Tag Archives: Philadelphia History

Visions in Motion: The Eva Gholson Papers, 1975-1999. Philadelphia Dance Collection

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This month’s pop-up exhibit in the SCRC Reading Room recognizes Black History Month by highlighting the Papers of Eva Gholson, the first Black women to train at the Merce Cunningham studio in the 1960’s. The Eva Gholson Papers provide a glimpse into Gholson’s career as a professor of dance studies at Temple University, her years with Sybil Dance Company, and the Philadelphia dance scene for a small modern dance troupe during the mid-1970s to the early-1990s.

Gholson earned a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Bard College and an MFA in dance education at Sarah Lawrence College. Gholson also trained as a pianist, graduating from the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a focus on piano theory and violin. She was a professor of dance studies at Temple University from 1972 to 2011. Gholson was also a founding member, artistic director, and choreographer for Sybil Dance Company. Gholson’s choreography was performed not only by Sybil Dance Company but also PHILADANCO!, Philadelphia Civic Ballet, Temple University dance students, various other college dance programs dance companies around the world.

During her career in choreography Gholson created over fifty original works in the modern dance style.  Her choreography has been described by various critics as flowing, natural, lyrical, earthy, spiritual, intense, passionate, and formal. As an educator, artistic director, and choreographer, Gholson was recognized for her work in dance with a 1988 award from the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum. In 2004, Gholson published Image of the Singing Air: Presence and Conscience in Dance and Music Collaboration, which combined her personal perspective with her knowledge of music and dance theory.

A selection of ephemera from performances Gholson choreographed is on display in the SCRC Reading room this month.

Portraits of Philadelphia: Photographs by Joseph V. Labolito and Jim MacMillan, 1981-2023

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This year’s fall exhibit explores the images of two photographers, Joseph V. Labolito Photographic Prints and Collections – Joseph V. Labolito and Jim MacMillan Jim MacMillan – Journalist, educator and social innovator in Philadelphia, as they travelled around Philadelphia, photographing unique human experiences and fleeting moments in the city. This exhibit runs from November 13, 2023 to March 2024 in the exhibit space of Temple University’s Charles Library. More information about an opening reception is to follow.

Joseph V. Lobalito

Joseph V. Labolito’s career in photography began in 1977. For the past 27 years he has worked at Temple University as a senior photographer. Labolito documented the areas where he grew up and the places he frequented, capturing a deeply personal and authentic representation of Philadelphia, from the 1980s through the 2000s. Labolito describes his work as,

“a tribute to the city that has shaped me, the people who call it home, and the enduring spirit of Philadelphia. Through these photographs, I hope to share the beauty and resilience of this city with the world, inviting viewers to journey through time and celebrate the progress and evolution of Philadelphia.”

3644 North Broad Street
May 25, 1986
Photo by Joseph V. Labolito

Jim MacMillan is the founder and director of the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting and its parent organization, the Initiative for Better Gun Violence Reporting, as well as assistant direct of the Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting at Klein College. During his photojournalism career, MacMillan spent 17 years at the Philadelphia Daily News and worked for The Associated Press in Boston and in Baghdad during the war in Iraq, for which his team was awarded The Pulitzer Prize. MacMillan says of his work,

Jim MacMillan

“every opportunity to take pictures on the streets of Philadelphia and tell the stories of our neighbors and neighborhoods has felt like an incredible privilege. Photographing activists in action during street-level protests and demonstrations has always felt like a special honor as we exercise our First Amendment rights together in the city where our nation was born.”

Peace protesters march down North Broad Street Saturday. Police estimated that ten thousand demonstrators marched in Philadelphia Saturday against war with Iraq.  
February 15, 2003
Philadelphia Daily News photo by Jim MacMillan

You can register to attend this event here.

-–Ann Mosher, BA II, SCRC

Advertising the Bicentennial: The Martin Ezra Papers

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In 1976, Philadelphia’s Bicentennial celebration, celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, showcased all the city had to offer.

Image of Ortlieb’s Beer Welcome Map
Cans of Ortlieb’s Beer, brewed in Philadelphia, were illustrated by national artists depicting scenes from Revolutionary times and sold at the Bicentennial.

