Old Philadelphia Photographs Then and Now

[@sweetrelish334]

Amazing thank you.. I wish so much that so many original places in Philly could have been saved

[@MrButch-ls8vl]

My city! I especially like the side by side comparisons.

[@americanwoman7078]

Mine too....love these old pics

[@theesteviefranchise458]

Mine three…family arrived in late 1682 or ‘83. No matter how far I travel, Philadelphia is where I long to be

[@catholiccrusader5328]

@@theesteviefranchise458 I've heard that a lot. Philly people seem to have a great pride in their city. We Chicagoans have a love-hate relationship with ours.

[@katrinawimbush2609]

So do I!

[@macbird-lt8de]

@@theesteviefranchise458 you might hold a record. Too bad it won't be staying "in the family" for much longer.

[@salnellen1381]

I worked in old city Philadelphia for 16 years and there are many old buildings still standing. There is so much history there and all around you.. I worked in the shadow of independence hall for many years looking down on the tower and also worked in an office that had a direct view of old Congress hall where the constitution was written and my desk sat directly across from the alley that led to that beautiful old building. As well adjacent to my office wall was the location of Ben Franklin’s home. Walking to my office I would pass the old house where Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence every day. It was not hard to envision the founding fathers walking all of those same paths and I would think about this every day.

[@CarsCatAliens]

Very cool ! I worked off-site catering for years in the city. With that comes seeing some really awesome buildings, and hidden treasures. There was a venue and 3rd and Arch (where the real world was filmed) it was originally the "Corn ,something bank and exchange or trust... There is a set of stairs going from the main area on the first floor down to the basement. I never had the opportunity to go down and see it but, beside the massive, awesome vault there was a tunnel as well. Now this is what I was told as I never had the opportunity to see it. The tunnel connected a few building thru out the city and going to under city hall as well .. I have tried to find a video on it anywhere I could but only the old subway tunnels are featured

[@salnellen1381]

@@CarsCatAliens That’s a great story! It’s very possible there are hidden tunnels through old city. So many old buildings were built on top of even older sites so who knows what kind of excavation went on. Makes you think of that movie National Treasure!

[@dorothyjackson1010]

I really enjoyed these shots. Please show more of what was and what is now in Philadelphia like the docks, Market Street, 9th Street,, etc. Thanks for the side by side photos where we can see just how much this city has changed over time.

[@georgesealy4706]

Thanks for this video. I once stayed in Philadelphia for 17 weeks on a business project. I walked a lot in the old town area. It has a special character.

[@craigsped]

Thanks for watching and for your comment.

[@lornabaez3803]

The old pictures of this city make me proud to be from here ✨ thanks for sharing!

[@jackcraig4268]

I enjoyed the sequence that you used; first the original, then the current, then side-by-side. Thanks for posting!

[@haz6491]

Born and raised 70 years ago.Love the pics

[@juliemcdaniel499]

Absolutely love ❤ it. Pls do a T/N of North Philly, South Philly, East Philly, West Philly, Germantown, Broad & Olney, Chestnut Hill & Center City (2/3 parts bc it's huge) Tfs this lovely history that was way b4 my time👍

[@AlexWolfLikesPie]

Thank you for this look into my city. I miss it a lot.

[@triumfant2]

Wow I love this project! Something positive of Philadelphia. I love Philadelphia history and you capture it and show the city’s character. I have old pictures of from my family history. I am shocked to see myself some of the buildings I have still standing. Thank you for sharing this. Germantown is one neighborhood with a lot of old buildings I would love to see saved.

[@myronsmith2114]

Yes German Town is very historical

[@bevygaines]

I lived in Germantown, miss the historical sites.

[@reencampbell4481]

This is beautiful… i wish videos like this would entice the local government here to protect and restore our history. Unfortunately, that’s something that Philadelphia doesn’t do very well. You’d think the birthplace of our nation would be given more consideration. This is beautiful… thank you for the pictures 🙂

[@jefffriedberg]

Today I think they would want a tribute to Mogadishu or Zimbabwe….

[@Steph.sMusic]

I totally agree with you!

[@Rgucci7407]

A Philadelphia native here, love it…thank you!!

[@GaryFredericks]

Philadelphia and the Boston have dome the best jobs of keeping as much of the original buildings intact. Thank you Craig for this nostalgic look back at our great beginnings.

