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Philadelphia Almanac And Citizen 's Manual 1995
Paperback
First published December 31, 2004
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December 7, 2017
Almanacs. A relic of a bygone era. Sadly, works like this have fallen victim to the internet. With every cultural advancement there is always cultural loss. Books like this, in my opinion, are a loss. I wish this continued being printed every year. It would have been a great addition to the cultural history of Philadelphia. But it ended 22 years ago and the city I love is a little less for it.
Part of the irony with the short lived run of the Philadelphia Almanac is that throughout the book the editor, Kenneth Finkel, seeks to catalog the loss of Philadelphia's cultural and historical institutions (pp. 13-15). That was a sad part of the book, the pages that chronicled all the various historical building that for one reason or another (L&I) cease to exist. The city recently erected a great statue of Octavius Catto (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pen...). Come to find out that his house was 814 South Street which met its demise in 1989.
Given its age there is still a lot of valuable information in this small book. Of course, there is also a lot of dated information. The listings of Public Computer Terminals (60) is probably not necessary in 2017. Along with the listing of various support groups, including a "close encounters" (UFO) support group.
Here's a sampling of some of the unique facts and questions within:
- Why is the tower of City Hall a different color from the rest of the building? (112)
- Two page history of the Liberty Bell (26-27)
- List of Philadelphia Mayors and then Ward Leaders (136-142, 53-55)
- List of Philadelphia Neighborhoods (156-170). They list 395 neighborhoods that have existed over the years of Philadelphia's history!
- 53 of Philadelphia's National Historic Landmarks (121-126)
- How can I buy an Uzi? (68). Yep...
- Lost Philadelphia (historical and cultural institutions which are no longer, 13-15)
- Two page history of the escape from Eastern State Penitentiary (75-76)
Yes, this work is dated, but it contains some fascinating trivia bits on the City of Philly.
Part of the irony with the short lived run of the Philadelphia Almanac is that throughout the book the editor, Kenneth Finkel, seeks to catalog the loss of Philadelphia's cultural and historical institutions (pp. 13-15). That was a sad part of the book, the pages that chronicled all the various historical building that for one reason or another (L&I) cease to exist. The city recently erected a great statue of Octavius Catto (http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pen...). Come to find out that his house was 814 South Street which met its demise in 1989.
Given its age there is still a lot of valuable information in this small book. Of course, there is also a lot of dated information. The listings of Public Computer Terminals (60) is probably not necessary in 2017. Along with the listing of various support groups, including a "close encounters" (UFO) support group.
Here's a sampling of some of the unique facts and questions within:
- Why is the tower of City Hall a different color from the rest of the building? (112)
- Two page history of the Liberty Bell (26-27)
- List of Philadelphia Mayors and then Ward Leaders (136-142, 53-55)
- List of Philadelphia Neighborhoods (156-170). They list 395 neighborhoods that have existed over the years of Philadelphia's history!
- 53 of Philadelphia's National Historic Landmarks (121-126)
- How can I buy an Uzi? (68). Yep...
- Lost Philadelphia (historical and cultural institutions which are no longer, 13-15)
- Two page history of the escape from Eastern State Penitentiary (75-76)
Yes, this work is dated, but it contains some fascinating trivia bits on the City of Philly.
Displaying 1 of 1 review