Harrowgate - Kensington Combined Veterans Memorial Day Parade - Mid 1960s

 

From home movies - Bernadette Smotrys 

Delta Files Works - 3227 Frankford Ave. - 1916--1917

 

Dracula in the Boys' Bedroom Closet - Harrowgate / Aramingo

Memory is a funny thing. I saw the recent R/E sales photos of the house I grew up in on Jasper Street in Philly and saw the photo of the back bedroom and could remember my earliest memories of sleep. My army cot against the back window and my brother in a wooden framed, decorated, twin bed. The matching twin bed was in the girls' room belonging to my older sister along with a crib for my younger sister. 

Later we inherited a double bed with a decorated wooden headboard, I think from my great aunt, her son recently deceased and a veteran of Guadalcanal. Nothing fancy, factory made, but the mentality then was that beds were something special, worthy of being inherited as furniture as in Shakespeare's second best bed willed to his wife etc. My great aunt no doubt wanted to get rid of unpleasant memories and her son's death in a VA hospital etc.

My brother's twin bed became my younger sister's first real bed. 

The overhead light with its beige pressed glass shade. The hardwood floors, the radiator but I don't remember the exact curtains. The side window above the radiator in the modern R/E photo of the same space. Metal blinds on the windows in memory.

I did look at the closest in that recent photo and I instantly remembered how one night after a trip to the old Ellis Theatre at Bridge and Pratt Sts., I was petrified to open the closet that night for fear that Dracula was hiding in my closet. 

I was five and one half, it was probably summer time and my brother and his friend took myself and older sister on the "El" train to the nearby end of the line to the theatre there. 

Counting on my fingers, my brother was barely ten and he was mature enough and trusted enough to be let to be my guardian on a trip no doubt to see a Disney movie etc. But previews of the next week's coming attraction of (American Title) "Horror of Dracula" sent chills down my young back. .

Horror! White knuckles on the wooden arms of the cast iron seat with 1920s type automobile upholstery. Squirming and wanting the scary stuff off the screen and maybe even holding hands over my eyes here and there. Darkness, teeth, blood, screams...

The IMDB preview of that movie still pretty intense IMO.

Out of the theatre into the twilight, up the El train steps and off on the third stop and home. Now dark as night goes.

As it was, I the younger went to bed first on a schedule. My older brother got to stay up most nights and watch Steve Allen, prior to Jack Paar and then Johnny Carson on a timeline. 

Alone with a possible vampire in my closet and alone in the bedroom. Left the light on. Fell asleep I guess. But I remember that movie promo and that closet to this day. 

 

Frank P. Lins, Pharmacist. Fifteenth Street and Columbia (Cecil B. Moore) Avenue - Pennsylvania Historical Review: City of Philadelphia 1886

 

Frank P. Lins, Pharmacist. Fifteenth Street and Columbia Avenue—

Among the many pharmacists who have made a decided success in their profession, is Frank P. Lins, Ph. G., whose well kept drug-store is located at the corner of Fifteenth Street and Columbia Avenue. The establishment was opened in 1876 and soon secured a lucrative practice both from physicians and the general public. Mr. Lins is a regular graduate in pharmacy, and has a thorough and intimate knowledge of drugs. their effects upon each other, and the results produced when taken into the system, and is particularly adapted to fill the important position that he now occupies in the community. He carries a large stock of pure, fresh drugs and chemicals and a well-selected assortment of toilet requisites, druggists’ articles and fancy goods. All kinds of imported and highly scented perfumery, hair-tonics, and cosmetics will here be found, and medicated soaps of great efficacy in skin diseases are also largely dealt in. As a compounder of physicians' prescriptions Mr. Lins has but few equals and no superiors. The most scrupulous care and accuracy are observed in putting up even the simplest preparations, and the materials used are invariably of the very best quality. This department has the endorsement of many of Philadelphia's most celebrated medical men and enjoys a very large and ever-increasing patronage. Mr.Lins is a native of Berks County. Pennsylvania, but has resided the greater portion of his active life in Philadelphia, where he is highly respected and esteemed both in medical and social circles.