[@craigsped]

Thanks for your comment.

[@adammiller2246]

Thank you for sharing these pics. Very well done.

[@chimichanga1972]

Wonderful photos - I worked a few blocks from Independence Mall for 30 years. I have to go back and walk the streets again. Thank you for photos.

Beautiful video. I love watching "then and now" pictures. Very interesting and fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[@MoonJune69]

This was amazing! I always would imagine what the streets looked like in the past walking to and from school growing up.

[@craigsped]

Thanks for your comment. Philadelphia has changed so much even since even the 1950s. In another 60 years today’s new buildings will be tomorrow’s old.

[@kw19193]

Absolutely superb. Very well done mate. I especially like that after the two then and now photos you do a side by side. Too, your ability to capture the spot from which the original photographer captured his shot to take yours is marvellous. Cheers!

[@lav25og83]

The Shot Tower is still up. It was used by pouring molten lead into a collander thing, different size holes in different ones for the size you want, and when the lead came out the holes and fell it formed round balls of a specific size for the desired shot. Then it landed in water at the bottom solidifying it through. Very neat idea to make shotgun pellets

[@gregwright5343]

And canon balls.

[@wallybescotty]

this is very enjoyable, some chill music in the background wouldn't hurt, but i like the no narration just text with information style you did here, i really like how you transition and show the side to side old and new much easier to compare and imagine.

[@barbbraun543]

My family owned a grocery store at 3520 Market Street from the 1840's until sold to Drexel in 1940's. Listed as Philip Donohoe and Sons. I had a picture of it around 1860's showing two delivery wagons. The picture was mistakingly thrown out. If anyone out there ever sees it, please contact me. Surprisingly, it was on the West side of the city that was not considered Philadelphia proper. I loved all these photos. Would love to see more.

[@lav25og83]

1840, you took a pontoon toll bridge to get over to there, Mantua then I think. Was undeveloped in a lot of farmes and open land. Had a train station built for a Army hospital during the Civil War. Was developed in the late Victorian era until the Depression. Then all building stopped until 1940 or so, and then the war shut it right down again until the late 40's. There was still shortages of vital materials for building for years until the economy switched and recovered. That is when the second building wave hit Mantua, Powelton, whatever. It was called Mantua the whole are north of the store on Market

[@lindaf426]

I really enjoyed your video here.The before gives an idea of what was there and today.I trually likef when both photos were shown. They looked great together. I had to sibscribe.I only wish I found you earlier.

[@yolandajohnson8685]

beautiful photos. I love pictures of Old Philadelphia.

[@puppieslove9652]

good stuff mate . it were like time travel .

[@martinmarsola6477]

Nice trip into the past. Thank you for your video. 👍🙂🇺🇸

[@petestaint8312]

Fantastic channel! I'm addicted. Thanks for posting. 👍

[@gregdavis19]

This was fantastic! Philadelphia is my favorite big city to visit (as long as I stay in Center City). The city made a lot of good changes, and a couple not so good. I really enjoyed this. Thank you

[@PhilOutsider]

Thanks! These are great.

[@JamesWilliams-qn5cq]

Really great work. Thanks a ton for the post. This is my old neighborhood. I used to live on 2nd & Chestnut, as well as Front & Market

[@naimahbuckner4062]

Thank you for sharing

[@vincentcibor8847]

Thank you! I was born in Port Richmond, so these scenes are a nice trip down memory lane!

[@dianafarnese8431]

I was raised in Port Richmond!! I now live in the Midwest and really miss my hometown. Where did you live?

[@myronsmith2114]

I’m glad Port Richmond isn’t as racist as it used to be . I was born in the 60s and at the time I was growing up if you looked like me you couldn’t go into Port Richmond or Fish Town. Now its getting very diverse

[@melgal8647]

Awesome, I love how u included the 2021!

[@shentsaceve5642]

Any shots of City Hall down the Parkway from the Art Museum steps, please?! Amazing how it's even changed just from the time of the old Rocky movie was staggering...

[@donnamuller6460]

Wonderful! Thank you!

[@craigsped]

Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. I remember as a kid going to Wanamaker’s, Strawbridges, and Lits during the Christmas season, as well as riding the trains, subway, and the el. Philadelphia has changed over the years, but there are always the memories.

