made from other photographs and from Chester Times article, January 3, 1950.)
Clockwise from front left: Ambrose H. Smedley, Frank T. Wiltshire, William H. West, Jr., G. D. Gus Houtman, council president; Maude A. Allen, secretary; Paul L. Clark; J. Orval Mancill, Walter M. Strine, J. Fred Schultz, burgess (or mayor)
Clockwise from front left: Ambrose H. Smedley, Frank T. Wiltshire, William H. West, Jr., G. D. Gus Houtman, council president; Maude A. Allen, secretary; Paul L. Clark; J. Orval Mancill, Walter M. Strine, J. Fred Schultz, burgess (or mayor)
This dinner, at the Hotel Media, was held on the exact anniversary of Media's founding. According to the Chester Times (March 11, 1950), councilmen present were William H. West, J. Orval Mancill, Paul L. Clark, Walter M. Strine, Ambrose L. Smedley, Gus D. Houtman and Frank Wiltshire. The seven school directors present were Dr. Mark W. Allam, president, Leedom Y. Tuckerman, Earle O. Babbitt, Horace L. Way, Dr. Isaac S. Pike jr., Howard P. Thomas and William H. Wohnus. School Superintendent M. James Parsons also attended. Most of the men were accompanied by their wives. The story also mentions that John H. Doherty, president of the county commissioners, Edward V. Streeper, and C. Frank Williamson also attended.
This dinner, at the Hotel Media, was held on the exact anniversary of Media's founding. According to the Chester Times (March 11, 1950), councilmen present were William H. West, J. Orval Mancill, Paul L. Clark, Walter M. Strine, Ambrose L. Smedley, Gus D. Houtman and Frank Wiltshire. The seven school directors present were Dr. Mark W. Allam, president, Leedom Y. Tuckerman, Earle O. Babbitt, Horace L. Way, Dr. Isaac S. Pike jr., Howard P. Thomas and William H. Wohnus. School Superintendent M. James Parsons also attended. Most of the men were accompanied by their wives. The story also mentions that John H. Doherty, president of the county commissioners, Edward V. Streeper, and C. Frank Williamson also attended.
HAIR FRINGES ON MEDIA LIONS CLUB MEMBERS – Nine members of Media Lions Club are sporting beads for the Media Centennial Celebration in June, and rightly so, for this club is the sponsorship unit for the beard-raising contest that has set the razor industry back three months in the county seat. I. Frank Lees, treasurer of the beard committee, cannot raise a beard, so he holds the Lions emblem for his hairy friends. The shrubbery growers, from left to right, are: Maurice Bevan, Donald L. Snively, Erich Bubat, Frank Berry, A. Fred Manno, chairman of the beard committee; Dr. Emil A. Lintzmeyer, Francis Gray, club president; George Jeffries, and Percy Roberts. [Caption from Chester Times, May 13, 1950; spelling of some names corrected based on other newspaper searches.]
Newspaper caption reads: "The bushy "all-over" type beard of Dr. Alton F. Evans, Media dentist, is the result of only one month's effort." (Centennial Scrapbook 34)
Newspaper caption reads: "The bushy "all-over" type beard of Dr. Alton F. Evans, Media dentist, is the result of only one month's effort." (Centennial Scrapbook 34)
