A Peek into the City's Past Copyright City Of Philadelphia 2001.
Admission is free and the public is invited.
The discussion is being held in conjunction with the opening of a Lobby exhibition of hand-colored engravings by William Russell Birch, a 19 th century English enamel painter and engraver who settled in Philadelphia in 1794. The engravings give a birds-eye view of colonial life and are filled with fascinating street scenes. They serve as a testament to Philadelphia's glorious past and serve as an important historical record because they contain some important buildings that are no longer in existence. These original Birch engravings are owned by S. Robert Teitelman and are on loan to the Library for this exhibition. Accompanying the exhibition are photographs taken by Teitelman which also serve as an important historical record and trace the City's development from 1960 through 2000, at the same sites as Birch's original views.