On December 31, 1975, New Year’s Eve, the first of the Bicentennial-themed events occurred when thousands came out to watch the Liberty Bell be transported from Independence Hall to a new pavilion on Independence Mall. Daily events from January to October, included street performers, concerts, and puppet shows. The week leading up to July 4 was renamed ‘Freedom Week’ and featured even more celebrations throughout the streets of Philadelphia, including a 2076 time capsule buried at Second and Chestnut Streets, a 50,000 pound Sara Lee birthday cake served at Memorial Hall, and numerous fireworks displays.

Photograh of 7" record and cover "Voices of '76"
Voices of ’76 Record

The ceremonies on Indpendence Mall opened On July 4, 1976, with actor Charlton Heston serving as master of ceremonies, and attended by President Gerald Ford, Pennsylvania Governor Milton Shapp, and Mayor Frank Rizzo. A five-hour parade followed which featured floats from every state. On July 6, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip presented to the city a Bicentennial Bell produced in the same foundry as the original Liberty Bell. In total, an estimated two million visitors attended the events.

Publisher Martin Ezra’s Bicentennial Newsletter created to publicize regional plans for the bicentennial, and to raise interest and involvement in the various programs and celebrations. Among this collection of papers, held in the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC), are files of information from each state delegation describing their involvement in the Bicentennial, as well as photographs and ephemera related to the festivities. A plethora of souvenirs and other items were also created to sell during the festivities, which Ezra also collected. A selection of the advertisements, merchandise, and other materials from this collection are on display in the exhibit case in the SCRC reading room during the month of July.

Image of "The Fourth of July Bicentennial Coloring Book"
The Fourth of July Bicentennial Coloring Book

-–Ann Mosher, BA II, SCRC

Samuel R. Joyner, Cartoonist

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Photograph of Samuel Joyner holding up a cartoon


This month’s pop-up exhibit in the Special Collections Research Center features the work of Samuel R. Joyner, an editorial cartoonist and teacher. He is among the small number of African American cartoonists in the United States. Born in 1924, Joyner graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts (now the University of the Arts) in 1948. He attended the Teacher Certification program at Temple University and taught graphics communications/silk screening at Rhodes Middle School and Edward Bok Vocational High Schools from 1971 to 1990. Samuel R. Joyner died on March 24, 2020.

Joyner cartoon entitled "What's the Big Hurry" dated March 20, 1998
March 20, 1998



This exhibit features historical documents and original cartoons from the Joyner Artwork Collection in the Special Collections Research Center and displays both his talent and his views about popular issue such as the civil rights struggle, social commentary, and black achievement. In addition to the Philadelphia Tribune, his cartoons appeared in major periodicals such as The Houston Sun, The Milwaukee Times, and the Messenger Magazine.

–Brenda Galloway-Wright, Associate Archivist, SCRC

Joyner's Celebrate Black Music" drawing

Women’s History Month: Coalition of Labor Union Women, Philadelphia Chapter

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Coalition of Labor Union Women pennant reading "we didn't come here to swap recipes."

The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) was established in Chicago in 1974 as a constituency group within the AFL-CIO. Gloria Steinem was one of the founding members. Philadelphia’s chapter was chartered in 1975. CLUW united a diverse body of women across a broad spectrum of organizations. Broadly speaking, it aimed to connect the feminist movement to the labor movement, advocating for women’s health and equal pay, as well as organizing women and increasing their numbers in union leadership as well as in politics everywhere.

Locally, the Philadelphia CLUW has worked on a variety of advocacy campaigns with labor unions and other community and interest groups to advance the joint cause of labor and women. CLUW lobbied for a national single-payer health care system, as well as a women’s health agenda in the Pennsylvania state legislature that included contraception coverage and continued access to legal abortion. It fought for mandated paid sick time in Philadelphia, which was realized in 2015. It has also fought against the privatization of schools and Social Security and other governmental benefits.

Early 20th century broadside calling on women to strike; written in English and Italian

The March 2023 pop-up exhibit in the Special Collections Research Center reading room features the records of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, a recent donation to the Urban Archives. They complement a large body of records already in the SCRC that document labor and unions in Philadelphia, extending back into the 1800s. Other collections include International Ladies Garment Workers Union; United Saw, File, and Steel Product Workers of America; and the Harold Ash Papers. Many of these colections were acquired for the archives in the early 1980s during an two-year National Endowment for the Humanities-funded special initiative to acquire Philadelphia labor collections.

