Randi Fair, a West Philly resident and photojournalism student at Temple University, has recently completed an interesting project for one of her classes and wanted to share the results. The assignment was to find old photographs of Philadelphia and to re-photograph the same location, at least 60 years later. Randi focused West Philly and we think it came out pretty cool. While working on this project, Randi discovered that some things haven’t changed at all in these years. Check out some of the images below. To see more photos, including Randi’s commentary, go here.
Corner of 43rd and Baltimore.
The other corner of 43rd and Baltimore.
The entrance to Clark Park.
The Charles Dickens statue in Clark Park.
Corner of 47th and Baltimore.
The entrance to Malcolm X Park, then called Black Oak park.
VERY Cool. What year was that one at 43rd and Balt taken?
I think it was 1912!
Good work, Randi. Really cool project. I have a photo (in a box somewhere) of my first birthday party in 1957 at Clark Park. It was a great place then, and it’s a great place now.
Great project! Alas, it looks as if old Clark Park was prettier than the new, redesigned one!
I hate to point this out, but you didn’t get the right entrance to Clark Park. The original photo was taken at 43rd and Baltimore: yours was taken at 44th.
Great work!
Best evidence yet our neighborhood has gone to shit.
yeah! Bring back child labor, omnipresent coal smoke, & racial discrimination!
Here’s a 100th Anniversary image of 43rd/Baltimore. 1912-2012 http://greenlinecafe.com/2012/06/100-years-ago-and-today-at-43rd-baltimore/
I love vintage flicks juxtaposed to current ones like this. I’m wondering where all the trees went in Malcolm X Park though, geez. It might be an optical illusion being as though the modern pic is shot in the winter, but there does seem to be fewer.