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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
| Posted 10-12-2003
FIVE News-Bits of Reading-Berks historical interest… =============== ============= =========== =============== ============= =========== 1- Only 3 weeks left to see the Society's outstanding 3-D exhibit 2- Interesting discovery made in regard to an old painting at Soc. 3- Rare view of lawyer Abner Stauffer's Hill Road mansion 4- Liberty Bell was in Reading, off N. 8th St., 110 years ago 5- Rdg.'s Homeopathic (Community General) Hospital's history ============== ============ ============ ============== ============ ============ 1- The old-time photo and stereographic exhibit, now featured in the Society's Exhibition Hall, is a short-run show which will be removed at the end of the month. Mr. Yoder, the Society executive director, did an outstanding job tracking down rare old photos and cameras from our collection for display at this time. A number of views (and cameras) have hitherto been unseen by the public---so if you have an interest in 19th century Reading and Penn St., there's a series of stereopticon cards you really should see before they are removed.    ================= ============= =========== 2- Presently on display in the Society's foyer is a medium-sized oil painting of a residence at 16th and Perkiomen Ave., Reading. None of the maps we have on file shows the place, so its true location has been something of a mystery to us.  Yesterday, as your editor was walking through the 3-D exhibit, a very large and very old 3-section, elongated photo of Reading--- from Neversink Mt.---came into view. As it is somewhat faded and not as clear a photo as one might like, it's the kind of thing one could easily walk by, giving it scant attention. Such as been the case with your editor's previous walk-bys! On the most recent "walk," attention focused on a structure at the extreme right side of the four-foot view and, in a proverbial flash, the mystery of the painting was solved. See what you think:  Obviously, this residence was removed to make way for St Paul's Lutheran Church, northwest corner of 16th and Perkiomen, which took over this site in 1900. =============== ============== ========== 3- The aforementioned large photo that appears in Exhibition Hall also contains a rare view of Attorney Abner Stauffer's mansion at 1513 Hill Road, now the site of Edgemont Terrance Apartments---and perhaps a bit of the Penn Hill Apartments property. Notice in the lower left we see Hawthorne, now at Mineral Spring and Clymer St. (Old directories give George Baer's mansion as being at 15th and Mineral Spring Road.  ============= ============= ============== 4- Newspapers this past week have carried a number of illustrated stories detailing the careful moving of the Liberty Bell to his new location. A special moving conveyance was scientifically designed to prevent any jarring so that no further damage is sustained by the fragile old bell. Be apprised the Liberty Bell was displayed in Reading, briefly, in 1893, brought here on a railroad flatcar! After being displayed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition at Chicago, its return to Phil'a was made via New York Central lines, Lehigh Valley, and P&R railroads. A stop was made in Reading at the P&R freight yard off North 8th St. While not a great photo from a technical standpoint, it's the only one known to exist showing the Liberty Bell in Reading.  ================ ============= ========= A gentleman from France with a great involvement in the study of homeopathic medicine and old-time homeopathic hospitals wrote for permission to include a good deal of information that appeared in an Historical Review article published around 12 years ago. He was granted permission and produced a fascinating Internet piece that has a considerable amount of good Reading history in it. Here is the whole article, which includes some fine illustrations. ================= gmmix ======= end === |
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