[@shentsaceve5642]

@@craigsped Franklin Institute as a kid, baby!! And , if course, the Art Museum! (Back when you could drive a car right to the very top of the "Rocky" steps and chill!)

[@eileenhudson4934]

Love the comparisons!!!!

[@aaronschulte3207]

thank you for the side by side photos

[@jefffriedberg]

Excellent job of searching and photography.

[@craigsped]

Many thanks!

[@jefffriedberg]

@@craigsped Righto. Deserved :)

[@coeusdarksoul2855]

Used to love going to The Black Door / The Irish Times at 2nd and Bainbridge and never knew the history of that place. Thanks for putting this up! :D

[@laughinghawk8522]

Wonderfully done!

[@ohmeowzer1]

Well done please do more cities I love the side by side pictures,,great job

[@estelleadamski308]

just subscribed, very well done!

[@Obeijin]

As a photographer , I love these then and now photos ...

[@mrs.g.9816]

Usually, the "now" photos suck next to "then" photos. But I saw lots of improvement in most of these photos. Like the Betsy Ross House. Back then, it was squeezed between two bigger buildings. Now, it has some "breathing room". It seems like Philadelphia has more respect for its past than does NYC. I hope the restoration of the Spafford House goes well.

[@lav25og83]

When I was a kid the City owned Independence Hall and all around, and they had one senior old cop in the place to keep the rifraf and drunks from stinking the place up. My Dad worked for the City and would chat him up, and I would have the run of Independence Hall. Nobody was there. No tours. No caretakers. few visitors. Just the cop . The bell used to be on a open stand under the Belltower. I used to crawl inside and try and jerk the clapper lose from the bracket holding it and make that busted ass bell ring again for all the right reasons. At six or seven. I ended up in the Marines naturally.

[@mrs.g.9816]

@@lav25og83 Love your story and how you told it! 🤣

[@lav25og83]

I never carved my initials in any desk or table, never broke a window or a lock. Never took a thing. Even got on the roof for God's sake. In broad daylight. And waved to Dad and the cop. They waved back, and told me get off the roof and back inside, NOW! Just a kid playing Revolutionary Colonial Patriot. Trying to ring that busted ass bell. Fort Mifflin at that age was even better. Another deserted but open Historical site here. Guy taught me to shoot rats across the moat from the fort's wall. I never did take any future interest in going out to shoot rats. but I spent 5 years as a Scout Sniper, so that's something at least. I did have later training I must admit. Sitting at the end of the runway for Phila. International Airport and jets going right by us, with that scoped rifle. Good times for a 8 year old. Try that now.

[@LUIS-ox1bv]

Thr Betsy Ross House looks like suburban track, faux, neo colonial housing. Tearing down the historic 19th century buildings in this discriminate fashion, in order to lay focus on one singular building built during 18th century, destroys its urban context.

[@tedlahm5740]

@@LUIS-ox1bvof course. that is the intent. That area was terrible right up to 1950’s.

[@unclesamzbastardsonu.s.b.s9315]

I love history, so thanks for sharing.

[@loutorres0608]

I can recall walking around old city many Friday nights as a 21 year old man having fun and fascinating over the beautiful historic buildings. Philly will always be home!

[@thrillsteel2252]

Thanks for sharing this. Very interesting.

[@philausa9629]

Very good work

[@michaelyoung7974]

This is excellently done, superbly paced. I'm sorry the Half House is gone.

[@myronsmith2114]

We still have plenty of half houses left standing. They are just twin houses with one of the twins demolished

[@fredduncan1610]

Great job, thank you!

[@jimschwandt8089]

Great comparisons here. In some cases we've made true improvements from the past. In other cases such as the half house, I wish we could have kept it the way it was. At it's best, Philly has a wonderful charm all it's own.

[@wholeNwon]

Yup (its not "it's").

[@myronsmith2114]

We still have plenty of half houses in Philly. That was just one of many

[@robertc2413]

Amazing! Thank You.

[@virginiacook2724]

Please bring us more pictures of Philadelphia!

[@rsin-uh9ec]

YES SIR THOSE WIER THE DAYS. THANK YOU FOR A FINE VIDEO. ROBBIE PHILADELPHIA PA FISHTOWN

[@seriousbutfunny2]

Nice job. A little low-key background music would enhance the experience. IMHO. But I did enjoy looking at the then and now photos. Fascinating to see how things change.