Women in a late 19th century factory varnishing and polishing handsaw handles
Women in a late 19th century factory varnishing and polishing handsaw handles

–Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist, SCRC



David Goodis ‘38, Noir Fiction Author

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Temple University Libraries’ Special Collection Research Center’s January 2023 reading room pop-up exhibit commemorates the anniversary of David Goodis’ death.

David Loeb Goodis was born in Philadelphia on March 2, 1917, and died on January 7, 1967. He was an author and screenwriter of noir crime fiction, creating short stories, novels, and screenplays.

Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photograph


Goodis was the oldest child of William and Mollie Halpern Goodis, both with Russian-Jewish emigrant roots. Goodis graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 1935. He then attended Temple University and graduated in 1938 with a degree in journalism. Goodis resided in Philadelphia, New York City, and Hollywood during his professional years.


Goodis’s first published novel was Retreat from Oblivion (1939). François Truffaut filmed Goodis’ 1956 novel Down There as the acclaimed Shoot the Piano Player (1960).


In 1965, Goodis sued United Artists-TV and ABC for $500,000, claiming copyright infringement. He said the movie The Fugitive was based on his 1946 novel Dark Passage. Although Goodis died before the case could be settled, the lawsuit continued to make its way through the courts. Goodis’ main beneficiary had also died, so the Goodis estate agreed that the case only had nuisance value and accepted $12,000 to settle. The case is still regarded as a landmark decision in intellectual property rights and copyright law.


Goodis has become a noir icon, supported by a group of devotees who founded and sponsor NoirCon, a “literary conference devoted to the dark, elusive, and seductive areas of art and life.” Around the date of his birth or death, the group also organizes a tour of Goodis-related sites in Philadelphia.

–Margery Sly, Director, SCRC

New Accession Spotlight: the John Dowlin Papers

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Bike for a Better City Button

“Bike for a Better City”

John Dowlin used the bicycle as a means of political, diplomatic, and environmental activism. In 1974, after recently relocating to Philadelphia, he co-founded the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition. Dowlin and the Coalition saw the bicycle as a viable, cheaper alternative to the car and the answer to environmental concerns, as well as traffic and congestion issues in the City. With a goal to increase bicycle ridership, they pushed for accommodations for bicycles on all public transit, including buses, trains and even planes, and safe bicycle lanes on city streets and even the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

Dowlin was director of the Bicycle Parking Foundation, founder of the international Bicycle Network, and editor of Network News and the Cycle and Recycle reusable wall calendar. Internationally, Dowlin led Tour de Cana, bicycle touring in Cuba and Latin America, and was president of Citizen Diplomats, ‘people-to-people’ diplomacy in Cuba. In the 1980s, Dowlin participated in Bike for Peace, during which he and other bikers rode together from Leningrad to Washington, DC. He was also an active neighbor in West Philadelphia’s Powelton Village. Together with Drexel University and the Powelton Village Neighbors Association, he worked on the Westbank Greenway Project to improve the Schuylkill River banks in West Philadelphia.

A small selection of John Dowlin’s papers documenting his work is on display in the Greenfield Special Collections Research Center Reading Room, Charles Library, for the month of December 2022.

Dowlin, with the assistance of his daughter Debby, donated his papers to the SCRC in Summer 2020. Staff are preparing the collection for research use. Among his many projects, Dowlin also worked with Rick Shnitzler on Taillight Diplomacy, promoting the preservation and restoration of Cuba’s old cars. Shnitzler’s papers, also in the SCRC, were recently opened to research use.

–Courtney Smerz, Collection Management Archivist, SCRC

Front page of How to commute by bike document

The Diamond Cutter’s Daughter

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Elaine Terranova grew up in Philadelphia, the daughter of Nathan and Sadie Goldstein, and studied at Temple University, graduating in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in English. While working as a manuscript editor for J. B. Lippincott & Co., she attended Vermont’s Goddard College, earning a master’s degree in 1977. Her career shifted from editing to education, and she taught English and creative writing at Temple University until 1987.

Terranova developed a passion for writing poetry and began publishing her works while continuing to teach. Her poems have appeared in various publications including The New Yorker, The American Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, Virginia Quarterly Review, and Ploughshares. She has also published several books of poetry, including The Cult of the Right Hand (Winner of the American Academy of Poets’ Walt Whitman Award for 1990), and Perdido, (2018) with the next, Rinse, is forthcoming in 2023.

