The Lenni Lenape called this place gueno-sheiki-hacki-ing, meaning "beautiful or peaceful valley." Incorporated in 1850, Conshohocken's colorful history had its beginnings as Native American territory prior to 1684, when William Penn purchased the land from the Tammany people. Soon Quakers purchased land, built homes, and opened mills. Conshohocken begins with tales and images of early history and continues with rare views that capture some of the majestic mansions built by the founding fathers, the tree-lined avenues with trolleys and horse-drawn carriages, the firehouses and train station and schools, and the many families and faces that have brought Conshohocken to life.

In the mid-nineteenth century, a transportation industry developed in Reading that put the city on the mapand on the Monopoly boardforever. Founded in 1748 by William Penns sons Thomas and Richard, Reading experienced rapid growth throughout the nineteenth century as the Reading Railroad (the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad) breathed steam into the citys industry. As the powerful railroads faded later, so did the citys economy. In recent years, Reading has become known as the birthplace and capital of factory outlet shopping and the hub of newborn manufacturing, financial, and agricultural enterprises.

Located just 14 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Bridgeport is a stone's throw from Valley Forge National Historic Park. Incorporated in 1851, the tiny village of 422 acres had 500 residents living within its boundaries. In 1723, Swedish and Welsh immigrants settled along the Schuylkill River, with the Eastburn and Holstein families among the first to settle. Irish immigrants found work in Bridgeport as early as 1860, and Italian immigrants poured into Bridgeport in the 1890s, finding work in the quarries and along the railroads and canals. Through vintage photographs, Bridgeport celebrates the families and industries that have helped shape this borough.

Established by real estate developers Tracy E. Shoults and S. H. Woodruff in 1923, Hollywoodland was one of the first hillside developments built in Hollywood. Touting its class and sophistication, the neighborhood promoted a European influence, featuring such unique elements as stone retaining walls and stairways, along with elegant Spanish, Mediterranean, French Normandy, and English Tudor-styled homes thoughtfully placed onto the hillsides. The community contains one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, the Hollywood sign, originally constructed as a giant billboard for the development and reading "Hollywoodland." The book illustrates the development of the upper section of Beachwood Canyon known as Hollywoodland with historical photographs from Hollywood Heritage's S. H. Woodruff Collection as well as from other archives, institutions, and individuals.

The village of Norris was founded by Isaac Norris, a Quaker merchant and mayor of Philadelphia, and his family in 1704. More than a century later, on March 31, 1812, Norristown was officially incorporated as a Pennsylvania state borough, and it was the first borough to be incorporated in Montgomery County. Laid out along the banks of the Schuylkill River, both business and the community prospered. Over the years, the area has attracted business and visitors alike, including a visit in 1960 from John F. Kennedy. Norristown offers a delightful flashback to the fascinating history of this community through vintage photographs from area residents and organizations.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia started thanks to a heroic doctor's inspiration, was the first of its kind and still impacts children's lives today. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia opened its doors in 1855 amidst a turbulent time in the city. Dr. Francis West Lewis, a prominent Philadelphia physician, was deeply disturbed by the appallingly high mortality rate among infants and children in his city, a result of the poor sanitary conditions in the urban slums that arose in great numbers during the Industrial Revolution. After visiting London for the opening of Great Ormond Street Hospital, Dr. Lewis was inspired to open the first children's hospital in the United States in Philadelphia and advertised in the Public Ledger, "Reception of children suffering from acute diseases and accidents will be received free of charge." The Children's Hospital continued to prosper and lead the advancement of children's health by creating many of the nation's first pediatric training programs and leading in the discovery of vaccines, lifesaving medical equipment, and pioneering treatments. Today, the hospital enjoys international recognition and continues to contribute to the advancement of children's health through a three-part mission of patient care, education, and research.

This book covers the 20 years that transformed Philadelphia into a city of neighborhoods, from Kingsessing to Wissahickon. At the turn of the 20th century, Philadelphia was the "workshop of the world," with builders toiling tirelessly to fill the staggering demand for housing. This golden age of construction resulted in whole new neighborhoods for the city's burgeoning population, transforming it into a place where immigrants could easily find jobs and a community to call their own. More than 200 vintage photos and postcards whisk readers back to the neighborhoods as they once were, exactly as our grandparents and great-grandparents knew them, before modern influences altered them beyond recognition. Arranged by neighborhood, this Philadelphia family album, a scrapbook for the city, is filled with rare vintage photographs and comprehensive information about the houses, the builders, the neighborhoods, and the people who lived in them.

Strawberry Mansion: The Jewish Community of North Philadelphia is a testament to the urban experience in American Jewish life. Perfect for fans of Jewish-American History. A section of North Philadelphia, Strawberry Mansion is nestled high on the banks of the Schuylkill River, adjacent to the large expanses of Fairmount Park, with many wonderful venues such as Woodside Park. The area became the setting for America's premiere Jewish Community in the 20th century, with over 50,000 inhabitants. Strawberry Mansion was the first Jewish suburb within an urban setting. Affectionately known as the Mansion, it was only a trolley car ride away from South Philadelphia's immigrant district. Jewish families migrated from one neighborhood to another as they advanced economically in American society during the early 1900s. By the mid-1950s, the decision to discontinue the once heavily traveled Route #9 trolley car marked the decline and eventual demise of Strawberry Mansion as a Jewish enclave.

The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge, was constructed to connect the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. For a time after its opening on July 1, 1926, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 1,750 feet. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge contains many rarely seen images of the bridge's planning and construction, the individuals who helped make the concept of the bridge a reality, and the workers who built it. The bridge has undergone many changes in the decades since its opening, and these vintage photographs trace its evolution, illustrating the bridge's endurance as a symbol of the Philadelphia-Camden metropolitan area.