Tag: historical society of frankford

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Coming Up at the Historical Society of Frankford

Preserving and Presenting the History of Northeast Philadelphia

HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FRANKFORD
THE CENTER FOR NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA HISTORY
1507 Orthodox Street, Philadelphia, PA 19124

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Tuesday, 10 May 2011  7:30pm
Northeast Philadelphia’s
HARRY GOLD & ATOMIC ESPIONAGE
Allen M Hornblum
Author: “The Invisible Harry Gold: The Man Who Gave the Soviets the Atomic Bomb”

Did you know that a crucial actor in the most disastrous case of espionage in the history of the world lived among us and within living memory?  Noted author Hornblum shares the history-making story of NE Phila’s Harry Gold.
Refreshments served.  Members free;  Others $5.00

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UPCOMING APPRAISAL FAIR
Have a special treasure at home you think  might be worth some money?
Curious about value of a special family heirloom – or a recently acquired vintage item?
Don’t miss this special opportunity to see if you are sitting on a gold mine!

Tuesday, 14 June 2011  7:00pm
ANNUAL FUNDRAISER and SOCIAL
ANTIQUE APPRAISAL FAIR
Barry S Slosberg, Auctioneer and Appraiser

Have your antiques & collectibles valued by renowned Philadelphia auctioneer Barry Slosberg.  Who knows, you may have a priceless treasure just waiting to be discovered!  You do not need to bring an appraisal item to attend – but a sweet refreshment for our annual social would be appreciated.  COST:  $8.00/item; maximum 3 items/person.
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Historical Society of Frankford Program

I attended the Historical Society of Frankford program last Tuesday (April 12th) for the preview of Philadelphia: The Great Experiment.  Considering the rain outside, the crowd was exceptional.

Standing in for Tony Payton who was delayed in Harrisburg on legislative business was Brittany Burwell.  She made the introduction for Sam Katz.  Sam founded History Making Productions back in 2008.  His intention was to produce a multi part video on the history of Philadelphia and the project is moving along pretty well.  The episode shown last week is a kind of a pilot intended to show what the final product will be like.

HMP Pilot Web Clip_City Hall from Katz Creative on Vimeo.

 

The pilot was great.  It covered the period 1865 to 1876.  That is an interesting period in the history of the city and was also the time when my many of my Irish ancestors were making the great migration to Philadelphia.  The film brings that period to life very vividly.  I know a lot of details about my family history but little about what their lives might have been like at that time.  Films like this fill in the details.

Another great HSF program.  Some stills below of the crowd and Sam Katz.

 

 

 

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Pastor Paul Andell to Retire

I got a tip that Paul Andell, Pastor of St. James Lutheran Church, was retiring at the last Northwood Civic meeting.  I had a nodding acquaintance from seeing him at the Historical Society of Frankford meetings of which he is also the president but I had never actually met him.

So the day after the church celebrated its 85th anniversary, we talked a bit about what it will be like to wrap up almost 39 years of service to the Frankford community.

Pastor Paul Andell

He is not native to this area.  He grew up in Rhode Island and Florida but his family roots go back to Minnesota.  He graduated with a degree in history from Augsburg College in Minneapolis.  As the son of a third generation Lutheran Pastor, he followed in the family tradition after graduation by enrolling in Gettysburg Seminary.  He was ordained in 1972 and came to St. James that same year as an assistant pastor.  He became senior pastor in 1975.

Community is a word that comes up often from Paul Andell in looking back over his time at St. James.  It is reflected in the direction that he has lead the church during those years and also his involvement in civic affairs.  In addition to the leadership of the St. James, he has also been active in the Frankford Lions Club, the Historical Society of Frankford and several other committees and organizations over that time.

St. James is now the largest Lutheran congregation in the city and draws its multicultural membership from all parts of the area, not just our neighborhood.  It has numerous outreach programs including a well-respected pre-school.

During Paul’s sojourn here in Frankford the facilities at St. James have been continually upgraded and expanded with some milestone to measure each year’s progress.

Paul will preside over his last service at St. James on June 12th.   He and his wife Pam, who is an artist, raised their children in Frankford and have adapted to life in the big city.  Retirement may not be the correct term for the future.  Paul intends to look for part time pastor opportunities and also a potential role as a consultant.  There will of course be return trips to Philadelphia to see the grandchildren.

It will be a significant change to get back to small town life in Northern Minnesota.  Frankford’s loss will be Aitkin Minnesota’s gain.  We wish both Paul and Pam the best.

 

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Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

We reported on this last October and now this week you can have a look for yourself at the Historical Society of Frankford:
On Tuesday April 12 at 7:30 PM, come out, meet the producer, and learn of the background and research done to develop this exciting PHILADELPHIA HISTORY FILM SERIES.  Producer SAM KATZ will introduce and facilitate a discussion of this documentary – the PILOT in this enlightening series.  Philadelphia residents will have the opportunity to give feedback, make suggestions, and learn more about their city in this face-to-face presentation, hosted by State Representative TONY PAYTON, Jr.
Northeast Philadelphia has played a major role in the history of Philadelphia.  The Historical Society of Frankford has been collecting, preserving, and presenting the history of Northeast Philadelphia, with Frankford as its historic gateway, for over 100 years. Those in attendance will get an insider’s look at artifacts from the Society’s Library and Museum Collections integral to Philadelphia’s history and development.

Refreshments served; members free; others $5.00 donation.
The monthly program meetings (open to the public) of the HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FRANKFORD:  The Center for Northeast Philadelphia History are held in its own Museum and Library, built in 1930. Enjoy the Society’s collections and exhibitions as you learn something new each month.  Following each program, light refreshments are served so participants and presenters can refresh and exchange ideas on the topic.
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Historical Society of Frankford Meeting

Over 30 people gathered in the auditorium of the HSF last Tuesday for the annual meeting and behind the scenes tour.  The directors recapped last years activities and programs and talked about some upcoming events.  The next few programs are very interesting to me.  If you were around during the 50s, like spy stories and know the name Harry Gold, you might want to attend.  You can get the schedule on the web site here.

Financially, the HSF is getting by, year by year.  They continue to offer interesting programs and draw good crowds.  Many of the people who attend come from afar  which is great.  The big issue is that they cannot address the needed repairs to the building with funding at the current level.  With the economy in the tank, people are not passing around big grants for that kind of thing.

Mystery chair at the HSF

I can’t walk in that place without learning something new.  Do you know why this chair is significant?  Stop by the HSF and have a look.

There are no paid directors at the HSF but special mention was made of the volunteers who do so much to make the HSF a success.

…there would be no Historical Society of Frankford without volunteers – who donated over an outstanding 4,000 hours of service in 2010. Along with the time that some board members spend above and beyond the call of duty, there is an amazing group of volunteers who work on the finances, in the library, on the collections, with the museum, and throughout the building and gardens. These include Sara Brower, Delores Charlock, Susan Couvreur, Cliff Gabrelas, Paul Galliera, Laura Hortz-Stanton, John Klak, Jerry Kolankiewicz, Brian McCloskey, and Dick Trickey. The Society extends a heartfelt thank you to them – and all of the Society’s 2010 members and supporters.