The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-09
IN LIVING PICTURES.
The History of Philadelphia Por-
trayed In Elaborate Pageant.

Philadelphia oct. 9-Philadel-
phia's celebration of Founders week
reached it's climax today with the
passage of the historical pageant, the
artistic display of its kind ever at
tempted in any American city.
Eminent historians, students, artists
and artisans of consummate skill have
given freely of their thought and ser
vices to make the series of floats
depicting scenes from the times Oh
the earliest settlers down to the pres
ent day of the "city beautiful a
panorama unequalled alike in the
faithfulness of its portrayals and
beauty of its composition The
parades and shows of the earlier week
served only as preliminaries to today's
eliminating feature. The rush to find
available spaces along Broad street
began early and the seats in the grand
stand which had been held at the
modest price of 25 cents during the
week were eagerly bought up today
served position of honor in the line
of 60 magnificent floats and furnish
ing a touch of real history III the
glowing pageantry of make-believe
was the old Liberty bell itself
No city is richer than Philadel-
phia in memories closely intertwined
with the birth and early history of the
nation and in reciting this history by
living pictures it was sought to make
the pageant as nearly correct as
patient research and a consultation of
the highest authorities as to customs
and costumes could make it. Neither
pains or expense was spared to carry
out to the last detail the designs of
the artists of national reputation who
assisted in creating the vivid historic
picture. Each float of the seven
divisions was drawn by horses fash
ioned of the periods depicted and
there were outriders and heralds in
appropriate costume for each display.
Under the initial subdivision of ''ex-
ploration and early settlement" the
parade began with a model of the
"Onrust," the first ship to enter the
Delaware in 1916, and in a long line of
succeeding tableaux- pictured the sub-
sequent history of the city and coinci-
dentally of the nation. Following the
''Onrust" were groups of Lennf Lenape
Indians. early Dutch and Swedish set
tiers, and the recapture of the Della
ware forts by the Dutch.
The second section of the pageant
pictured, with ten floats the history Of
William Penn and the Quakers.
Colonial Philadelphia comprised the
third section. 1t breathed more of
gaiety than that of the sterner periods
of the settlement days. In the street
fair scene alone were 14O young girls on
Loot wearing COSTUMES Oh tne period OIL
1740.
The revolution was treated in the
fourth division with such scenes as the
resisting of the stamp act, signing of
the declaration of independence,
group comprising Washington, Wayne
and Lafayette, Franklin at the court
of Louis XVI; Rochambeau and the
French allies and lastly the flags cap
tured at Yorktown.
The fifth division showed the first
steps of the nation under the constitu-
ton and the sixth depicted Philadel-
phia from 1900 to 1860. The seventh
dealt with the civil war, the visit of
Lincoln to Philadelphia and the return
of the soldiers, then the Centennial,
and lastly the city beautiful.