[@Eternalhope-courage]

Cool channel. Nicely thought out with very interesting content. It’s amazing how ppl evolve and we completely what the past was like even though it’s not on purpose but correct me if I’m wrong ; In my humble opinion I think it’s encoded in our genes to think of the past like it was a dream “ I can’t think of the right word” like it never happened and we always have lived like this and tomorrow we will say the same thing for today. PS. Sorry about the long text but I just had to put this out there lol😂. Anyway keep up the good work.

[@PeteFiftyeight]

thank you for uploading this, on to part 2

[@dam1108]

Born and raised. Don't live there now but I will be back to visit if I can ever travel again.

[@cleftoftherock6797]

Well done. Thanks.

[@653j521]

Some day we might get the sound and smells from the past and really get a sense of the place. One might conclude that Philly in the late 1800s-early 1900s was down at the heels. I like that someone at the Captain's house was airing the bed linens.

[@WonderWoman829]

Some buildings should not be torn down just to build “new”. Old architecture is beautiful & sturdy. Leave it as is just make it structurely sound.

[@jnolette1030]

Very nice work

[@nickparreco1044]

thank ya, enjoyed this, and really thinkin bout moving to philly

[@mrknotthall]

So much history has been torn down.

[@phyllisalexander1012]

Born n Raised in South Philly went to 12yrs of Catholic school here. WIW👍👍👍

[@juki0h391]

What a world away. Beautiful, but haunting as well.

[@christina-yp6jy]

Thank you that was nice.

[@bevygaines]

I worked at 4th and Walnut, use to walk past these places. I miss that. I walked through city hall, and never had the time to go in. I wish I had.

[@lkrnpk]

Americans always complain how their cities are so new compared to European ones and ''there is no history'' but most of what is left in Europe from ''old stuff'' in cities is the same 1800s buildings, just looks like Americans torn it down too... Looking at 0:32 and 2:00, those would still be standing in Europe unless destroyed by war.

[@tombirney7276]

At one point Philadelphia was the tourist city with the most "repeat" European visitors. NYC and others racked up more one time tourists. I was proud to take a few European visitors around the city and learned that drug stores and other boring everyday marts in Europe are 500 years old. No big deal to them. They sort of are quietly amused by the Americans who make so much of their 250 structures with millions spent restoring them for museum use only.....

[@lkrnpk]

@@tombirney7276 But if stuff is just torn down, then there will never be a lot of year old buildings in USA even in future. Not all Europe has 500 year old drug stores etc., still a lot has been destroyed either by wars or by Europeans themselves. Some smaller towns could have more of old architecture but city centers like in Paris, Barcelona, London, it's mainly stuff that even USA could have had more, like early 1800s and onwards. Also yes, I think Americans are more sort of focused on preserving some old individual houses, while in Europe the thinking is more of preserving old neighborhoods, whole streets, infrastructure, not to spotlight just some one house here and there.

[@lkrnpk]

It is kind of funny when you have tall glass skyscrapers around and in the middle there is a small wooden house from early 1800s and a proud American is saying ''look, we have preserved history, this is a house where this and that president was born''. Because people in Europe feel much more value in preserving whole streets, neighborhoods, smaller towns as a whole in how they were in the past.

[@tombirney7276]

@@lkrnpk I couldn't agree more that American building preservation to restore to a museum jewel piece with nothing but a tourist function is sort of blind sided to the life of a city and its inhabitants. Works well for corporate developers building hotels too tall in the "Disneyland Historic" part of town.

[@aliciapilotta5913]

My Philly!! Where my story began! ❤️

[@40ounce58]

The half house would’ve been a great tourist attraction. Sad it is gone now.

[@slamjackson2137]

There’s others like it, houses I just assumed used to be twins and had half demolished. Interesting to see an old photo of a half house.

[@theblacksheep5226]

In St Louis the half houses called flounder houses. City has lost dozens over the last 30 years but many have been fully renovated. Some just aren't in best parts of city.

[@tmcdermottg]

Very cool!

[@gilessmedley619]

Speed just right to take in detail without backtracking 👍

[@w7u]

5:11 I remember passing this park all the time, never knew that “half house” was ever there

[@LKS-1976]

Born and raised Philly, Holmesburg section, West Kensington prior to that. My wife's aunt lives behind Episcopal Hospital on N. Lee St. Holmesburg was called Lower Dublin Township prior. I lived a block off Frankford Ave, known as the kings highway.

