Commonwealth Speakers:Special Places
The main entrance to the Philadelphia Zoo, c. 1870.
Since the opening of "America's First Zoo" in Philadelphia in 1874, zoological parks have occupied a prominent place on our nation's cultural landscape. But what is the history behind these enormously popular institutions? How have their design, mission, and appeal changed over time? Jeffrey Hyson surveys the colorful, complicated story of American zoos, with particular emphasis on the most prominent animal collections of Pennsylvania.
Slide projector and screen required.
Jeffrey Hyson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, Saint Joseph's
University, Philadelphia
Philadelphia's Broad Street is the longest straight city street in the world. South Broad Street developed as a cultural phenomenon with the building of the Academy of Music in 1857; by 1910, South Broad boasted both a "hotel row" and a "millionaire's row." After the trolley lines—and city development —were expanded northward in 1879, North Broad became home to Philadelphia's industrialists and businessmen, and the preferred residence of upper-class German Jews, who built synagogues, the Mercantile Club, and many ornate houses there. Robert Skaler's presentation on the history and development of Broad Street is illustrated with slides made from his rare vintage postcard collection.
Slide projector and screen required.
Robert M. Skaler, Architect and Author, Philadelphia
Why do people have such strong feelings about the places where they have played and watched baseball—places that range from city streets to rural lots, from Little League fields to multimillion-dollar stadiums? Why is the baseball park such an important part of cities and towns across America? Part of the answer lies in the way baseball is embedded in American culture and history, and part lies in the way people become emotionally attached to the landscapes and cityscapes they share with their families and friends. Stanton Green's photographic tour of baseball parks examines the complex relationship between baseball as a key aspect of American culture and the places and landscapes in which it is played.
CD/cassette player required.
Stanton Green, Ph.D., Anthropologist, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Clarion
University
Pennsylvania's cemeteries are open-air museums that reflect the rich diversity of Pennsylvania's inhabitants and tell the story of Pennsylvania's cultural evolution from the colonial era to the present. In this slide-illustrated talk, Gary Collison follows the development of Pennsylvania's graveyards as they grew from simple burial grounds into park-like cemeteries, and he demonstrates that Pennsylvania's gravemarkers and monuments, which range from primitive folk art to the most sophisticated sculpture, are truly "art standing in the field."
Slide projector and screen required.
Gary Collison, Ph.D., Professor of American Studies and English, PSU - Yorkk
With 120,000 miles of highways and byways that accommodate over 265 million daily travelers, Pennsylvania has the most extensive network of roadways in the world. Paul Zbiek shares photos, maps, and memorabilia as he discusses the history and importance of Pennsylvania's road system, including the development and usage of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the changing nature of the U.S. highways, and the scenic beauty and recreational opportunities found along Pennsylvania's roadways. This slide-illustrated presentation includes both scholarly information and anecdotes from Paul Zbiek's travels through each of Pennsylvania's counties.
Slide projector and screen required.
Paul J. Zbiek, Ph.D., Professor of History, King's College, Wilkes-Barre
After 21 years abroad, photojournalist Joan Klatchko returned to America and spent 4 years photographing her hometown of Levittown, the famous prototype suburb. Sharing her photographs and interviews of this award-winning project, she discusses the difficulties, rewards, and responsibilities of photographing her community, and her discovery that the dreams of the people in this famous suburb are the dreams of all Americans.
Slide projector and screen required.
Joan S. Klatchko, Photojournalist, Writer, and Educator, Philadelphiae
Ground Zero has become a site of international pilgrimage, a place where we convene, meditate, gaze, and collect relics. Tina Waldeier Bizzarro examines this site and its new building campaign in conjunction with the history of medieval pilgrimages in France, Spain,and Ireland. She discusses the art and ritual of pilgrimage, marked by hallowed goals, ritualized space, and art objects—worn, carried, and strewn about—and the process of journey conversion and transcendence implicit in all pilgrimage.
Slide projector and screen required.
Tina Waldeier Bizzarro, Ph.D., Professor of History of Art, Rosemont College
The ancient landscape of Ireland, with its dolmens, passage graves, and medieval monastic sites and sacred wells, traces a mythic past of Celtic language and names; an art and architecture fundamentally connected to its location and heritage; a storytelling tradition that commingles with Irish monuments and artwork; and a quintessentially Irish American subculture. Tina Waldeier Bizzarro takes participants on a tour through Irish art and times, from the ancient Stone Age through Ireland's Golden Age.
Slide projector and screen required.
Tina Waldeier Bizzarro, Ph.D., Professor of History of Art, Rosemont College
In the early 19th century, West Philadelphia was still farmland and forest. Because of its remote location and affordability, the city fathers housed many of the city's poor and sickly in charitable institutions there. Nevertheless, West Philadelphia grew, flourished, and eventually became Philadelphia's first street car suburb. In this presentation illustrated with slides made from rare vintage postcards, Robert Skaler traces West Philadelphia's history and development through the turn of the 20th century, including the 1876 Centennial Exposition, the introduction of the electric trolley in the 1890s, and the various ethnic groups that called West Philadelphia home.
Slide projector and screen required.
Robert M. Skaler, , Architect and Author, Philadelphia
Colonial Pennsylvania was a haven for a wide range of religious sects, many of them of German origin. Among the German immigrants was a mystical seeker named George Conrad Beissel, who in 1732 settled at Ephrata in Lancaster County. Largely because of Beissel's compelling personality, there soon developed around him a unique experiment in communal living that became internationally known for its ascetic religious life as well as printing, music, and fraktur writing. This slide presentation by David Eller explores the origins, achievements, demise, and lasting significance of the Ephrata society.
Projection screen and display table required.
David B. Eller, Ph.D., Professor of History and Religion, Elizabethtown College
In this slide-illustrated discussion, Gayle Samuels presents trees as repositories of historic, communal, and individual memories. Five tree species are examined: the Great Basin bristlecone pines, the oldest trees in the world; the Freed Budd Sycamore, a tree that was deeded to own itself; the Oklahoma City Survivor Tree; the apple trees of Johnny Appleseed; and Connecticut's Charter Oak.
Gayle B. Samuels, Author, Adjunct Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
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