Alumni Report. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy - 1893

FRANK P. LINS, PH.G., Class 1876, died on Saturday, May 17, 1890, at his late residence, 1716 North Twenty - first street, Philadelphia, Pa., of consumption, aged thirty - seven years. He learned the drug business with John M. Thomas, of Philadelphia. Graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1876. He was in business at the southeast corner of Fifteenth street and Columbia avenue for several years, but about three years ago, owing to declining health, he sold out his business and went to Denver, Col., with the hope that the climate there would restore his shattered health . After remaining there a short time his health improved and he entered into the real estate business and was prosper ng, he was taken with the "grippe” in January, and never recovered from the effects. About the first of April he disposed of his business there and returned to his home to die living only a few weeks. He leaves a widow to mourn his loss. He was a member of Quaker City Lodge, No. 116, A. O. U. W., and Apollo Senate, No. 6, O. of S. His remains were interred at Ivy Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa.

Saint Leo's Church, Tacony, Dedicated - Inquirer 6 Oct 1884

Inquirer 6 October 1884

St. Leo's

Laying of the Corner Stone of a New Roman Catholic Church.

Archbishop Ryan laid the corner stone of St. Leo's Roman Catholic Church, Keystone and Unruh streets, Tacony, yesterday afternoon at 3 o'clock in the presence of a crowd of some two thousand people. He was assisted by Revs. Cantwell, Filan, McLaughlin, Shannon, Ward, Wall, Quinn, Traynor, Burns, Brehony, Donovan, Fitzmaurice, McHale, Byrne and Hockspieler. The stone, inscribed with a cross and the date 1884, with a receptacle cut in it for a cedar box containing such articles as are usually preserved as memorials, was laid with the ceremonies appointed by the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, and a procession, composed of the clergy present, a church society and the orphans from St. Vincent's Home, moved around the building, the foundations and walls being solemnly blessed during its progress. 

Rev. Dr. Barry, of the Church of the Visitation, preached the sermon. The church is being built of Stockton brown stone, and will be quite a spacious edifice when completed, having 66 feet front, with a depth of 140. The lot was presented by the Messrs. Disston, and the church is an offshoot from that of Holmesburg, of which Rev. L. Wall is pastor.

During the progress of the services a small platform erected for the masons while at work, and which was crowded with people, fell to the ground. They had been warned not to stand on it as it was not safe. No one was seriously hurt, but two or three ladies, whose names were not ascertained, were slightly injured. Great excitement prevailed for a time.

Happy Mother's Day Mom - Memories Past 1950s - Harrowgate/Aramingo

 

Happy Mother's Day Mom - memories past late 1950s - - This is a realty picture of the recent sale of the row house I lived in as a young child in Harrowgate/Aramingo. The basement is in process of being finished. In my memory it was a dark place and lit by one or two bare light bulbs. The stairs never did have a railing. The small white door, center to right leads to steps up to alleyway next to kitchen up to garden. The Utility sink used to stand next to Mom's Maytag and its rollers on top washing machine and buckets of soaking in clorox water of natural cloth diapers, no disposables back then. Wash got hung outside on sunny days to dry and in the basement on rainy days. What I see that is most interesting is what I think is the same Gas Heater, bottom right, from sixty odd years ago that replaced the old Coal heater that was a monstrosity. View of Camera from the old coal bin area. Most of Mom's days were spent at least part time in a dark cellar doing wash, ironing, and shoveling coal in winter. Happy Mother's Day to where you now rest Mommy. God Bless.

Air Mail Philly to NYC Late 1950s - Jasper and Pike Sts.

Memory from my brother, late fifties - Jasper and Pike St.-- "Remember sitting on front porch (Summer) at jasper and Dad would point out the mail plane on its way from Philly to Idewild (JFK ). Was about 9 or 10 in the evening."