Hidden City is producing a new book of historic Philadelphia photos and is calling on the public to submit photos that could be included in it, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY.
The new book will be titled, Philadelphia In Color, and is expected to be released sometime in 2026.
Pete Woodall is the project director and after sifting through institutional photo archives, he now wants to include personal photos, as well.
“We see this book as a work of history as well as a community portrait … This is a book about Philadelphia,” he said.
To this end, he wants photos that showcase elements of charm and informality. This is featured more in personal photos, as opposed to photos of politicians or stock images.
Submitted photos must be in color, taken sometime between 1950 and 1990, and feature some aspect of the city’s built environment.
Woodall was very deliberate in choosing that time frame. Color photos were rare during the early part, while most common during the latter.
Cities like Philadelphia were also experiencing widespread urban decline.
However, the goal with the book is to showcase that there were also many good things happening in Philadelphia during that time.
Read more about the idea behind Philadelphia In Color and how to submit photos at WHYY.
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