Historic Photos of Pennsylvania
The birthplace of both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, Pennsylvania is steeped in history as deep as that of the United States as a whole. Founded by William Penn in 1682, Pennsylvania would see America’s first public protest against slavery, its first colonial constitution to ensure freedom of conscience, and a daguerreotype image of Philadelphia’s Central High School that remains the oldest known photograph taken anywhere in the United States. That landmark image is among the many highlights of Historic Photos of Pennsylvania.
Reproduced in vivid black and white, the nearly 200 photos in this volume showcase Pennsylvania’s natural beauty, industrial might, and advances in education and the arts. Farmlands and waterfalls, coal mines and steel mills, museums and universities—all contribute to the tapestry that is Pennsylvania’s landscape and history. Most of all, the images in this collection pay tribute to the people who have made up Pennsylvania’s storied past, even as the state looks ahead to a hopeful future.
We earn a commission for purchases made through the following links.
Book details
- Text by
- Laura E. Beardsley
- Imprint
- Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Pages
- 202
- Formats
- Hardcover
- Series
- Historic Photos
- Subjects
- History › United States › State & Local › Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA)
Photography › Subjects & Themes - Topics
- Pennsylvania history · historic photography · black-and-white photos · pictorial history · American history · Declaration of Independence · industrial heritage
- ISBN-13
- 9781684420636
About the author
LAURA E. BEARDSLEY holds a master of arts in public history from Rutgers University–Camden and is the author of Historic Photos of Philadelphia.
Beardsley served as Director of Graphics and Research Services for the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and previously worked as a park ranger and interpretive specialist at Independence National Historical Park.
When she’s not writing, Beardsley draws on two decades of experience as a freelance researcher and consultant. Her work reflects a deep engagement with Philadelphia’s history and material culture.
Laura lives in Drexel Hill.