Market Street and City Hall from Eighth, Philadelphia circa 1904 (9/109)
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My first thought when I saw this picture was how many people are in it. There are a lot of people on the sidewalks. Are there more people out or are there more people walking?
There are more people out and fewer people in cars. Although I’m no expert on the early 1900s, I do know that staying at home is more convenient now than ever before. Online food shopping allows us to buy food for up to a month and refrigerate/freeze it. You had no way to transport food other than with your hands back then, so you bought food every day. There are hundreds of local stores where we can drive or order anything we want online. People had to travel to the same big stores (Stawbridge’s for example in the picture) to shop back then. Back then, there were many more reasons to leave your house every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s just to socialize.
Our neighbors are less likely to know us because it is easier to stay inside. Additionally, we move more frequently. It may also contribute to less socializing like they used to. It’s funny that you mentioned Strawbridge’s. I recall people meeting at the eagle sculpture in the store at a certain time. You just waited if someone was late. Imagine how different things are today. You whip out your phone and send the person a text message. That’s assuming you’re meeting a friend to shop in person, not texting your friends from home after your shipment of stuff arrived.
There has been a dramatic change in life. I’m a young person. Even I remember when I was a kid setting up plans to meet people at certain places. Cell phones were not available, and sometimes you didn’t even use the house phone. Then you stayed outside until the sun went down where you knew your buddies would be.
When I was in college, we had to do that. It wasn’t until about 2003-2004 that cell phones became commonplace. People used to make fun of the early cell phone users because it seemed silly to have a portable phone.
In the late 1980s, I actually used a shared mobile phone at work. We used it in the car to plug it in and phone reports back to the office. It was large, wired, and used in the car. We shared it because it was expensive. Being a part-time employee while in college was a big deal for me. That thing would be great if I had a picture of it. In comparison to today’s technology, it was definitely something to laugh at.
Once the Gallery is completed and more development moves forward, hopefully East Market will be this crowded again.
The company has been making good progress over the last few years. However, going to a methadone clinic hurts.
My home is right there, and I’m there every day. There are times when it gets this crowded.
Yes, but do you see that many top hats?
Top hats are an integral part of our society!
Taking a closer look, you can see people throwing their first snowballs at Santa
From this perspective, City Hall doesn’t seem that far away. It might be 11th and Market.
It still amazes me to see faded advertisements on buildings today. Honestly, the capitalist pig in me wonders: Why don’t they do it now? There was a huge loss of revenue. I guess it’s a zoning issue? I haven’t really looked into it.
In center city, there aren’t many blank party walls (walls that go right up to the property line without windows) due to sign regulations in the zoning code. People prefer windows on buildings if they don’t have to have one, and most buildings no longer extend to the property lines in the densest parts of town. However, outside of center city, they are usually turned into murals instead due to the zoning code.
It would be interesting to see what’s available at Strawbridge’s. Things that are forgotten. It would surprise me to find something from so long ago on a shelf. They had never seen a plane before. I have never heard a radio broadcast. They might have known what a car was, but it was an impractical toy.