Ken Finkel

All about Philadelphia arts, culture, past & place. Professor Emeritus at Temple University. History Dept. Blogger at

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

The Republic paddled from the foot of Race Street in Philadelphia to Cape May every morning and returned every evening. Except one very anxious August evening in 1882. https://t.co/t55d6J45Jq

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

What was the Alta Friendly Society? Hint: You go there "to seek your own good through the good of others.”
https://t.co/9JNRpKEFld

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

The oversized Bud atop the Wilbur Chocolate concession booth at the Sesquicentennial was decades ahead of its time. a precursor to the Pop Art movement. It was also akin to the 80-foot electrified Liberty Bell, also prominent at the Sesquicentennial.
https://t.co/hcX9JcqFdP

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

In industrial early 20th-century Philadelphia, the glass ceiling was fabric rather than glass. And it was stitched tightly, one might say irrevocably, in place. https://t.co/MpWJUZc3xx

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

Was James Eham's establishment at 1237 Pine Street a junk shop or was he a pioneer dealer in antiques? https://t.co/w8zvOkMC7L

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

Many were killed and injured over the course of the years at this giant infrastructure project. Would we like to memorialize these victims? Or would we prefer to chalk up their losses as unavoidable costs of urban development in Philadelphia’s Gilded Age?
https://t.co/mreUb83vDc

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

Unlike the famous Parkway in Philadelphia, this one actually had a tunnel. It came into being thanks to a robust team of contractors, politicians, stone masons and laborers, tools in hand. Everyone posed for the City photographer on December 17, 1898. https://t.co/uqtKuaGYc7

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

From Provost Mandel this morning: “I am happy to inform you that you are awarded ‘Professor Emeritus’ status retroactively effective July 1, 2023.” Thanks so much to the Council of Deans and History Chair Petra Goedde. Deeply honored & ready for an active, productive retirement.

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

It's April 1.

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

1835 to the 1850s was the most violent time in Philadelphia history, claimed one historian. Evenings of youth were given to the streets and "the ever-open groggeries" that led to "irretrievable ruin.” Would The Philadelphia City Institute turn the tide? https://t.co/gUzCDtKwe8

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

Well worth the wait and the extraordinary effort. Good going, TUGSA and TAs!

[TUGSA @TUGSA_6290]

Today, we reached a new Tentative Agreement with @TempleUniv. This TA reflects the incredible work of striking members over the past six weeks. It includes significant movement on all four of our core demands! Members will now vote on whether or not to ratify the TA.

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[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

The Gentleman’s Agreement was a Philly Thing almost as old as scrapple. See this fine opinion piece by Michael Sokolove in the Washington Post on the eve of the Superbowl: https://t.co/G0gBgjU8SG Honored to see it linked to my post: https://t.co/dNNfaZENoT

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

In 1952, artist Alfred Bendiner painted the Philadelphia Orchestra with Sergei Rachmaninoff performing his Piano Concerto No. 3. That painting now hangs at the Kimmel Center where, this week, celebrated pianist Yuja Wang again made Rachmaninoff magic.

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

Entering the streamlined Trans-Lux Theatre on Chestnut St. in 1935, patrons literally stepped across the threshold of 20th-century media culture, experiencing cutting-edge design, bleeding-edge technology, and up-to-the-moment news—for better or worse. https://t.co/hTF2GModSP

[Coastal Ecology and Conservation Lab @AllgeierLab]

The artificial reefs we built 6 months ago in Little Abaco are loaded with white grunts, lobster, and more!

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

@rcheetham Such kind and generous words! Thank you, Robert. It's been a great privilege to work with such a rich collection for the last decade plus. After all this time, I can honestly say there seems to be no end to the opportunities to research and present this city's many histories.

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

@LTCarpentry We DO know. The PMA happily has a checklist of all 31 by artists European and American including Brâncuși, Braque, Duchamp, Matisse, Picabia, Picasso, May Ray, Schamberg, Sheeler and more. Scroll down in the post for links to several. A great future research opportunity, eh?

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

For my 300th post at PhillyHistory: “Philadelphia’s First Exhibition of Advanced Modern Art” opened at the McClees Gallery, 1507 Walnut Street, on May 17th, 1916. This was nothing less than “the first major presentation of avant-garde art in Philadelphia.” https://t.co/Q8mMCzjXp8

[Ken Finkel @kenfinkel]

A research challenge: Which Picasso still life was “imposingly hung in the place of honor” in "Philly's First Exhibition of Advanced Modern Art” at the McClees Gallery on Walnut St. in 1916? Could it have been this one at the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio?https://t.co/Q8mMCz1Ob0

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This week - I'm in the UAE (visiting Abu Dhabi, Dubai) on an @UAEEmbassyUS x @MorrowCollect delegation with these incredible and inspiring people. Excited for the epic arts, architecture, and adventures to come!