Libraries & Organizations: There are a large number of institutions in Philadelphia that maintain historical records relating to the city and region.  For a list of the major institutions, with brief descriptions of their holdings and links to their websites, see the site for the Philadelphia Area Consortium for Special Collections Libraries.

The most important institutions for Philadelphia topics are:

• Free Library of Philadelphia   Has the most extensive holdings of Philadelphia maps and atlases in the city.  Maps are found in the Social Science and History Division, 2^nd floor of the main building.

• University of Pennsylvania Library.  Major research library with extensive holdings of research collections on microfilm, including census data on New York City, 1900-1960; maps, directories and census data on Philadelphia; U.S. Sanitary Commission records on Civil War hospitals; records of southern plantations and the Southern Tenant Farmers' Union; and many other topics. Bryn Mawr students may use the Penn Library, but may not check out books or use online resources.  For a list of major microfilm collections, see http://gethelp.library.upenn.edu/guides/microforms/microforms.html

• Athenaeum  Specializes in American architecture and interior design, and maintains extensive holdings of architectural drawings of Philadelphia-area buildings.

• Historical Society of Pennsylvania  The largest repository of books, manuscripts and photographs relating to the history of the Philadelphia region.

• Library Company of Philadelphia  Extensive holdings of printed books, pamphlets and prints on Philadelphia and the East Coast in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society  Maintains collections of American seed catalogues, gardening books, and archives of the Philadelphia Flower Show and other gardening organizations in the region.

• Philadelphia City Archives  Repository for the records of the city government.  Includes extensive documentation on the city’s infrastructure, property ownership and development, crime, health issues, and anything else addressed by city government.

City Directories:  Contains address information about individuals and businesses, sometimes organized by street address, and sometimes alphabetically by name. 

• American city directories published before 1820 are available online through Early American Imprints.
  

• A full set of 19^th and early 20^th century Philadelphia directories can be found in the Quaker Collections at Haverford College, as well as at the major historical libraries in the city. 
  

• Bryn Mawr also has microfiche copies of directories from Philadelphia, New York, and several other cities up to the mid-19^th century (kept in microfiche cabinet in Periodicals Room, 1^st floor of Canaday.)

Atlases & fire insurance maps:  Detailed atlases were produced for most American cities and counties in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  The Bryn Mawr and Haverford libraries have many of the published atlases, and others can be found at the Free Library, Library Company, and Historical Society of Pennsylvania.  Several companies also produced fire insurance maps, which show in detail the outlines of the buildings, the construction materials, use of the buildings, and public infrastructure.  A few of these maps are online (below), and others can be found at the Free Library and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Key Websites:

• Philadelphia GeoHistory Network :  Includes digitized versions of several late 19^th century Philadelphia atlases and surveys.

• Places in Time: Historical Documentation of Place in Greater Philadelphia: Includes links to drawings & photographs of Philadelphia-area places, as well as links to information about useful collections at other institutions.

• Philadelphia Architects and Buildings.  Contains links to photographs, drawings, and data about buildings in the Philadelphia area.