Cover of Cult of the Right hand


On September 20, 2022, Temple Libraries was pleased to host a reading by Ms. Terranova, followed by a conversation between her and Rebecca Alpert, professor of religion emerita at Temple. Alpert was was among the first women in America ordained as a rabbi, at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1976. Her primary field of study is American Judaism in the twentieth century, focusing sports, race, and sexuality. View a video of that program.


On October 6, Temple University Libraries Book Club is discussing her memoir The Diamond Cutter’s Daughter, Princeton, NJ: Ragged Sky Press, 2021, about growing up in Philadelphia.

cover ofo The Diamond Cutter's Daughter

The Special Collections Research Center celebrates Ms. Terranova’s life and work with a pop-up exhibit in the reading room in Charles LIbrary. The exhibit, up for the month of October, presents a small sampling of material from her papers, which she donated to the Libraries in 2020.

–Margery Sly, Director, SCRC

Dog Days of Summer in Philadelphia, 1928-1981

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Kids running through a sprinkler
1981, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin


The Special Collections Research Center is pleased to present our latest pop-up exhibit “Dog Days of Summer in Philadelphia, 1928-1981.” This fun and whimsical exhibit features items from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photograph and News Clipping collections, the Urban Archives Pamphlet Collection, and the Newspaper Illustration Collection documenting how Philadelphians keep cool and have fun in the summer months. This exhibit was curated by student intern Abigail Boyer and will be on display in the SCRC reading room through August.

–Brenda Galloway-Wright, Associate Archivist, SCRC

cartoon of mne jumping into water
Jumping into the Delaware River, 9/23/1955, Newspaper Illustrations Collection

A police horse eating an ice cream cone
The Horse that Likes Vanilla, July 31, 1975, Philadelphia Evening Bulletin

Battling Housing Discrimination in Post-War Philadelphia

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Your Home in a Changing Neighborhood booklet

Philadelphia’s African-American population grew during World War II and in the decades that followed. Exacerbated by racial segregation, this population growth led to a severe housing shortage among the city’s Black population. In response, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Philadelphia Branch, and the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations led efforts to combat racial discrimination and segregation in housing. Records documenting these efforts are on display in the latest Special Collections Research Center pop-up exhibit in the reading room.


Fair housing efforts of this period at first focused mostly on appeals to principles of justice and fairness in order to reduce barriers to housing for African Americans. In the 1950s and 60s, Philadelphia became an epicenter for fair housing activism. Notably, in 1951 voters approved a Home Rule Charter, which banned discrimination in public employment, public accommodations, and housing. The new charter also created the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (CHR), whose mandate was to enforce the charter’s prohibitions on racial segregation. Under Mayor Joseph Clark, the first Democrat to serve as mayor (1952- 1956) since the nineteenth century, the city instituted reforms on a wide variety of issues, including reforms aimed at fighting racial housing discrimination.


Filmstrip focuses attention on neighborhood integration cover

The CHR provided education about housing integration through publications, films, and neighborhood programs, a few of which are on display. Despite these efforts, racial discrimination, tension, and white flight continued. In response, the commission shifted its focus to crafting and supporting fair housing legislation more broadly at the local and state level.

What To Do pamphlet


The NAACP, Philadelphia Branch, under the leadership of Charles A. Shorter, also made important strides in extending civil rights during this period. Shorter led successful efforts to force department stores to hire black clerks, end segregated seating in Philadelphia theaters, and integrate the Philadelphia Real Estate Board and the Pennsylvania Parole Board, among other accomplishments in this era. In 1953, the Philadelphia Branch was awarded the Thalheimer Award, the NAACP’s top award given to branches for outstanding achievements.

Letter from Shorter to Letson


Included in this pop-up exhibit are a selection of items from the NAACP, Philadelphia Branch Records, the Urban Archives Pamphlet Collection, and clippings and photographs form the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Photograph Collection documenting efforts by CHR and the NAACP Philadelphia Branch to combat housing segregation and white flight during the economic and demographic changes of the post-war years in Philadelphia.

–Josue’ Hurtado, Coordinator of Public Services, SCRC