Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection 01 Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of 's Hidden

Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories.

Last updated on July 16, 2013.

Richard Wall House Museum Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection

Table of Contents

Summary Information...... 3 Biography/History...... 3 Scope and Contents...... 4 Administrative Information...... 4 Controlled Access Headings...... 5

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Summary Information

Repository Richard Wall House Museum

Creator Richard Wall House Museum

Title Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection

Call number 01

Date circa 1855-2011

Extent 6.5 linear feet

Location Note Basement Archives; 1920s Room Closet; 3rd Floor Refrigerator

Language English

Abstract Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania was established in 1682 and the Richard Wall House was built the same year. The Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection, circa 1855-2011, is comprised of photographs relating to the people, buildings, and organizations of Cheltenham Township and Eastern Montgomery County.

Biography/History

"Richard Wall's house stands at the entrance to Wall Park [in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania]. The original section of the house is dated 1682 and additions were completed in 1727 and 1800. It is the most historic building in the Township and, until 1978, was the oldest house in continuous residence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Wall name was lost when Sarah Wall,

- Page 3 - Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection Richard's granddaughter, married George Shoemaker. The Shoemaker name is another name mentioned quite frequently in association with early development in the Township. Their daughter-in-law developed the Shoemaker Mill on the Tookany Creek, and Shoemakertown (now part of Elkins Park) developed around it." Bibliography: Cheltenham Township. "History." Accessed August 28, 2012. http://tinyurl.com/oxa88ex

Scope and Contents

This collection is comprised of photographs accumulated over time by the Richard Wall House Museum. An array of photographic processes are represented, including a daguerreotype, a tintype, glass plate negatives, lantern slides, color slides, cabinet cards, cartes de visite, as well as more modern processes on paper. The photographs are mostly from Cheltenham Township, Elkins Park, Glenside, Wyncote, and nearby areas in Eastern Montgomery County. They depict local individuals, families, and groups; buildings, including mansions (perhaps ) and schools (such as Beaver College); cars and carriages; streets, parks, and public places. Of special interest are: a survey of buildings along Old York Road (many located on the 8000 block) done by Edwin J. Davis, S.R.A., circa 1950, with photographs, property values, and remarks about building conditions; about 60 color lantern slides of a local mansion and gardens in Wyncote, circa 1920s (perhaps Lynnewood Hall); and about 2 dozen 1940s class photos. The collection also includes a large number of photographs of the Richard Wall House, objects owned by the Museum, and Museum exhibitions.

Administrative Information

Richard Wall House Museum Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories.

Sponsor This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

- Page 4 - Richard Wall House Museum photograph collection Access Restrictions Contact Richard Wall House Museum for information about accessing this collection.

Immediate Source of Acquisition Note Photographs collected at various times from various sources by the Richard Wall House Museum.

Processing Information Note Summary descriptive information on this collection was compiled in 2011-2012 as part of a pilot project conducted by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania to make better known and more accessible the largely hidden collections of small, primarily volunteer run repositories in the area. The Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories (HCI-PSAR) was funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This is a preliminary finding aid. No physical processing, rehousing, reorganizing, or folder listing was accomplished during the HCI-PSAR project. In some cases, more detailed inventories or finding aids may be available on-site at the repository where this collection is held; please contact Richard Wall House Museum directly for more information.

Controlled Access Headings

Geographic Name(s)

• Cheltenham (Pa. : Township) • Elkins Park (Pa.) • Glenside (Pa.) • Montgomery County (Pa.) • Wyncote (Pa.)

Subject(s)

• Gardens • Local history • Mansions • Photographs

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