The City's photo archive contains over 2 million photo records that date from the late 1800's. This web site contains a growing collection of those photos. All archive photos may be searched by keyword and date. Archive photos which have been assigned a geographic location are also searchable by proximity to an Address, Intersection, Place Name, or Neighborhood.

The web site is made possible through the generous support of several organizations.

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
The Athenaeum has contributed more than 4,000 scanned images from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings Project based on photos from the Historic Commission.

The Philadelphia Water Department
The Philadelphia Water Department has contributed more than 1,500 scanned images from their collection of historic photographs.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The PHMC has awarded an Archives and Records Management Grant to the Department of Records to support digital scanning of photos. The $14,223 will be used to support our archives interns in 2007.

National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded the City of Philadelphia, Department of Records a grant (grant number PK-50064-08) in August 2008 as part of the Advancing Knowledge: The IMLS/NEH Digital Partnership grant program. In collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Department of Records will use the $108, 882 grant to make historically significant collections from both institutions available on PhillyHistory.org and further develop the website. The Department of Records is one of only four recipients nationally to receive this grant in 2008.

This project is supported jointly by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services or the National Endowment for the Humanities. More information about the awarded grant and the Advancing Knowledge program is available here (http://www.neh.gov/news/archive/20080826.html).

National Endowment for the Humanities
In March 2010, the National Endowment for the Humanities Office of Digital Humanities awarded the Philadelphia Department of Records a Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant (grant number HD-50995-10). This $49,885 grant will be used to develop a prototype mobile phone application that will enable users to view historic photographs on their mobile devices via augmented reality technology. This project has been designated a National Endowment for the Humanities "We the People" project.

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Awards

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The 2007 "Best of Philly" award, announced in the August 2007 edition of Philadelphia Magazine, recognizes PhillyHistory.org as the "Best Local Website" (pg. 145) in Philadelphia. The article states, "History buff or not, traveling back in time is pretty darn cool. Consider PhillyHistory.org your very own flux-capacitor-fueled DeLorean."

URISA recognized PhillyHistory.org as an 'Exemplary System in Government' and gave the website a "Distinguished Single Process System" award. URISA has applauded The Department of Records' efforts to make valuable government information available to the public.

This award recognizes an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the preservation of our built environment. The Historic Preservation Committee of AIA Philadelphia says: "The City Archives have long been the first stop for architects and preservationists documenting the precise history of both important landmarks and vernacular building. With PhillyHistory.org, this resource is now easier to use and more accessible to the general public."

The Philadelphia Department of Records was awarded a 2011 Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History. The award recognizes achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.