by Nathaniel Popkin
December 5, 2007
Here are Philadelphia's street lamps, old and new -- and (many) new ones that are meant to look old. The issue of false historicism is an important one,
especially in Philadelphia when it is so often appropriate to use period lamps. But sometimes it isn't -- case in point Love Park -- and only reflects the easiest
reflex to hope for yesteryear. That's a dangerous proposition, which tells of insecurity and lack of confidence.
Still, there's enough ambition here. Temple University, especially, which blankets its campus with light, employs several contemporary lights. Manayunk, Penn,
Jefferson, Drexel and Independence National Historical Park do too. What do you like? My contemporary favorite is the arms-in-the-air lamp, two versions of which
we see here, one at Drexel, the other near the Constitution Center.
This isn't an exhaustive survey. I didn't get everywhere -- and I only repeat a few. However, many of the lamps pictured here are used in various locations. I
show the Center City Luminaire several times because it's used from Center City to University City to Germantown. I show the white top lamp used in Chestnut Hill
-- but also throughout the city; and several versions of the alley lamp. I was exhaustive on the true period lamps -- near the Second Bank of the United States
one can find four or five slightly different lamps and altogether throughout east Center City there must be a dozen similar lantern styles. But if you look
carefully you'll notice the differences.
Photo and technical credit to my friend Jeff McMahon.
Click to enlarge:
–Nathaniel Popkin
nathaniel.popkin@gmail.com
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