[@MKarhu05]

Great stuff, eg. on Dock St Market, they went for gobblestone; extra points for classy look (and 200+ year durability).

[@GwynethLV]

Think about adding a soundscape please.. doesn't have to be all loud n showy either..still it's an excellent video ❤

[@richarddavenport31]

COOL TO SEE THEN AND NOW, ITS AMAZING THE BUILDINGS ARE STILL AROUND!!!

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you.

[@bobburke926]

There is also a Shot Tower in Baltimore and it has been nicely restored and preserved.

[@jamesyoung1320]

Cool; I have played soft ball at the shot tower field where the half house once stood.(edited for spelling)

[@craigsped]

It’s interesting the way it looks as though half of the house was just chopped off.

[@ohmeowzer1]

Liked and subscribed

[@olgapolishchuk9826]

Спасибо. Thanks. А что это за башня. What is this tower?

[@pegbutwin7189]

I live in NE Philly and would love to see old/new shots of this and surrounding areas

[@myronsmith2114]

North East Philly was mostly still farm land and factories back then . Not many houses

[@lorrainedubzak6654]

NE has a historical meeting. It used to be monthly on the first Wednesday of the month but, Covid came and, I haven’t seen anything posted. Most of the older homes are gone but, very few remain. Thanks to supposed modernization. We had some mill towns that used to be in Pennypack park.

[@jacoblevitt4980]

This video needs music! In another Tab play "Hall & Oates - Fall In Philadelphia" it sets the mood!

[@ohmeowzer1]

Would love to see NYC..example the 5 points,,,or upstate NY Saratoga or Albany or troy...even Boston, MA...you do great videos

[@Martin-sp4zf]

The middle house in the 2nd photo survives but doesn't stand out. Not all replacements were improvements - the first structures in the series were better buildings than their replacement of brick and glass, I think. Very interesting, thank you, from Ireland.

[@mickeymantool8188]

Id love to go back to the 19th century

[@lorrainedubzak6654]

Love the old homes and, what’s left of them. So sad that we are loosing them to the modern junk that the city is allowing. Thanks for sharing this. Next the mansion on north Broad street.

[@craigsped]

blog.phillyhistory.org/index.php/2010/06/the-lost-world-of-north-broad-street/

[@gnilbirts]

Are these photos available to the public for use?

[@craigsped]

Yes. Try phillyhistory.org

[@Dablkwid0w2008]

People don't know how beautiful Philly really is.. maybe I'm biased

[@aliciapilotta5913]

My beautiful city!!!

[@lindamarsella4743]

This is the only video I've seen with the before picture is shown then the today picture is shown then both together!

[@dukeofhaas]

Craig: Nicely produced video. Pick up the pacing a bit on your next one.

[@matrox]

1:40 What idiot thought it would be smart to deface the Betsey Ross house by actually moving the original door entrance from the left side to the right side. What else did the idiots deface on the interior!?

[@tombirney7276]

I think even the preservationists would admit they never had conclusive evidence of an actual street number or surveyor confirmed location. Only the block and from letters what type of structure. It may actually be the house Betsy lived/worked but it could just as well be a derelict tavern. The architect was following modern proscriptions for crowd control on a busy sidewalk mirroring the letters describing her business. You can't DEFACE something that is most probably not the original (although by luck it may be). Restoring Colonial Williamsburg "defaced" a gas station when it was purchased, the only structure surviving into the 20th century from the 18th. Likewise assuming Betsy did live at the address tourist go to, there is no assurance the door wasn't somewhere else....

[@usereEyez8890]

Music would have been nice.I enjoy stuff like this.❤

[@amethystanne4586]

When my paternal grandmother was in labor early February 1922, her mother-in-law walked in front of her to make a path through the tremendous snow of the Knickerbocker Storm. They were walking to the Maternity hospital that was within walking distance of Otter Street.

[@lav25og83]

That first place at Dock street is near the Birthplace of the Marines, former site of Tun Tavern, under I 95

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Philadelphia seemed to have back-to-back houses back then. And how different Dock Street would be today had the city decided to renovate the buildings and pedestrianize the street with trees.

[@dlb4299]

Look at these and then say we should return to the "good old days".